Opinion: Wait for Fuller Picture in Case of Winter Park Police Chief

Winter Park Police Chief Michael Deal resigned Wednesday, a week following his arrest in Seminole County on a domestic violence charge. “After 40 years of dedicated law enforcement, I am truly excited about what the future holds for me and my family,” Deal said. “We definitely look forward to the next chapter in our lives.”

City Manager Randy Knight announced Deal’s resignation at Wednesday’s regular commission meeting. The media were quick to highlight Deal's arrest with many condemning the police chief immediately. Like so many cases in media driven controversies, most have rushed to judgement.

But let's examine the facts. Although three witnesses were present at the time of incident, two were minors at an impressionable age.

While attempting to leave the argument and walk toward the kitchen, Deal grabbed a family member by the wrist and “slung/pushed [them] out of his way” toward the pantry, according to the arrest report. Deal told Seminole deputies that he “attempted to get around” the alleged victim but “never laid a hand on” that person, the report said.

While both reports clearly contradict each other, children of all ages often fall victim to manipulation by one or both parents. Until testimony is fully examined in court, the exact facts that evening cannot be fully understood. If the event occured in an unprovoked manner, the chief's resignation is well deserved. However, a second look at the behavior and history of the chief's wife also deserves to be taken into account.

Although battery clearly violates the law, so does false imprisonment, an act the chief's wife arguably made in preventing her husband from leaving.

Summer Deal has a history of her own, including harrassment of law enforcement officers in Altamonte Springs during a traffic stop. Body camera footage from an Altamonte Springs officer talking to the wife of Winter Park's police chief following a crash showed Deal's wife attempting to abuse her husbands position, stating to the officer "my husband would like to speak to you." (Ironically, Deal advocated for cameras since 2017 and accelerated the program’s implementation after George Floyd’s death in custody intensified national scrutiny on police tactics).

Before passing judgement, let's wait for a more lucid picture to come into focus.