Sheriff: video shows deputy professionally conducting search warrant

– Screenshot of video

‘The notion that there is anything inappropriate is false and inaccurate.’

By Allison Scarbrough, News Editor

HART — The allegation that an Oceana County sheriff’s deputy is behaving suspiciously or criminally in a one-minute video circulating on social media is simply not  true, said Oceana County Sheriff Craig Mast.

The video posted by Travis Terebinski on Facebook has over 36,000 views and has been shared over 200 times. It states: “Oceana county at its finest,  PLEASE SHARE! I would call this a home invasion, the way he looks away as he takes down the camera.” 

“Recently there has been a video being shared on social media, tagging media outlets, etc.,” said Sheriff Mast. “This video was released by an individual who doesn’t even reside at the residence where the video was taken. The Oceana County Sheriff’s Office was at that particular residence on South 132nd Avenue in Ferry Township on May 9, 2025 at 9:51 a.m. to serve a search warrant. A search warrant is first requested from a prosecuting attorney’s office and then signed by a judge or magistrate after probable cause requirements are met. The deputy seen in the video is an Oceana County deputy sheriff. This deputy was fulfilling the requirements of the search warrant in a professional and safe manner. The notion that there is anything inappropriate is false and inaccurate. When the deputies were serving that warrant, they recovered suspected narcotics. This case will be forwarded to the Oceana County Prosecutor’s Office for review and applicable charges brought.

– Screenshot of video

“When the deputy is seen covering up the camera, he is trying to maintain the security of the scene and the officers there. The officers involved in the investigation have no way of knowing who is watching, potentially a live feed, and the last thing they need is to have an additional third party to come rushing into the scene investigation causing a potentially dangerous situation. Officer safety always trumps perceived privacy issues.

“That video clip is very much incomplete,” said Mast. “People previously walked out in handcuffs, and there was contraband recovered inside the residence.” The contraband will be sent to the crime lab, and charges are still pending.

“Everything he’s doing is completely appropriate within the scope of the search warrant. He’s acting in a professional manner. He’s not being destructive. He’s not being excessive in any manner. He could pull all the drawers out of the cabinetry and dressers and dump them on the floor and search through it and there is none of that. 

“Deputy Joshua Teunis is a fine young man and is doing a great job. He’s well experienced and well trained and treats people professionally.” Teunis worked as a corrections officer at the Oceana County Jail before becoming a road patrol deputy for the sheriff’s office in 2023, said Mast.

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