Domestic violence charges dropped against former Winter Park police chief at alleged victim’s request

Former Winter Park Police Chief Michael Deal is no longer facing a misdemeanor domestic violence charge.

The former department head was arrested last month following an alleged altercation inside his home with his wife and daughters all present. The resulting charge came from an accusation that Deal forcibly moved a family member out of his way while trying to walk away from an argument.

The charges were dropped at the request of the alleged victim, who wrote Deal’s attorney asking to end the case.

“I am requesting all charges be dropped along with allowing full contact,” she wrote in an email to Deal’s attorney, per the Orlando Sentinel. “I am writing this to you on my own accord, after speaking in depth with [other family members] and praying deeply regarding all aspects of our case.”

In between Deal’s arrest and the dissolution of the case, he resigned from his position atop the Winter Park Police Department.

“I want to thank Chief Deal for his service to the City of Winter Park. I wish him well in his future endeavors,” City Manager Randy Knight said at the time. “The city will begin the process of filling the Police Chief position as soon as possible. Division Chief Pam Marcum will continue to serve as acting Police Chief until further notice.”

–
Stay on top of Central Florida news and views with our weekly newsletters, and consider supporting this free publication. Our small but mighty team is working tirelessly to bring you Central Florida news, and every little bit helps.

This article appears in Feb 2-8, 2022.