17-YEAR-OLD ARRESTED FOR AGGRAVATED BATTERY WITH A DEADLY WEAPON AFTER PULLING KNIFE ON TEENS IN ROSEMARY BEACH

A black teenager wearing a white tank top and pink shorts holding a knife up in the air.WALTON COUNTY, Fla— A 17-year-old is arrested after pulling a knife on a group of teenagers on the beach in Walton County.

A mug shot of a black teenager wearing a lime green jumpsuit with curly hair.

Just before midnight on July 12th, Walton County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call about a stabbing near the public beach access at the end of Winston Lane in Rosemary Beach.

Witnesses told deputies they were on the beach with a large group of kids who were participating in “Oklahoma Drills” – a trending activity for those in high school and college where two males are surrounded in a crowd and willingly “face-off” and go full contact. The last one standing “wins”.

After a round of “Oklahoma Drills” finished, witnesses say the suspect, later identified by deputies as Zach Binford-Wiggins, 17, pulled a knife and began charging at different people with the knife open. As a result, a victim in the crowd was cut by Wiggins.

Deputies looked around Winston Lane and located the knife, the suspect’s backpack with blood from the victim, and the suspect’s owner’s key card for a Rosemary Beach address. When deputies arrived at the home on West Water Street, Wiggins fled out the back door and ran from deputies.

Thursday morning, July 13th, deputies located Wiggins and arrested him. He is being charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, three counts of aggravated assault, and resisting arrest.

Wiggins was arrested in June of 2022 for obstruction following an incident involving the battery of a Walton County Sheriff’s Deputy. Our agency is choosing to publish his name and mug shot because of the seriousness of the crimes he’s committed and his criminal history.