Fast Start: New K-9 Atlas Takes Down Meth Suspect in First Patrol Stop

DEFUNIAK SPRINGS, Fla. — Walton County Sheriff’s Office officials announced their newest K-9 is already making an impact after helping deputies arrest a man on drug charges during a traffic stop Thursday night.

According to the Sheriff’s Office, a K-9 deputy stopped a red Chevrolet pickup near Highway 331 North and U.S. Highway 90 around 9 p.m. on January 15 for an expired registration. During the stop, deputies learned the driver, 49-year-old Roger Dwayne Dukes, was also operating the vehicle with a suspended license.

K-9 “Atlas” was deployed to conduct an exterior sniff of the vehicle and alerted deputies to the presence of narcotics. A subsequent search uncovered two small plastic bags containing a crystal-like substance, later confirmed to be 9.7 grams of methamphetamine.

Dukes was arrested and charged with possession of a controlled substance without a prescription, possession of drug paraphernalia, and driving with a suspended license. He was issued a $7,500 bond and remained incarcerated at the time of his release.

The arrest marks the first successful case for the agency’s newest K-9. Atlas, a 15-month-old sable-colored Belgian Malinois, received both state and national certifications in narcotics detection and criminal apprehension before beginning patrol duties in late 2025.

Sheriff’s Office officials also noted that K-9 Atlas was purchased using donated funds from Dr. William Burden of Destin Plastic Surgery through his family’s 501(c)(3) Foundation for Drug Interdiction.