Father Used Infant as Human Shield During Arrest

A man who was pulled over by the police allegedly used his baby as a human shield in a purported attempt to hold off the officers.

Last Monday, the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office reported that officers were pursuing a suspect on Interstate 10 that they believed was involved in a situation relating to “a child custody/Baker Act issue.”

When law enforcement officers succeeded in getting the driver of the vehicle, identified as 31-year-old Zachary Taylor McKinney from Defuniak Springs, to obey their command to stop and interact with them they spotted an infant in the car with the man.

The officers interacting with McKinney, who was reported as the father of the baby in the vehicle, came to the conclusion that the man was behaving in a manner that would indicate he may have taken drugs.

Officers tried to detain McKinney and asked him to release the baby into their custody, but he reportedly held the infant in front of him in a manner that caused the belief that he was using the child as a shield.

The Special Tactics Team stepped in, and they were able to safely retrieve the baby from McKinney’s alleged grasp.

Before being processed at the jail McKinney was given an evaluation at a local hospital.

When doctors cleared McKinney as medically stable to leave the hospital, he was placed in a police vehicle where he allegedly kicked, scratched, and attempted to bite the officers in the car.

The authorities became alarmed by McKinney’s elevated vital signs and the way in which he was behaving, so they decided to take him back to the hospital for further assessment.

While a hospital worker was attending to McKinney he allegedly became physically violent with the staff member and caused injuries to their face and stomach.

Due to the alleged incidents, McKinney may face charges for battery on a law enforcement officer, battery on a health care professional, false imprisonment of a child under the age of 13, child abuse, and resisting arrest.

If you or someone you love is suspected of a domestic violence crime, contact Orange County criminal defense lawyer Staycie R. Sena at (949) 477-8088 for a consultation now.