Man Shot And Killed By Escambia Deputies After Meat Cleaver Attack
December 1, 2018
A man that attacked officers with a meat cleaver early Saturday morning was shot and killed by Escambia County deputies.
The incident happened just before 4 a.m. at the Alabaster Garden Apartments off Massachusetts Avenue. A caller to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office stated that a person had been murdered inside one of the apartments.
When deputies arrived on scene, the suspect opened the door holding a meat cleaver and “another cutting instrument”, according to the Sheriff’s Office, and the man refused orders to drop the weapons.
Less than lethal options were attempted several times to try to get the suspect to comply. The suspect then attacked deputies with the meat cleaver at which time he was shot and killed. Deputies were not injured.
No other person was found inside the apartment.
The name of the suspect has not yet been released.
As is standard procedure in an officer involved shooting, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement is now investigating.
NorthEscambia.com file photo.
Cantonment Manhunt Suspect Now Behind Bars
December 1, 2018
A suspect that led police on a lengthy manhunt and caused two Cantonment schools to be placed on lockdown is now behind bars.
Jordon Dominique King, 19, was arrested late Friday night at a motel on Highway 29 in Pensacola. He was booked into the Escambia County Jail without bond just before midnight.
At the time of his arrest, King was in possession of a stolen vehicle, according to Escambia County Sheriff’s Office Major Andrew Hobbs.
He is facing long list of charges, including multiple counts of vehicle theft, multiple counts of burglary, multiple counts of resisting arrest, reckless driving, operating a motor vehicle without a valid license and failure to appear.
A manhunt for King lasted several hours Thursday in the area of Kingsfield Road and Highway 297A. The manhunt led to the lockdown of Kingsfield Elementary and Ransom Middle schools as deputies searched the area.
Pictured: Deputies converge on Highway 297A in the area of Kingsfield Road and Meander Circle late Thursday afternoon. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Escambia Man Gets Life In Prison For Murdering Cantonment Man
December 1, 2018
An Escambia County man has been sentenced to live in prison for murdering a Cantonment man last year
Dino Ray Reaves was convicted in the death of Tadius Edward Watson.
Watson, 29, was shot and killed March 7, 2017. Watson was found dead from multiple gunshot wounds in the 8000 block of Klondike Road, south of Wilde Lake Boulevard near the Klondike Kennels. His body was discovered along the edge of the roadway.
During the investigation ECSO deputies discovered the shooting was drug related. Reaves is a documented local gang member who has been arrested multiple times in different states and arrested 21 times in the state of Florida.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Pedestrian Killed Friday Night In Escambia County
December 1, 2018
A pedestrian was killed Friday night in Escambia County.
The Florida Highway Patrol said the pedestrian walked into the path of a Kia Sorrento driven by Jacquelyn Raybon of Pensacola on Pace Boulevard near Town Street. The FHP said Raybon did not see the pedestrian and was unable to stop.
The pedestrian’s name has not been released pending notification of next of kin, but troopers said he was a 49-year old from Lawton, OK.
Any charges in the crash are pending the outcome of the FHP’s investigation.
‘Grinch’ Steals Tree From North Escambia Church (With Video)
December 1, 2018
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office is looking for a “grinch” that stole a ficus tree from a North Escambia church.
The man pulled up in front of the Gonzales United Methodist Church and proceeded to stuff the large tree into the backseat of his car (video below).
“Maybe his heart will grow three sizes and he’ll come forward and turn himself in and return the Ficus. If not, we need your help to identify this suspect,” the Sheriff’s Office said in a social media post.
Anyone with information on the suspect is asked to call the ECSO at (850) 436-9620 or Crime Stoppers at (850) 433-STOP.
Century Officially Lights Town Christmas Tree (With Photo Gallery)
December 1, 2018
The Town of Century held an official Christmas tree lighting ceremony at Nadine McCaw Park Friday evening. The Byrneville Elementary School chorus led a small crowd in singing Christmas favorites. The lights are on nightly in the park, which is located on North Century Boulevard at Hecker Road in Century.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Escambia County Man Killed In I-10 Crash
December 1, 2018
An Escambia County motorcyclist was killed in an I-10 crash Friday afternoon.
The Florida Highway Patrol said 42-year old Richard R. Peterson was eastbound on I-10 in Santa Rosa County about 3:55 p.n. when he rear-ended a Kia that has slowed in a construction zone before striking a Hyundai. Peterson was ejected from his motorcycle. He was pronounce deceased at Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola.
The driver of the Kia that was rear-ended, 23-year old Victoria Parmelee of Milton, received minor injuries. The driver of the Hyundai, 22-year old Marallo Gamboa of Gateway, CO, was not injured.
The crash remains under investigation by the FHP.
Scott Suspends Brenda Snipes, Broward Elections Chief
December 1, 2018
Citing widespread problems during the 2018 elections, Gov. Rick Scott on Friday suspended Broward County Supervisor of Elections Brenda Snipes and replaced her with one of his closest allies, Pete Antonacci.
“Due to her demonstrated misfeasance, incompetence, and neglect of duty, Supervisor Snipes can no longer demonstrate the qualifications necessary to meet her duties in office,” Scott wrote in an executive order issued late Friday.
Antonacci, who most recently has served as president and CEO of the economic-development agency Enterprise Florida, will remain in the post until a new supervisor is elected in November 2020, according to Scott’s office.
Snipes, who was appointed by former Gov. Jeb Bush in 2003 and has been re-elected four times, came under harsh criticism for numerous voting problems in 2018 and in previous elections.
Scott, a Republican, ran for U.S. Senate this year and ultimately defeated Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson following a manual recount. But in the chaotic days after the Nov. 6 election, Scott sued Snipes and Palm Beach County elections supervisor Susan Bucher, branding the two elections chiefs as “unethical liberals” and accusing them of trying to “steal” the election.
In his executive order Friday, Scott, who will leave the governor’s office for Washington in early January, said Snipes “demonstrated repeatedly that she was unable to accurately respond to basic requests from candidates, news media, and the general public regarding the number of ballots that had been cast, the number of ballots that had been counted, and the number of ballots remaining to be canvassed.”
A circuit judge ruled that Snipes had failed to provide public records requested by Scott’s campaign and others, Scott noted in the order.
Snipes also improperly permitted staff to open provisional and mail-in ballots that had not been examined by the county canvassing board and failed to keep ballots that had been accepted and rejected by the board “appropriately segregated,” Scott’s executive order said.
While the Broward canvassing board completed a machine recount before a state-ordered deadline, Snipes failed to submit the results to the state Division of Elections before the deadline passed, Scott’s order said.
Snipes also said more than 2,000 ballots had been “lost, misplaced, or misfiled” between Nov. 6 and Nov. 15, but that the missing ballots were “somewhere ‘in the building’” but has not provided an explanation, the governor wrote.
The executive order also cited a litany of Snipes’ previous election mishaps, including early posting of some elections results in 2016, the same year that her office mailed out ballots that failed to include a constitutional amendment.
After repeated demands — largely by Republicans, including President Donald Trump — that Snipes be stripped of her post, she submitted a letter of resignation to Scott on Nov. 18, effective Jan. 4.
But in removing Snipes, Scott wrote that election supervisors “must carry out their duties in a manner consistent with state and federal law to preserve public confidence in the integrity of the elections process and the competence of elections officials.”
Scott grew increasingly frustrated with Snipes and Bucher as he watched his 56,000-vote election-night lead over Nelson evaporate as the South Florida supervisors continued to tally mail-in ballots. After statewide machine and manual recounts, Scott remained the winner in the race, ultimately topping Nelson by a little more than 10,000 votes.
Snipes’ replacement, Antonacci, is longtime fix-it man for Scott.
Antonacci was hand-picked by Scott last year to head Enterprise Florida, a public-private agency that was under fire at the time.
In March 2012, Scott appointed Antonacci to complete the term of Palm Beach County State Attorney Michael McAuliffe, who had left for a job in the private sector. After Dave Aronberg was elected to the state-attorney job later that year, Antonacci became Scott’s general counsel, a post he held until early 2015. He also has served as executive director of the South Florida Water Management District.
by Dara Kam, The News Service of Florida
Flomaton Hurricanes Advance To 3A State Championship Game
November 30, 2018
Somebody needs to tell the National Weather Service that hurricane season is not over. The Flomaton Hurricanes area headed to state.
The Canes defeated Providence Christian of Dothan 34-33 Friday night in Flomaton.
It was the first time in the 94-year history of Flomaton football that the Hurricanes had appeared in state semifinal game. And now for the first time ever, the Flomaton Hurricanes advance to the 3A state championship game Thursday at 11 a.m. in Auburn’s Jordan-Hare Stadium. They Hurricanes (11-3) will take on Piedmont (12-2).
A record crowd packed into Flomaton’s stadium to see the historic game, and oh what a game it was.
And all came down to the last 2.5 seconds of play. The Hurricanes were up 34-33, and the Eagles were ready for the win with a 27-yard field goal attempt. But Flomaton blocked the kick for the dramatic win as the horn sounded.
Flomaton was down 33-26 about halfway through the fourth quarter. Daquan Johnson found Da’Shun Odom with a long touchdown pass with 5:30 to go. With a two-point conversion into the endzone, the Hurricanes were up by one.
For a NorthEscambia.com photo gallery, click here.
Pictured top: Da’Shun Odom pushes away a Providence Christian defender as he makes a one-handed catch Friday night for the Flomaton Hurricanes. Pictured below: Odom reaches for a touchdown for the Canes. Pictured further below: Flomaton’s Javontaye Wright makes a tackles. Pictured bottom: Flomaton cheerleaders lead the crowd. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Century In Depth: Stolen Documents, Council President’s Loan
November 30, 2018
As the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office investigates the reported theft of documents from the Century Town Hall, the council president is speculating that nothing was actually stolen and answering questions about a loan she received from the town over 20 years ago.
Mayor Henry Hawkins told NorthEcambia.com that the town clerk’s notes and audio recordings from September town council meetings were stolen, along with documents pertaining to a now-satisfied economic development mortgage loan made to town council President Ann Brooks years before she took office. Town Clerk Kim Godwin filed a theft report Tuesday with the Sheriff’s Office. [Read earlier story from Thursday...]
Brooks said Thursday that she does not believe that anyone actually stole notes or recordings from the town hall; she blames the missing items on the town clerk’s lack of organization.
“I think that maybe the town clerk possibly can’t locate them now, possibly due to not being organized,” Brooks said. “I think that’s she has misplaced them or lost them.”
At a November 19 town council meeting, Brooks warned Godwin that someone could go to jail for violating the Sunshine Law, which stipulates minutes should be prepared “promptly”. Godwin has not presented the council with minutes from multiple meetings in September, October and November.
The theft complaints come as the State Attorney’s Office continues an investigation into town business.
NorthEscambia.com first reported that the State Attorney’s Office was reviewing items involving the town of Century. Three council members reportedly attended at least some portion of a closed door meeting with CPA Robert Hudson, Godwin and the town’s auditors. The meeting was not advertised as a public meeting, which would forbid more than one council member from taking part under Florida’s Sunshine Laws.
Assistant State Attorney Greg Marcille said the inquiry is still underway.
Brooks said she welcomes an investigation into Century.
“I think that needs to happen to bring a lot of things to light in the town of Century. Things that are happening that shouldn’t happen, and things are not being run properly,” she said.
Brooks said earlier this year that she received a $50,000 loan in 1997 and made her final payment in 2011. Brooks was not in office at the time the loan originated. She ran unsuccessfully for a council seat in 2003 and mayor in 2006 before being elected to her current council seat in 2007.
The documents pertaining to the loan were among the items reported stolen, but Brooks said she does not think a theft occurred.
During a regular audit into the town’s finances during the summer, Brooks said the mayor and council member Luis Gomez asked to see documentation for her loan. “The town clerk could not produce it; after saying that searched for it, she was unable to find it.”
NorthEscambia.com made a formal public records request on July 18 for the loan documents. Godwin responded to the the email, “I’m sending it to you bits at a time”, but documentation on Brooks’ loan and other requested items still have not been received over four months later.
On August 7, Brooks emailed copies of her loan documentation from her personal files to Godwin and Deputy Clerk Kristina Wood, according to documentation she provided.
On Thursday, she also provided NorthEscambia.com with copies of the original mortgage agreement, repayment records, copies of checks and a signed receipt from the Town of Century showing the loan was paid in full in 2011. A copy of the payoff check is below (Editor’s note: The account number was redacted by NorthEscambia.com).
After the publication of a NorthEscambia.com article Thursday, Brooks emailed the town auditing firm and received confirmation that auditors received a the loan documents from Wood on August 7.
“Regardless of what happened to those loan documents in city hall, they had those loan documents on August 7 and forwarded them to our town’s auditor. There are just so many strange things going on in city hall that I can’t really begin to tell you what’s really going on. But we need something to happen,” the council president said.
Brooks noted that she does not have physical access to documents in the town hall; instead, she makes “many, many” public records requests. “I don’t go in city hall except for council meetings or an election or something like that.”
Pictured top: Century Council President Ann Brooks. Pictured inset: Town Clerk Kim Godwin. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
