The suspended Flomaton police chief has been arrested on a kidnapping charge for allegedly making an unauthorized arrest across the state line in Century.
Geoffrey Ashley McGraw, 30, turned himself in at the Escambia County (Fla.) Jail Thursday afternoon on a third degree felony charge of kidnapping/false imprisonment. He was released 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 Adadm Barrow was arrested by McGraw at home on Old Flomaton Road in Century. McGraw, without jurisdiction, allegedly took Barrow into custody in Florida on an outstanding Escambia County (Ala.) failure to appear warrant in misdemeanor case, Keith Cameg, spokesperson for FDLE, told NorthEscambia.com. Barrow was then transported back across the state line into Alabama.
McGraw was placed on an indefinite paid leave February 27 by the Flomaton Town Council. The council is expected to once again consider his employment status at an upcoming meeting on March 12.
At that late February Town Council meeting, a Century couple made multiple allegations against McGraw and his supposed actions in Florida. Cameg said he was unaware that some of the allegations were or were not involved in the FDLE and State Attorney’s investigation into McGraw.
The couple, Tracy Tedder and his wife Tabitha Tedder, told the Flomaton council that then-Police Chief McGraw pulled his weapon and illegally searched their Century home on Old Flomaton Road.
As they spoke about their claims involving McGraw, they referred to him as “McGruff”.
“Chief McGruff drawed his gun on Florida property without Florida police department being involved and goes through our home,” Tabitha Tedder said. “He illegally arrested our son-in-law and transported him back to Alabama.”
“It’s a Florida matter; we can’t comment,” Flomaton Mayor Dewey Bondurant said about the allegations at the February meeting. To read more about the Tedder’s allegations,