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Former Flomaton Police Chief Says He’s Not Guilty
March 27, 2012
The former Flomaton, Ala., police chief says he is not guilty of kidnapping for allegedly making an unauthorized arrest across the state line in Century.
Geoffrey Ashley McGraw, 30, waived an arraignment hearing scheduled for this Thursday and filed a plea of not guilty through his attorney, Earnest Ray White, in Escambia County (Fla.) Circuit Court.
McGraw was arrested earlier this month on a third degree felony charge of kidnapping/false imprisonment. He was released from the Escambia County Jail on a $5,000 bond.
McGraw’s arrest stemmed from a joint operation by the Florida 1st Judicial Circuit State Attorney’s Office and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
FDLE obtained the warrant for McGraw’s arrest for an August 14, 2011, incident in which Ronald Adam Barrow was arrested by McGraw at a home on Old Flomaton Road in Century — 0.177 miles from the Alabama state line. McGraw, without jurisdiction, allegedly took Barrow into custody in Florida on an outstanding Escambia County (Ala.) failure to appear warrant in misdemeanor case. Barrow was then transported back across the state line into Alabama.
McGraw was placed on leave by the Flomaton Town Council on February 27 and subsequently fired on March 12.
Comments
33 Responses to “Former Flomaton Police Chief Says He’s Not Guilty”
I have a good friend! who is a atmore (leo)He said ! He would have checked and known where he was before making an arrest! Two feet in florida is two feet in florida!
Dont think so!!!watch what im saying!!!!!!
Dont think so!!!!watch what im saying!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Still a criminal in Alabama or Florida. Needed to be arrested.
It seems that no matter where you go on this world, border towns are just prone to drama and trouble. Flomaton is pretty much set in our minds, as to how we perceive the town. Maybe if everyone lightens up a little, the children of the new generation will grow up with a different view of Flomaton. When things get to where they have come to, you have to ask how, why. I know Im going to drive over that bridge again one day, but not today.
.017 miles is about 90 feet, so he crossed the state line by 90′ to get this guy. The defense lawyer is going to have a field day with this. It’ll come down to a state line sign that was non-existent, or something like that.
I would think a warrant would have a address!! or was he just staying with the tedders?
Now before you jump to conclusion, we have to first know just where exactly he was located. Just in case you didn’t know Flomaton and Century has some unusual boundries. On one side of the street your in Alabama and on the other side your in Florida. So depending on where he picked him up from it could be concluded that he was in Alabama.
We bought a recliner chair back Christmas 2010 and attended the Auction back in January. The only reason I have eased into Flomaton in the Past 15 months was to make purchases, which could have been made elsewhere. If there were some way to relocate the few stores there, outside the town limits, more people might be inclined to shop in the area. The images of a deranged, gun weilding LE officer on a rampage is enough to disturb anyone, and make shoppers think twice before entering Flomaton. We had to go to the courthouse in Brewton a couple of weeks ago, I just hit the right turn signal and took hwy4 to Jay, then north. It might take a generation, but people will one day, start to forget, and begin to return to Flomaton. It might even help to hire a PR firm, as Mexico did.
” All In The Family”, this is turning out to be one meck of a hess.A.W. Thompson Mosquito Flats, Florida
This whole situation is a complete mess. We have the White brothers as the lawyers, a cousin is the Mayor and the person charged just trying to catch a criminal to do his job. He was probably better off in jail than he would have been on the street. Please people —-figure out how to keep the dope peddlers off the streets, little children from being molested and try to keep the robbers away from our homes.If he was a criminal in Alabama, then he’s still a criminal in Florida. They should work together anyway. Quit trying to make such a big deal over such a small thing.
Many good points noted Frustrated. We have a unique situation in this area with borders and there are times that Flomaton or ECSO Florida may be able to respond to an emergency situation quicker than the other due to their current location. I personally appreciate all that both do and would hate for either of them to hesitate to make an urgent decision to do the right thing based on possibility of consequences caused by this fiasco.
Stay on topic about the situation and stick to the facts. The question is did McGraw go over the state line to arrest a man for outstanding warrants? Yes. Was it not the smartest thing to do? Yes. Are the people he arrested guilty of the crimes? Yes. McGraw made a mistake and should have been patient and waited for them to cross the Alabama state line but instead he didn’t. If you break the law, you break the law even if you wear a badge. This doesn’t say that McGraw is a bad person just that he made a bad decision. If you got pulled over and got a ticket for speeding that doesn’t make you a bad person, you just made a bad decision. Our policemen risk everything to keep us safe. I know that a lot of the police officers, especially in this area are hot headed and self righteous but they do risk their lives for us so they at least deserve our respect. But some poeple do not even respect themselves so I would guess the previous statement would be moot.
I may be wrong but the number I remember reading somewhere in one of the many news articles concerning this said he was .017 miles into Florida. That is about 300 feet. Thats pretty close. And if you will look at a map of that area the Alabama line zig zags back and forth a bit. It is not simply the railroad tracks as many think. I know for a fact every day an Alabama school bus comes across the overpass, turns left on E Cottage St and drops of kids back around Old Flomaton Rd then comes back out the same way. Must be some Alabama back there.
I know both Ernie and Danny plus Dewey and Ernie and Danny will do their job. Family won’t be a problem.
sometimes i dont even tell people im from flomaton because they just laugh…..
Him pleading not guilty is his attorney’s doing. Which won’t get him far considering who he chose.
flomaton has a long history of not having decent policemen we went from a speed trap city to a city that lets a lot of people come through way over the speed limit you cant pin a badge on just anybody maybe its the pay but i do know one thing if you dont know where the florida line is you should not be carrying a gun. that is scary.
kITTY, MCGRAW MIGHT GET AWAY WITH THE DIRT HE HAS DONE,
as ellen be mentioned:
Earnie white is representing mcgraw, earnie’s brother danny is representing the town of flomaton and mayor bondurant is earnie and danny’s first cousin…and these people are not distant, they are a close knit family, so they might have soemthing up their sleeve, bondurant was lieing for mcgraw the whole time anyway, talking about he was out on leave with his sick family member all the while he had been suspended and then he finally came out and admitted that he was fired….when family and buddies run things and towns, anything can happen, thats why flomaton is always in a scandal, KARMA, because of the dirt that the people in charge have done for decades..
Stateline confusing? Bull ! He knew exactly what he was doing! He thought he was on to something, so he went. What ever goes on in a does not concern him, unless it comes into Alabama!! What happened to policemen being helpful, and not “Out to get someone!” Now he will probably get off with very little punishment…
Was it on Old Flomaton Road or Alley 5? Old Flomaton Road is pretty clear on the state line but unless things have changed since the last time I was down Alley 5 (probably 20 years ago) there was no clear sign that you were on the AL or FL side.
Not defending or condeming anyone because I don’t know all the facts.
RR you hit the nail right on the head! These people have never worked an honest day in their lives..the only job they’ve had is to live off the government. McGraw & the town of Flomaton is their newest golden oppportunity.
I see a conflict of interest tho with Earnie White representing Geoff, his brother Danny representing the town of Flomaton, & their first cousin, Dewey Bondurant, the mayor of Flomaton. That may work against us in Flomaton…..how smart is that? GENUISES!
REGARDING:
“The state line is very confusing in the area where he made this arrest.”
Not really
David for knowing imaginary lines
He will probably take a plea bargain, bet? they probably have sweet deal worked out for him. Like a few months paid vacation
Well sounds like the guy was getting arrested anyway… And kitty I hope the police protect themselves they do have families to go home too ….don’t forget they do put themselves in harms way many times… They go where none of us will go….guess I am a little confused on the case . I understand he took him into custody in fl not al in his jurisdiction …but what makes him so bad bad …. The guy was getting arrested anyway right …he had warrants . So he should have been in jail.. I agree with R.R.
The state line is very confusing in the area where he made this arrest. I believe it was an honest mistake. This family is simply trying to flip this. Do a little research and look up their criminal records. I have to say that I have seen more effort from McGraw than any other Chief of Police in a long while to try and clean things up around Flomaton. It is a shame that this person who simply put will be arrested again sooner or later the correct way is causing this much confusion and trtouble.
The man the cop kidnapped should have used the stand your ground law and taken care of business.
Another cop that thinks he is above the law. He broke the law, now pay the price! Suck it up and take your punishment like a man, instead of wasting anymore of the tax payers money, which was already wasted making you a chief. Yeah… if anyone else has done this as a normal U.S. citizen, it’s called kidnapping…This Dumba– Should be put Under the jail and then sit the jail back on him !!!!!!
Loose-o=lose or the word you was trying to use…
Not guilty……..?………LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL!
The man the cop kidnapped should have used the stand your ground law and taken care of business.
Another cop that thinks he is above the law. He broke the law, now pay the price!
Hahaha not guilty! So you didn’t cross over into Florida, search for, arrest and detain someone in your squad car then drive them back across state lines into Alabama?
When you crossed state lines you automatically became a normal U.S. citizen that happened to be in uniform and in a squad car. You had no jurisdiction or authority, you were a cop in Alabama, not Florida. Then as a normal citizen you took someone against their will, “fugitive” or not, restrained them, and took them against their will in your car out of the state.
Yeah… if anyone else has done this as a normal U.S. citizen, it’s called kidnapping…
Suck it up and take your punishment like a man, instead of wasting anymore of the tax payers money, which was already wasted making you a chief.
It looks like a loose-loose situation for Mr. McGraw.
There are, in this world, certain factions which stick together, that you should not engage for you will certainly loose. One can never win against:
A minority,they are chauvinistic beyond reason.
First line managers, they got thier jobs because they are stupid, but they don’t know it.
Doctors, they will only turn on another after loosing thier own license.
Policemen, they protect and serve themselves first.
A persecuted family, they instinctively destroy their enemy uterly.
Pick your fights carefully. The best cenerio for Mr.McGraw will not be a win.
He’s man enough to cross the state line to be a BAD BUTT “BULLY”, but NOT man enough to pled to the charges! How does he think he’s NOT guilty?