Kevin Robinson

krobinson4@pnj.com

A former Escambia County Sheriff's deputy who reportedly fired a stun gun into a friend's chest during "friendly horseplay over a bottle of sweet tea" and tried to cover up the incident was given one year of probation from law enforcement.

Michael Wohlers resigned from the Sheriff's Office last year while under an Internal Affairs investigation for untruthfulness, failure to complete an accurate report, unbecoming conduct, use and handling of weapons, and compliance with a direct order of an Internal Affairs investigator, according to documents from the ECSO and Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission. The CJSTC heard the details of the case at an Aug. 4, 2016 meeting, sustained the ECSO's allegations and announced the disciplinary suspension in a news release Monday.

The probation is attached to Wohler's law enforcement certification, meaning he is barred from serving with any Florida law enforcement agency until the probationary period ends. Wohlers, under the advisement of his attorney, declined to comment.

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On June 12, 2015, Wohlers reportedly finished his patrol shift and went to visit a friend at her place of employment. The two began playfully bickering over a drink, and Wohlers "pulled out his department-issued dart firing stun gun and shot the victim in the chest," the CJSTC release said.

Wohlers retrieved the device's spent wires and probes, but he didn't notify the Sheriff's Office of the incident. Instead, he told a training officer he had accidentally discharged his stun gun against a pillow, the documents said.

After exchanging text messages with the victim and learning she planned to file a formal complaint, Wohlers went back to his trainer and admitted to using the stun gun on the victim, the release said. He eventually filed a false offense report stating he was performing a safety check on his weapon when he lost his grip and accidentally discharged the device.

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In an effort to apologize to the victim, Wohlers "baked a cake and decorated it with one figure firing a (stun gun) at the other figure," according to the CJSTC release.

The ECSO launched an Internal Affairs investigation of the incident, and in July 2015, Wohlers resigned from the Sheriff's Office while the investigation was still ongoing.

The CJSTC, an agency that reviews cases of alleged officer misconduct, reviewed the case and sustained all the charges alleged in the ECSO investigation. No criminal charges were filed.

Florida Department of Law Enforcement prosecution requested Wohlers receive a 30-day retroactive suspension; serve a year of probation to begin at the conclusion of the suspension period; and provide staff with proof of successful completion of a CJSTC-approved ethics course prior to the end of the probationary period.

Addressing the incident Monday, Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan said his agency responded appropriately upon discovering the suspected misconduct and had no tolerance for individuals who violate the trust of the public or the department.

"We have set and maintained an extremely high standard of conduct for our deputies," Morgan said. "When you violate those standards, justice is swift, severe and certain."



