Attorney Mitch Skandalakis said Randy Dula searched for his wife’s license plate seven times over two years, and only after other location tools, including Life360, did not work. Skandalakis described the searches as efforts to find a person in danger, not an improper personal use of police technology.

“This is about a husband who was concerned about his wife,” Skandalakis said at a news conference. Dula’s wife, Mariam, said she has a serious diabetic condition and that the searches helped her husband find her and save her life.

“He used Flock for its intended purpose,” she said. “To find a person that’s in danger, in a medical condition, and save their life.”

Mariam Dula said she explained her condition and her husband’s actions to the department, but alleged that her account was not included in the internal investigation. She also said she contacted city officials without getting a resolution.

Skandalakis said he asked Milton Police Chief to let Dula resign rather than be fired, arguing that resignation could allow him to retain his law-enforcement license. The request was not granted, he said. Dula is appealing his termination with help from another attorney.

Georgia law prohibits using Flock for personal reasons. Skandalakis argues the searches were not personal because they were intended to locate a Milton resident in distress. The department’s detailed findings and its response to the family’s account were not included in the information presented at Tuesday’s news conference.

Dula, who had worked in law enforcement for more than a decade and was named Milton’s 2024 officer of the year, did not attend the news conference. Skandalakis said he advised his client not to speak while the appeal is pending. Dula has not been charged.

The case raises questions for Milton residents about how police departments enforce limits on surveillance tools and how emergency circumstances are weighed when officers access them.