• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About
  • The Magazine
  • Events
  • Partners
  • Products
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • Jobs and Careers
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Subscribe to the Magazine
American Police Beat

American Police Beat Magazine

Law Enforcement Publication

  • Home
  • Editor’s Picks
    • Seeking the right kind of help
      “Why does that call keep haunting me?”
      Mentoring: Leave ’em better than you found ’em
      A message to those considering suicide
      The power of teamwork
  • Topics
    • On the Job
      • “Wow, our career together is over”: Missouri police department...
        Heroic Pennsylvania officer saves father and daughter from drowning...
        Denver law enforcement struggle to divert low-level offenders to...
        “The good guys won”: Fugitive convicted murderer captured after...
        “Service was running through his veins”: Condolences pour in for...
    • Labor
      • San Francisco “workhorse” deputy earns millions in overtime pay...
        “A financial tsunami”
        LAPD officers receive raises, bonuses
        Minnesota police force faces disbandment as chief resigns amid salary...
        We quit!
    • Tech
      • The rise of I2P
        Ann Arbor Police Department adopts AI technology to analyze body...
        Ohio law enforcement adopts powerful ballistics technology to combat...
        AI-powered surveillance program raises concerns over privacy rights...
        Chesterfield County announces real-time crime center to enhance...
    • Training
      • Investigating “swatting” incidents
        Leaders take note: A handwritten note goes a long way
        CIT training is not for everyone
        Mentoring: Leave ’em better than you found ’em
        Ohio struggles to secure permanent funding for law enforcement...
    • Policy
      • Texas enacts stricter laws to combat illegal street racing and...
        New Mexico Supreme Court clarifies police authority to question...
        New Texas law gives local law enforcement greater control over...
        Diversity in law enforcement
        Florida attorney general and John Walsh partner in new Crime Stoppers...
    • Health/Wellness
      • The emotional rucksack
        What threat does to the brain
        Seeking the right kind of help
        Working through grief
        Responding to trauma
    • Community
      • Florida police department launches SPORTS initiative to build...
        Naperville police officer inspires generations of kids through reading
        Stockton P.D. launches Your Way Registry Program to protect...
        Committing to outreach
        Scam callers pose as law enforcement to trick victims into paying for...
    • Offbeat
      • “It’s time to dive in”: Shaquille O’Neal joins forces with...
        “This little piggy didn’t make it to the market”:
        Seattle police find burglary suspect guzzling gasoline in victim’s...
        Univision Chicago TV crew reporting on armed robberies held at...
        California Highway Patrol arrests man on horseback for DUI
    • We Remember
      • Headstone finally marks grave of Pennsylvania officer who gave his...
        Memorial for the fallen: The sacrifice continues
        Paying Tribute to the Fallen Heroes of 9/11
        “He was like a protector …”: Genesee County sheriff’s deputy...
        Deadly police pursuit claims life of 19-year-old Vermont police...
  • On the Job
    • “Wow, our career together is over”: Missouri police department...
      Heroic Pennsylvania officer saves father and daughter from drowning...
      Denver law enforcement struggle to divert low-level offenders to...
      “The good guys won”: Fugitive convicted murderer captured after...
      “Service was running through his veins”: Condolences pour in for...
  • Labor
    • San Francisco “workhorse” deputy earns millions in overtime pay...
      “A financial tsunami”
      LAPD officers receive raises, bonuses
      Minnesota police force faces disbandment as chief resigns amid salary...
      We quit!
  • Tech
    • The rise of I2P
      Ann Arbor Police Department adopts AI technology to analyze body...
      Ohio law enforcement adopts powerful ballistics technology to combat...
      AI-powered surveillance program raises concerns over privacy rights...
      Chesterfield County announces real-time crime center to enhance...
  • Training
    • Investigating “swatting” incidents
      Leaders take note: A handwritten note goes a long way
      CIT training is not for everyone
      Mentoring: Leave ’em better than you found ’em
      Ohio struggles to secure permanent funding for law enforcement...
  • Policy
    • Texas enacts stricter laws to combat illegal street racing and...
      New Mexico Supreme Court clarifies police authority to question...
      New Texas law gives local law enforcement greater control over...
      Diversity in law enforcement
      Florida attorney general and John Walsh partner in new Crime Stoppers...
  • Health/Wellness
    • The emotional rucksack
      What threat does to the brain
      Seeking the right kind of help
      Working through grief
      Responding to trauma
  • Community
    • Florida police department launches SPORTS initiative to build...
      Naperville police officer inspires generations of kids through reading
      Stockton P.D. launches Your Way Registry Program to protect...
      Committing to outreach
      Scam callers pose as law enforcement to trick victims into paying for...
  • Offbeat
    • “It’s time to dive in”: Shaquille O’Neal joins forces with...
      “This little piggy didn’t make it to the market”:
      Seattle police find burglary suspect guzzling gasoline in victim’s...
      Univision Chicago TV crew reporting on armed robberies held at...
      California Highway Patrol arrests man on horseback for DUI
  • We Remember
    • Headstone finally marks grave of Pennsylvania officer who gave his...
      Memorial for the fallen: The sacrifice continues
      Paying Tribute to the Fallen Heroes of 9/11
      “He was like a protector …”: Genesee County sheriff’s deputy...
      Deadly police pursuit claims life of 19-year-old Vermont police...
  • Between the Lines
    • Debunking the perpetual narrative of racial bias in policing
      The unspoken truth behind the recruitment and retention crisis
      The police reform goal: use of force without options
      The imprisonment of law enforcement technology
      Persecution of the LEO is classic schadenfreude
  • About
  • The Magazine
  • Events
  • Partners
  • Products
  • Advertise
  • Contact
Search

Offbeat

Man decides to baptize himself while burglarizing a Florida church, is arrested shortly after

APB Team Published August 13, 2023 @ 12:00 pm PDT

Bay County Sheriff’s Office

A Georgia man is drowning in legal troubles after he allegedly broke into a church near Panama City Beach, Florida, stole various items and even decided to baptize himself in the church’s font.

According to the Bay County Sheriff’s Office, Derek Porter was arrested on charges of burglary of an occupied structure, criminal mischief, possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia.

On August 4, police responded to a reported burglary at the Emerald Beach Church of God. According to the arrest affidavit, Porter had allegedly used a cinder block to shatter a window and gain unauthorized entry into the building. A female employee who was present during the incident reportedly fled in fear upon hearing the sound of breaking glass.

The BCSO said Porter’s actions caused extensive damage, estimated at $8,000, as he loaded various electronics including a television and a computer into a truck, alongside the church’s money bag. The sheriff’s office noted that the burglary suspect surrendered to authorities while in the process of loading his vehicle with the stolen items.

Porter also claimed that he had experienced an extraordinary encounter during his time inside the church. He professed that he could not recall specific moments within the church, but vividly remembered baptizing himself in the baptismal pool. What’s more, Porter asserted that he felt a mysterious force holding his head beneath the water during the impromptu baptism.

In an unexpected turn of events, a law enforcement K-9 joined the story as well. As deputies conducted their search of the premises, the dog decided to take a dip in the baptismal pool to cool off from the summer heat without its handler’s permission. Body camera footage captured the amusing sight of the K-9 splashing around in the pool while the deputies could be heard sharing a chuckle at the unexpected spectacle.

It was revealed that Porter had been out on bond in Georgia for a separate burglary charge at the time of the Florida incident. He currently in custody at the Bay County Jail, with his bail set at $19,500. The incident has left both law enforcement and the local community puzzled by the strange combination of a criminal act, alleged religious experience and the K-9’s cool-off session.

Categories: Offbeat Tags: Derek Porter, baptism, Panama City Beach, Florida, Georgia, burglary, canine, methamphetamine, Bay County Sheriff’s Office, baptize himself

Primary Sidebar

Recent Articles

  • “It’s time to dive in”: Shaquille O’Neal joins forces with Los Angeles Port Police Department in recruitment drive
  • “This little piggy didn’t make it to the market”:
  • Florida police department launches SPORTS initiative to build positive community relationships
  • Seattle police find burglary suspect guzzling gasoline in victim’s garage
  • The emotional rucksack
  • Naperville police officer inspires generations of kids through reading
  • “Wow, our career together is over”: Missouri police department bids farewell to retiring K-9 Tank
  • Investigating “swatting” incidents
  • Univision Chicago TV crew reporting on armed robberies held at gunpoint
  • Stockton P.D. launches Your Way Registry Program to protect individuals with mental and neurological disorders

Footer

Our Mission
To serve as a trusted voice of the nation’s law enforcement community, providing informative, entertaining and inspiring content on interesting and engaging topics affecting peace officers today.

Contact us: info@apbweb.com | (800) 234-0056.

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram

Categories

  • Editor’s Picks
  • On the Job
  • Labor
  • Tech
  • Training
  • Policy
  • Health/Wellness
  • Community
  • Offbeat
  • We Remember
  • Jobs and Careers
  • Events

Editor’s Picks

Seeking the right kind of help

Seeking the right kind of help

September 26, 2023

“Why does that call keep haunting me?”

“Why does that call keep haunting me?”

September 20, 2023

Mentoring: Leave ’em better than you found ’em

Mentoring: Leave ’em better than you found ’em

September 19, 2023

A message to those considering suicide

A message to those considering suicide

September 18, 2023

Privacy Policy | Your Privacy Options | Notice at Collection | Copyright © 2023 APB Media, LLC | Website design, development and maintenance by 911MEDIA

Open

Subscribe

Close

Receive the latest news and updates from American Police Beat directly to your inbox!

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.