According to Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office, the incident began at 6:20 a.m. near Whataburger in Navarre. A traffic stop was initiated by a Santa Rosa deputy. The driver of the vehicle was identified as Justin Dale Peacock.
With Peacock’s vehicle pulled over, the deputy asked Peacock to exit the vehicle and get on the ground after not obeying commands. During the traffic stop, Johnson said Peacock was acting aggressively toward the deputy.
At some point while outside of the vehicle, Peacock allegedly motioned toward his vehicle. Johnson, who watched the body camera footage before the news conference, said the deputy told Peacock to stay outside the vehicle.
According to the Sheriff’s Office, Peacock then leaned over to the vehicle and was shot in the leg by the deputy.
Despite being shot, Peacock managed to flee, and in the ensuing foot chase into Holley by The Sea, he was tased, tackled and detained. Whataburger in Navarre was closed the remainder of Thursday as law enforcement proceeded with their investigation into the incident.
At a news conference, held a few hours after the shooting, Sheriff Bob Johnson referred to Peacock as a “frequent flyer” with Santa Rosa County Jail and a “known gang member.” According to Santa Rosa County Jailview, Peacock has been in jail five times dating back to May 2023.
“He has a history of possession of firearm by convicted felon, possession of a concealed weapon, numerous traffic offenses, dealing in stolen property, possession of a controlled substance, drug equipment, and he has in the last couple of years spent 238 days in our jail,” Johnson said. “He comes from Colorado, and he spent a few years in the Department of Corrections in Colorado.”
A local news outlet asked Johnson his thoughts on some alleged witnesses who said Peacock didn’t appear aggressive, didn’t have a weapon on him and didn’t have a criminal record. In reply, Johnson called the witnesses “liars.”
“I watched the bodycam video and once the investigation is done the bodycam video will come out and you will see exactly what I am talking about,” Johnson said. “The people you talked to are either blind, stupid or liars. That’s the only three options you’ve got.”
Johnson said FDLE will investigate the incident and if a crime is deemed to have occurred that agency will hand it over to the State Attorney’s Office.
According to Santa Rosa County Clerk of Court records, Peacock has been adjudicated guilty on multiple charges and has some cases which remain open.