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ALACHUA COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE

Sheriff Chad D. Scott

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Department of Operations

The Department of Operations is comprised of the Patrol Operations Division and the Special Operations Division who report to Major Darrell Bessinger.

Major Darrell Bessinger

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Yesterday, our Community Relations Manager, Michel Yesterday, our Community Relations Manager, Michelle Sherfield, and Community Relations Specialist, Jasmine Thomas, had the privilege of delivering a donation to @2ndchanceatheart 2ND Chance at Heart is a group home dedicated to giving young ladies a fresh start in a safe, supportive environment, helping them reset, grow, and thrive. A heartfelt thank you to those who donated for your commitment to making a difference in our community!
๐ƒ๐ž๐ฉ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ข๐ž๐ฌ ๐€๐ซ๐ซ๐ž๐ฌ๐ญ ๐€๐ซ๐ฆ๐ž๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐ ๐ฅ๐š๐ซ๐ฒ ๐’๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฉ๐ž๐œ๐ญ ๐ข๐ง ๐€๐ฅ๐š๐œ๐ก๐ฎ๐š ๐ƒ๐ž๐ฉ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ข๐ž๐ฌ ๐€๐ซ๐ซ๐ž๐ฌ๐ญ ๐€๐ซ๐ฆ๐ž๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐ ๐ฅ๐š๐ซ๐ฒ ๐’๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฉ๐ž๐œ๐ญ ๐ข๐ง ๐€๐ฅ๐š๐œ๐ก๐ฎ๐š During the early morning hours of Saturday, April 11, 2026, Deputy Sheriff N. Johns responded to a residence in the 26000 block of NW CR 239 in Alachua regarding a reported burglary in progress. Law enforcement was provided with a description of the suspect and advised that he was leaving the area. Deputy Johns located the individual, later identified as 52-year-old Wilton Acta, approximately a quarter mile south of the residence. Prior to contact, Acta was observed discarding what appeared to be a firearm. Despite multiple lawful verbal commands to comply, Acta did not follow instructions and was subsequently tased and taken into custody. A firearm, identified as a silver revolver, was recovered at the scene and found to contain multiple spent casings. During the investigation, deputies learned that Acta unlawfully entered the victimโ€™s home through a dog door and caused damage to the residence. One occupant exited the home to seek help, alerting nearby family members. Another family member, armed for protection, encountered Acta inside the residence. During this encounter, shots were fired. A physical struggle followed, during which Acta gained control of the firearm and discharged it at one of the people living in the home, before fleeing the property. Acta was later interviewed and placed under arrest. He has been charged with Attempted Felony Murder, Burglary of an Occupied Dwelling, Robbery by Sudden Snatching, and Resisting an Officer Without Violence. This was a frightening and dangerous situation for everyone involved. We are thankful that the victims and their family members are safe following this incident. This case serves as a reminder of protecting yourself and your loved ones, while also highlighting how quickly situations can escalate. We are grateful that no further injuries occurred and that responding deputies were able to safely take the suspect into custody.

How to Find the Alachua County Sheriff's Office

2621 SE Hawthorne Road, Gainesville, FL 32641
(352) 367-4000

The Alachua County Sheriff's Office Administration Building is located off SE Hawthorne Road in Gainesville, Florida.

For visitation at the Jail, that facility is located at 3333 NE 39th Avenue, Gainesville, Florida 32609.

Please note: our building lobbies are not staffed or equipped to handle emergencies 24 hours a day. If you need help right away, never hesitate to call 911.

NOTICES AND DISCLAIMERS

This website was created to comply with the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to ensure accessibility for the community we serve.

If you require assistance or accommodations to have the material on this site read or otherwise provided to you, please contact our Combined Communications Center at (352) 955-1818. (TDD/translation services available)

ASO is committed to ensuring accessibility to our website. To report an accessibility issue, request accessibility assistance regarding our content, or to request a specific electronic format, please complete our Accessibility Feedback Form.

See our Biased Policing policy.

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