Century Man Tased, Shot By Deputies With Less-Lethal Gun Charged With Trailer Attack
June 2, 2026
A Century mans faces multiple charge after allegedly attacking a disabled individual, jumping through a window to escape deputies, and barricading himself inside a local convenience store bathroom before being shot by deputies with a less-lethal weapon last Friday, May 29.
This is an update to a story we first published minutes after the incident on Friday.
Cortez Rasheen Davison, 32, was arrested and charged with felony abuse of an elderly or disabled adult without great harm, misdemeanor criminal mischief, and misdemeanor resisting an officer without violence. He is currently being held in the Escambia County Jail with bond set at $8,500.
According to an Escambia County Sheriff’s Office arrest report, the incident began when a male victim walked into the Century Precinct to report that Davison had broken a window at his mobile home located in the 7800 block of Alger Road. The victim told deputies that Davison had been invited to stay at the residence a few days prior because Davison claimed he was seeing “demons”. The victim said Davison later brought a window air conditioning unit to the trailer and returned on May 29, 2026, demanding money for it. The victim refused to pay until Davison repaired the broken bathroom window, which sparked the altercation.
When four deputies responded to the Alger Road trailer to investigate, they heard a woman screaming “get off him” and “stop,” alongside loud crashing noises coming from inside. Deputies forced entry into a back bedroom, where they observed Davison on top of the victim, striking him with a closed fist.
Davison refused verbal commands to stop, ignored orders to be detained, and jumped onto a bed next to a window. A deputy deployed an agency-issued Taser, which momentarily locked Davison up, but he broke free from the probes and jumped through the bedroom window, shattering the glass as he fled southbound on Alger Road, according to the report.
After cutting through a neighboring yard into the woods, Davison emerged at 7900 N Century Boulevard. A deputy used his less-lethal bean bag gun and held Davison at gunpoint but as another deputy attempted to physical detain him, Davison got up from a kneeling position and ran southbound along North Century Boulevard.
Deputies deployed a Taser with no effect and fired multiple less-lethal bean bag rounds as Davison crossed North Century Boulevard. Davison then ran into the Century Food Mart and locked himself inside the restroom, the report states. Store employees provided deputies with the keys, and Davison was taken into custody.
Davison, who had swelling on his cheek, was evaluated by EMS and transport to Baptist Hospital for medical clearance before being booked into jail.
The victim, according to the arrest report, was previously diagnosed with a learning disability and suffered a facial laceration.
While at the hospital, Davison claimed to deputies that the victim had attacked him first and placed him in a headlock after a disagreement over borrowed money, but deputies noted there were no physical marks or bruising on Davison’s neck or shoulders to support his claim.
The ECSO said no actual shots were fired, and there were no injuries to deputies or citizens.
The Flomaton Police Department also responded and assisted.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Escambia Sheriff’s Deputies Seek Bank Robbery Suspect
June 2, 2026
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office is searching for a suspect after a bank robbery on Monday morning.
The robbery occurred at the PNC Bank at Fairfield Drive and South Dakota Street.
ECSO said the suspect was last seen running west on South Dakota Street.
Anyone with information is asked to call 911 or the ECSO at (850) 436-9620.
Florida Sues OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman, Alleging ChatGPT Puts Children at Risk
June 2, 2026
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has filed legal action against OpenAI and its CEO Sam Altman, alleging that the company knowingly released and aggressively marketed ChatGPT to the public—including to children—while concealing serious risks, suppressing internal safety warnings, and deceiving Floridians about the true nature and dangers of the product.
“Today, we announced the first-in-the-nation state-led lawsuit against OpenAI and its CEO, Sam Altman,” said Uthmeier. “OpenAI and Altman ignored internal and external safety warnings, put children at great risk, and allowed a dangerous product to reach millions of Floridians.”
“Today’s AI companies have largely assisted with the evolution of the digital playground. Protecting our children means teaching them to navigate not just the real people behind the screens, but the artificial minds engineered to mimic them,” said FDLE Special Agent in Charge Mike Duffey. “Parental vigilance must shift from simply monitoring who our children talk to, to ensuring they understand what they are talking to—because a machine programmed to please can never replace the safety of human boundaries.”
The civil complaint alleges that OpenAI and Altman prioritized speed to market and commercial gain over user safety, disregarded repeated warnings from experts both inside and outside the company, and deployed a product that facilitates and encourages harm—including self-harm and violence—while falsely assuring users it was safe.
The complaint also alleges that ChatGPT collects data from minors without meaningful parental oversight, causes behavioral addiction and cognitive harm, and is prone to dangerous errors that the company has actively downplayed.
The first page of the lawsuit contains a screenshot taken from OpenAI that says ChatGPT was “built with safety in mind.” The suit’s first line simply says “Not so”.
Fred Carlton Ward, Jr.
June 2, 2026
Fred Carlton Ward, Jr., age 58, passed away on June 1, 2026, in Atmore, Alabama, where he lived most of his life. He was of the Holiness faith; and a member of Friendly Holiness Church. He was an avid Florida State Seminoles supporter and had a passion for dirt track racing. He cherished moments spent with family and friends, loved dancing, coaching children’s sports, and was always known for his humor and lively spirit. Professionally, he built homes through his work in construction.
Fred was preceded in death by his parents, as well as his brother Tommy and sister Phyllis Ward.
He leaves behind three daughters: Chelsea Ward (Christopher Raines) of Houston, Texas; Kristie Ward of Texas; and Brittney Christine Ward. He is also survived by three brothers—Ray (Christine) Ward and Randall (Janet) Ward, both of Poarch, Alabama, and Carl (Melissa) Ward of Atmore—and two sisters, Tena (David) Bryars of Bay Minette, Alabama, and Juanita Fears of Poarch, Alabama. His legacy continues through numerous grandchildren, step-children, nieces, nephews, and other family members.
Funeral services will be held Friday, June 5, 2026, at noon at Friendly Holiness Church, with Reverend Ray Ward and Reverend David Bryars officiating.
Burial will follow at New Home Cemetery.
Visitation will be held Friday, June 5, 2026 from 11 a.m. until service time at noon at Friendly Holiness Church.
Pallbearers will be Kendall Reed, Heath Bryars, Jonathan Bryars, Tyler Hilburn, Dylan McGhee and Jamie Barber.
Honorary pallbearers will be Brian Richard.
Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home, LLC Atmore, Alabama is in charge of all arrangements
Cotton Lake Recreation Area Closed By Flooding; Bluff Springs Reopens
June 2, 2026
The Cotton Lake Recreation Area on the Escambia River is closed until at least Friday, according to the Northwest Florida Water Management District.
The recreation area is closed due to flooding of access roads.
Meanwhile, the Bluff Springs Recreation Area, also on the Escambia River, has reopened after being closed last week due to flooded roadways.
File photo.
Rain Possible Through Tuesday Night; Clearing And More Comfy For Wednesday
June 2, 2026
Humid and stormy conditions will linger across the region through Tuesday night before a late-season front ushers in noticeably cooler and drier air for the middle of the week. High temperatures will drop from the lower 90s on Tuesday down to the upper 70s by Wednesday, accompanied by breezy easterly winds. Beautiful, sunny weather will hold steady for Thursday and Friday before slight rain chances creep back into the forecast by next weekend.
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Tuesday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 91. Calm wind becoming west around 5 mph in the afternoon. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Tuesday Night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1am, then a slight chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 68. Calm wind becoming northeast around 5 mph after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Wednesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 79. East wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 62. East wind 5 to 10 mph.
Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 82. East wind 5 to 10 mph.
Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 64. Southeast wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 84. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 67. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Saturday: A slight chance of showers, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 85. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Saturday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 69.
Sunday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 86.
Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 70.
Monday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 88.
Escambia County Felon Indicted in Federal Court on Gun, Drug Charges
June 2, 2026
An Escambia County man has been indicted in federal court on drug and gun charges.
EP Hall, 42, was indicted on one count of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon and one count of possession of a controlled substance.
Hall appeared in federal court for his arraignment before United States Magistrate Judge Zachary C. Bolitho in Pensacola. A jury trial is scheduled for July 20 before United States District Court Judge T. Kent Wetherell, II. Hall faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon, and up to three years in prison if convicted of possession of a controlled substance. The case is being jointly investigated by the ATF and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
Pedestrian Struck And Killed Monday Morning On North Century Boulevard
June 1, 2026
A 76-year-old Century man was struck and killed Monday morning on North Century Boulevard in Century.
The collision occurred just before 9:30 a.m. near Henry Street, just over 100 yards north of Vallarta Mexican Restaurant.
The pedestrian was standing in the travel lane when he was hit by a northbound Nissan Sentra driven by a 27-year old Flomaton woman in the inside lane, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
The pedestrian was pronounced deceased at the scene. FHP said he driver of the Nissan and her 7-year-old female passenger were not injured.
The investigation is continuing.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
West Bogia Road Collapses, Hwy 29 Flooded And Closed On Sunday Afternoon
June 1, 2026
West Bogia Road at South Century Boulevard collapsed Sunday afternoon during torrential rainfall and flooding.
Radar estimates showed a three-hour rainfall approaching six inches in the McDavid area.
The heavy rainfall flooded and closed Highway 29 for miles, with southbound traffic diverted on Highway 164 to Highway 97.
For a photo gallery, click here.
While Highway 29 at West Bogia Road was under several feet of water, West Bogia Road washed away and collapsed at a culvert alongside Highway 29. West Bogia is expected to remain closed for several weeks until repairs are made; more details on the repair process are expected to be known this week.
The road failure also cut water for Central Water Works customers on Bogia Road, Black Road and everyone south of Cotton Creek on both sides of Highway 29. Central Water Works was soon able to essentially reroute water to every customer except for one house on Bogia Road. A Central official said the water supply should remain stable for customers in the area until permanent repairs are made.
The heavy rainfall also caused flooding on roads through the area, including South Pine Barren Road, the remainder of West Bogia Road and South Highway 97. An unoccupied pickup truck was found nearly submerged alongside Highway 29 at Canoe Creek.
There was no other damage immediately reported and no reports of any injuries.
Responding agencies Sunday afternoon included Escambia County Fire Rescue, Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, Escambia County Public Safety, Escambia County Communications, Escambia County Public Works and the Florida Department of Transportation.
NorthEscambia.com and submitted photo, click to enlarge.
Congratulations Class Of 2026! Celebrate With A Look Back At Hundreds Of Photos
June 1, 2026
Congratulations to the Class of 2026!
As we celebrate your successes, let’s look back at all the great photos.
NorthEscambia.com attended the graduation ceremonies for the three high schools located in North Escambia, publishing photo galleries with hundreds of photos and posting complete graduate lists for each of the schools.
Escambia Westgate School
The Escambia Westgate School Class of 2026 graduated May 15. “Each student here needed courage and resilience to get to where they are today,” Principal Cathy Rudd said.
Tate High School
About 485 members of the Tate High School Class of 2026 graduated on May 27 at the Pensacola Bay Center as valedictorian Willow Allyn Beachner encouraged her classmates to “continue your journey, through the good and the bad, and create as much laughter as you can along the way.”
- For the list of Tate High School graduates, click here.
- For a photo gallery from the Tate graduation, click here.
- For a second photo gallery from Tate, click here.
Northview High School
On May 26, Northview High School Class of 2026 valedictorian Braylan Hope Shelly told her fellow classmates “do not forget that God has given you the strength, abilities, and determination you need to succeed. Success may look different for each of us, but every person here has been given gifts and opportunities for a reason.”
- For a list of Northview High School graduates, click here.
- For a photo gallery from the Northview graduation, click here.
- For a second photo gallery from Northview, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.