Fort Walton Beach police went to anchored boat to make arrest, found suspect dead

Fort Walton Beach police went to anchored boat to make arrest, found suspect dead

Fort Walton Beach police were asked to assist Florida Fish & Wildlife agents with making an arrest Thursday on a man who had an active warrant, with the suspect believed to be aboard a boat anchored behind Mariner Plaza, a shopping center on Eglin Parkway.

When they arrived, however, the suspect — identified as 43-year-old Andrew Hollister — was dead.

Police say there were no immediate signs of foul play. Officers expected to find Hollister alive until they actually arrived at the boat. The warrant was for failure to appear for a scheduled court date.

Information on cause of death was not immediately available from the Okaloosa County Coroner’s Office.