PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Darrion K. Finley, a 21-year-old resident of Pensacola, Florida, has been indicted on federal charges related to a shooting incident that occurred in late 2024 during an attempted traffic stop involving a reported stolen vehicle. The announcement was made by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
Finley’s arraignment is scheduled before United States Magistrate Judge Zachary C. Bolitho at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola, Florida, on July 22, 2025, at 11:00 a.m.
The indictment includes charges against Finley for Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, Attempting to Kill an Escambia County Sheriff’s Deputy to Prevent Certain Communications, and Discharging a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence.
If found guilty, Finley could face up to life imprisonment.
The investigation is being conducted jointly by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office; and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorneys David L. Goldberg and Jessica S. Etherton.
It is important to note that an indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that suggests a defendant has violated federal criminal law but does not serve as evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt in court.
This case falls under Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline), which aims to combat illegal immigration and eliminate cartels and transnational criminal organizations while protecting communities from violent crime perpetrators. This initiative involves resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida operates as one of 94 offices serving as principal litigators under the Attorney General’s direction. Public court documents can be accessed online through the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about this office, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
