NEWS RELEASE                                             

For Immediate Release
August 14, 2006
Contact: Michele Nicholson
Public Information Officer
  (850) 651-7420

INTERNAL REVIEW CONCLUDED

     An internal review by the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office into the pursuit of a reckless and impaired driver has concluded the deputy and his supervisors were working within the guidelines of agency policy.

    44-year old Sharon Elaine Martin of Fort Walton Beach is charged with DUI manslaughter. She was attempting to elude Deputy Mike Gallagher on June 30th when she crashed into a car sitting at an intersection on Eglin Parkway , killing the driver.

     The amount of time that elapsed between the moment Deputy Gallagher spotted Martin running a red light and hitting a curb on Okaloosa Island , until the time she hit 20-year old Allison Joy Angerman was approximately two minutes. The factors involved and the review of agency policy shows the Deputy did not violate any OCSO policies. There is no evidence of any negligence on the part of the officer or the supervisors who were aware of, and engaged in decision-making processes, throughout the short duration of the pursuit.

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