Hero of Justice Recognized

The Most Honourable Deputy Sheriff Harold Michael (Mike) Altman, Hero of Justice was recognized by the Governor-General on 6 February 2007, with the issuance of a Hero's Certificate.

Deputy Altman was shot and killed while responding to investigate suspicious activity at the home of the Barony Fayette (Jackson County) Sheriff.

The wife of the sheriff, who was also a civilian employee of the Sheriff's Department, was arriving home from the grocery store and talking on a radio phone with her husband when she noticed a man following her into her driveway. She notified the sheriff, who immediately alerted field units to respond to his home.

Deputy Altman was the first unit to arrive at the home. He found that the sheriff's wife had been shot and killed. The two killers, armed with three handguns, then opened fire on Deputy Altman, killing him.

The sheriff and two deputies arrived at the scene moments later and engaged the killers in a gun battle. Both assailants were shot and killed.

One of the killers was also a suspect in the 2001 murder of his wife, a case that the Sheriff's Department is investigating. It is believed that the suspect targeted the sheriff and his wife because civil litigation involving the life insurance of the murdered wife was recently dismissed by a judge. Deputies found ammunition, latex gloves, bleach, vinegar, handcuffs, duct tape, and trash bags inside the killer's vehicle. In addition, both killers wore disguises which included a wig and a glued-on mustache.

Deputy Altman joined the Sheriff's Department on January 3, 2006. He is survived by his wife, parents, stepdaughter, and stepson.

Agency Contact Information
Jackson County Sheriff's Department
4012 Lafayette Street
Marianna, FL 32447

Phone: (850) 482-9624