Full Text: Gov. Scott Delivers State-of-the-State Speech
January 10, 2012
The following are remarks as prepared for delivery Tuesday by Gov. Rick Scott. The governor may have deviated from his planned remarks.
You know, I’ve always been a big believer in getting to work early, but this is the first time we’ve ever shown up for work two months early.
Please allow me to recognize my wife of 39 years, Ann, my daughter Allison, my son-in-law Pierre, and my 8-week-old grandson Auguste, who are all here with us today.
People always ask Ann and me why we ran for this job. Our answer is grounded in this one simple truth: We can never look at our children, Allison and Jordan, and now our grandchild, Auguste, without feeling our love for them. And we know this type of love also carries a duty.
That duty is to leave our children a better place than we inherited. It’s the same duty that probably brought you to this chamber today, and it’s a duty that extends to all children of this state.
Like you, we’re willing to give our all to make Florida the best place to live and raise a family; a state where you can find a job, get a quality education for your children; a state where you can enjoy a low cost of living free of burdensome taxes and unnecessary government interference; a state where dreams become reality every day.
Last session, together we made the changes necessary to improve the opportunities for the citizens of our state.
Education, pension and Medicaid reforms coupled with government reorganization and deregulation have all helped to produce jobs, save taxpayer money, improve the education of our children and bring down the cost of living for all Floridians.
We worked together to accomplish all of this, and so if I haven’t yet told you face-to-face, let me tell you now On behalf of the citizens of Florida, thank you, thank you, thank you!
Like all of you, I love my work. I tell people everywhere I go, if you like people and you like making a difference, there’s no better job than being the governor of Florida. I’ve been on the job a year now, and I have traveled all over the state. I’ve had the honor of meeting and listening to thousands of Floridians, and they’ve shared with me their joys and concerns.
You know what? It turns out we share the same joy and the same concern.
The joy is in living in this most special place; living in Florida. It’s a place of sunshine, and beaches, and cities that pulse with energy and light. It’s a place where clear rivers flow to blue oceans, and a place where bold people come to build their dreams. From our shores, we have launched men to the moon. And with this same brave spirit millions have come to plant their flag in Florida soil to build something new and better. I know I did. I know many of you here today have felt this joy, too.
But with that joy comes a nagging doubt. When I talk to Floridians, they worry that their best opportunities are behind them; that their children may never experience the security and prosperity they have known. They wonder whether the ringing proclamation of progress has been silenced; that the birthright of ever-greater promise and opportunity that we once saw as being within our reach may, instead, now be unattainable.
And it is understandable they would feel this doubt. Following a series of very productive and prosperous years, Floridians saw the unemployment rate begin to steadily climb in the fall of 2006. From a low of 3.3 percent that year it grew to a high of 12 percent in December 2010!
Floridians saw home values drop, wages decline, and jobs and opportunities fade away.
My fellow Floridians, I’m here today to tell you that promise and opportunity will return; in fact ARE returning even as we meet here today. While we have many miles to go, and some of them will be painful, our higher journey is already under way. This year and today we see the rebirth of an even greater Florida.
Don’t just take my word for it. Look at the numbers.
In the past year, Floridians, not government, created almost 135,000 new private sector jobs. We netted more than 120,000 total jobs in the first 11 months of 2011; the third most of any state in the nation. In Florida, those new jobs produced the second largest drop in unemployment in the country.
When I said “Let’s get to work” It wasn’t just a slogan. Florida got to work, and each Floridian deserves the credit!
Also deserving credit are you, the legislators in this room. Last year you passed and I signed a budget we balanced without raising taxes or fees despite a revenue shortfall of nearly 4 billion dollars. We did this by making government lean and effective. Thank you for displaying this unprecedented courage and commitment.
The steps we have taken in the last year have made a positive difference in the lives of working Floridians. We need to continue to cut red tape, lower taxes, and bring growth to Florida.
In addition to jobs growing, just three weeks ago, the U.S. Census Bureau announced that despite a record low growth rate on the national level, Florida grew by more than a quarter million people in a 15-month period. That’s amazing!
This makes us the third fastest growing state in the country and puts us within two years of passing the State of New York in population. This is a clear sign that the promise of Florida still burns bright.
And I should add, to all our friends in New York, come on down! As I stand here today, our temperature outdoors is about twice as high as yours, and your state tax burden per citizen is about twice as high as ours.
Think about it. The state of New York, which has just about the same population as Florida, has a budget roughly twice as large as ours.
You, the Legislature, all need to be commended for years of tough decisions, balancing our budget and delivering quality services, education and infrastructure to our citizens at half the price New Yorkers pay.
And for those of us already in Florida, what do these numbers tell us? They tell us the journey ahead is long and will continue to test us as a people. The decisions we make in the next few months will determine whether we continue to create a business climate that will provide new jobs and opportunities for Floridians; whether we fully recapture that spirit of human potential that is at the core of what it means to be a Floridian. I’m absolutely convinced that we will.
My friends, the state of our state will continue to improve.
And what are those decisions we need to make to ensure this happens?
There are many, so I’d like to focus on what I believe are the three most important jobs I have as your Governor:
One, ensuring that Floridians are able to gain employment, two, securing the right of every Floridian to a quality education, and three, keeping the cost of living low, so that the families and businesses that are in our state can prosper and grow, and the ones that aren’t have even more reasons to get here soon.
When it comes to jobs, it’s important to remind ourselves that private businesses create productive and enduring jobs, not government. What government gives to one person necessarily had to be taken from the pocket of someone else. There is something arrogant and overreaching in thinking we have the superior wisdom to micromanage the economy.
Having spent decades in business and now a year in government, I’m convinced more than ever that with few exceptions the best thing government can do is to create a level playing field for all competitors and then get out of the way so they can compete. What we can do is to continue to put Florida companies in a position to out-compete companies in all other states and countries.
Small businesses provide most of our new jobs in Florida. I know this from my own experience. I started in business with a single doughnut shop, and before long I had two doughnut shops and many more employees. Two resources were critical in allowing me –or any small business– to create these new jobs: capital and time. Every doughnut I sold gave me more capital to hire more people and buy more equipment. Every minute I spent focused on the business resulted in our growth, and, more new jobs.
We have someone in the gallery today who also knows something about the potential of job creation in doughnut shops.
Rachel Waatti came to the united states 12 years ago, and has owned Nicola’s Doughnuts in Tampa for the past year. Rachel hosted me at my first workday, and it was very successful – we sold out; More than 240 dozen by 8:30 am.
Nicola’s has been in business for 30 years, has two locations, and has been voted “best doughnuts in town” by the Tampa Tribune and one of the “24 best doughnuts in America” by travel and leisure magazine. They have recently added cupcakes, and with a little help from my mom, they now sell a great apple fritter.
Rachel and her husband Luther are a great example of the hard work it takes to run a small business and just how our economy will grow. Thank you for being here.
Taxes and regulations. They are the great destroyers of capital and time for small businesses. Almost every dollar I earned as a shop owner went toward growing our little doughnut shops. So, every dollar taken in taxes slowed that growth. Almost every minute I had in the day also went toward growing our small business. So, every minute spent addressing some new regulation also slowed that growth.
When growth slows in small businesses, what happens? New jobs are the first casualties.
This session, we need to lower burdensome taxes on small businesses and continue our mission of slashing red tape in Florida.
We must also improve the machinery by which government seeks to aid job creation. I’ve proposed greater accountability for our Workforce Boards so that tax money is not wasted and the purpose of those boards is fulfilled: to get people jobs.
I’m also asking you to require job training for those who are receiving unemployment checks.
Every challenge creates opportunity. And time in-between jobs gives unemployed Floridians the opportunity to learn new skills.
While lowering taxes and eliminating unnecessary regulations are critical, the bedrock of any sound, sustainable economy is an educated workforce well equipped to meet the challenges of an advanced global marketplace.
In my own life I’ve seen firsthand how education puts the American Dream within reach.
I grew up poor. As a kid I delivered newspapers for $5 a week. When I wasn’t delivering papers, I was selling TV guides for 4 cents profit a copy and flipping hamburgers for 85 cents an hour.
Today I stand before you privileged to be the Governor of the greatest state in the greatest nation. This is the American Dream; it’s a story re-told a thousand times with each successive generation; and the means by which it is accomplished is an effective and accountable system of education.
We can have great weather, beautiful beaches, and a wonderfully strategic location, but if Florida doesn’t provide the intellectual talent to make our businesses competitive, we will become a footnote when this century’s history is written. But, if we can continue to create a culture of excellence in our schools, Florida will merit a full chapter in that history that describes the reawakening of a mighty, prosperous nation.
We can do this.
And we begin to do this by building on the successes of last session when we increased school choices for Florida’s parents. We also refocused an outdated tenure system into a system that can reward its best performers for excelling in educating our students.
As you know, none of this was particularly easy, but all of it was obviously necessary if we’re to give our children their chance to grasp the future. Thank you for your willingness to confront these issues.
I have spent the past two years traveling the state and listening to Floridians about their visions for the future. I would like to take a moment to recognize one of Florida’s talented, hardworking educators who has taught me a great deal about the bright futures of our students and our state.
Heather Viniar is here with us today in the gallery. Heather is a first year teacher in the rural farming community of Immokalee. I had the opportunity to meet her when I taught school for a day this fall. Heather is very committed to her students. She teaches American Government at Immokalee High School. Her classes reach all kinds of our students including honors, Advanced placement and English language learners every day.
And, just as all of us have hopes and dreams for the future, so do her students. The students I spoke to wanted to do everything from being a chef, to a teacher, to a vet, a hair dresser, a doctor, a lawyer, or to OWN a SMALL shop or store. Educators like Heather, these students and their dreams are what will drive the future prosperity of our state.
Thank you, heather. Our future certainly is bright.
After traveling the state and listening to parents, teachers like Heather, and our students, I heard one thing very clearly, over and over. Floridians truly believe that support for education is the most significant thing we can do to ensure both short-term job growth and long-term economic prosperity for our state. And you know what? They are right!
That’s why this session I ask you to continue your commitment to education-to ensure that the difficult decisions we must make on the budget are focused on prioritizing the things we all know are essential to the future of our great state.
My recommended budget includes $1 billion in new state funding for education, and I ask you to please consider that recommendation very carefully.
On this point, I just cannot budge.
I ask you again today to send me a budget that significantly increases state funding for education. This is the single most important decision we can make today for Florida’s future.
But, our efforts on education cannot end here. Florida has a rich cultural history surrounding its colleges and universities. Don’t take my word for it. Ask any anthropologist.
But we need to be realists about this. Somewhere out there today, there are government officials meeting in Brazil, or India, or China, and they’re not debating about whether they should provide students with the pragmatic knowledge to seize a larger piece of the global economy. No, the only debate they are having is about how quickly they can become the dominant global players.
I look forward to working with you to closely look at our higher education system; to understand how we can ensure that in the future, job creators from around the world will have to look to Florida to find the talented and educated workforce they will need to compete in the 21st century.
It is also our duty to help ensure that in a time when our state is beginning to grow again, that we do not slow that growth by increasing the cost to live here. We can do this by building a leaner, more effective government: continuing to responsibly manage and reform our pension system; and cracking down on the fraud and abuse that some people have brought to our auto insurance system.
Last year with your help we re-engineered the pension plan for Florida state workers so that the individuals who will share in its rewards also share in its funding. This will save taxpayers money and align government’s practices with the private sector. But, despite a year of great returns, our pension plan remains billions of dollars underfunded. We need to continue to closely monitor our pension plan and ensure that it will not become a liability for Florida’s taxpayers or those workers who rely on it.
This year we must also reform auto insurance to crack down on the fraud and abuse that has run rampant and is estimated to cost Floridians 900 million dollars. If we do not act, the Office of Insurance Regulation predicts that costs for consumers will continue to spiral out of control.
Our best estimates show a 30 percent increase in pure premium costs, year after year.
These costs are being driven up every day all around our state by scams that are ultimately paid for by Florida’s working families. If we are going to be serious about keeping the cost of living low for Floridians, we must get tough on the fraud and abuse in the auto insurance system. It is the consumers in our state that we must protect, not trial lawyers or those involved in these schemes. Floridians cannot afford another year of this fraud and abuse or the cost that will come with it.
Let me pause to say that after a year in office I more than ever appreciate the sacrifice and dedication of all our law enforcement officers in Florida. Sometimes that sacrifice is ultimate. This year I had the sad and humbling experience of attending all ten funerals for our brave law enforcement officers who were killed in the line of duty.
At this time, I would also like to recognize Penny Mecklenburg. Penny is a 10th grade biology teacher, and an incredibly strong woman, whose husband was one of these brave officers.
Deputy John Mecklenburg of the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office tragically died in a high speed chase in July. Penny, his loving wife, and the mother of their children, Andy who is 5 and Jessica who is 2, joins us today. Penny, we are all incredibly grateful to you and John for his service and sacrifice to keep our state safe.
Thank you very much for being here. God Bless you, and god bless your children.
Please allow me to express our gratitude to those that serve every day to protect our great state.
In closing, I want to thank you again for the consideration you have given me today and the courtesy you extended to a new governor last year. Since redistricting has been added to an already-packed agenda in 2012, consideration and courtesy will command a special premium over the next several weeks.
Know that I’m open to any idea from whatever source that is likely to improve the lives of Floridians. Over the past year I’ve experienced the benefit of listening to Floridians, listening to you, and yes, even listening to my close friends in the media.
No person, profession or party has a monopoly on all the good ideas. The commitment I make to those here today is to keep open, clear lines of communication so that together our time in the Capitol can best be spent in the service of those who sent us here. That is my pledge to you.
My pledge to the people of Florida is to continue to give this job my all; to help build the framework for an enduring prosperity that is grounded in the intellect and ambition of our citizens.
While the Great Recession has taken much, it’s also revealed the strength and resilience that’s deeply ingrained in the DNA of the industrious people who call Florida home. Other states have had their chance to show their mettle.
This is our time.
It’s our time to show the nation and the world that in this century Florida will be the safe haven for individuals to live their version of the American Dream.
None of us can do this alone. So, let’s get to work … Together!
God bless you, and God bless the great State of Florida.
Bratt Home Invasion Under Investigation
January 10, 2012
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a reported home invasion Monday night in Bratt.
The incident was reported about 10:15 p.m. in the 8000 block of Bratt Road, near Camp Road and the Escambia County Road Department’s Camp Five. Deputies arrived on scene within five minutes of the call.
A resident told deputies that he was in his bathroom when he heard a noise. He investigated and reportedly observed a tall, skinny black male dressed in all black and wearing a ski mask in his living room.
The resident reportedly ran to a closet and armed himself with a rifle. He said he accidentally fired through the roof of the home at which time black male fled the residence.
A K-9 team from the Century Correctional Institution responded as deputies set up a perimeter around the area. They were unable to locate the suspect.
The adult male resident, who was alone at the time of the incident, was not injured.
Anyone with information on the burglary is asked to call the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office at (850) 436-9620 or Crime Stoppers at (850) 433-STOP.
NorthEscambia.com file photo.
USDA Announces Closure Of Molino Office As Part Of National Cutbacks
January 10, 2012
The U.S. Department of Agriculture will close its Escambia County office along with 258 other offices, facilities and labs across the country, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said Monday.
The Farm Service Agency Office in Molino is the only North Escambia area office on the closure list. The Santa Rosa County office in Milton and the Escambia County (Ala.) Office in Brewton will remain open.
“The USDA, like families and businesses across the country, cannot continue to operate like we did 50 years ago,” said Vilsack. “We must innovate, modernize, and be better stewards of the taxpayers’ dollars. We must build on the record accomplishments of farm communities in 2011 with a stronger, more effective USDA in 2012 and beyond.”
Many of the offices slated for closure, Vilsack said, have a very small staff and are located within 20 miles of other USDA offices. In other cases, he said, technology improvements, advanced service centers, and broadband service have reduced some need for brick and mortar facilities.
“The Department is finding significant savings by consolidating more than 200 offices across the country while ensuring that the vital services they provide are not cut,” Vice President Joe Biden said in a prepared statement.
Across the country there will be 131 Farm Service Agency county offices in 32 states consolidated, leaving more than 2,100 open in the United States.
The USDA’s complete plan announced Monday is estimated to save the department about $150 million annually.
Ads Coming Soon To Your Child’s School Bus?
January 10, 2012
A bill that would allow school districts to sell advertisements on school buses narrowly passed the Senate Education Committee on Monday, showing that there might yet be some speed bumps ahead for the proposal.
The measure, sponsored by Sen. Bill Montford, D-Tallahassee, is aimed at helping ease transportation costs amid a tough budget climate.
“Under better times financial, I would not be presenting this bill,” Montford said.
The measure passed on a 4-2 vote, with Sens. Lizbeth Benacquisto, R-Fort Myers, and Ellyn Bogdanoff, R-Palm Beach, opposing the bill.
“The push of consumerism on our children is, in this instance, a step I’m not willing to take,” Benacquisto said.
But there were also other signs of tension; Sen. Larcenia Bullard, D-Miami, voted for the bill despite concerns that its restrictions on inappropriate advertisements weren’t strong enough.
The bill has two more stops, including the Senate Transportation Committee.
By The News Service of Florida
Senate Septic Tank Inspection Bill Clears First Hurdle
January 10, 2012
A measure that would limit mandatory on-site septic tank inspection to counties that have first magnitude springs passed its first Senate hurdle on Monday, with environmental groups saying the proposal, SB 820, represents a moderate response and better alternative to an all-out repeal of the 2010 law.
The Senate Environmental Preservation Committee approved the measure, which is being offered by Sen. Charlie Dean, R-Inverness, and chairman of the committee.
The bill is among several bills aimed at repealing or revamping the septic tank rule.
Eric Draper, executive director of Audubon of Florida, said the organization supports the bill, which unlike others including HOB 999, does not call for an outright repeal of the controversial septic tank inspection program that rural lawmakers say is too expensive.
“The original intent was to protect the springs, which is want this does,” Draper said after the vote. The bill would require counties that have large freshwater springs, to require inspections every five years and includes protections and repair options for homeowners of failing systems.
Crimson Tide Wins 14th National Championship, 21-0, Over LSU
January 10, 2012
A staunch defensive effort, combined with a record-setting night from kicker Jeremy Shelley, propelled the University of Alabama football team to its 14th national championship with a 21-0 victory over LSU Monday night in the BCS National Championship Game.
The Crimson Tide’s defense held LSU to just 92 total yards and five first downs as Defensive Player of the Game Courtney Upshaw and Jerrell Harris each had seven tackles. As a unit, the defense had 11 tackles for loss, four sacks and an interception.
“I think it’s a great team win,” UA head coach Nick Saban said. “Our offense controlled the tempo of this game. We did a great job on special teams. It was just a great team win for every guy here, every fan that we have, every supporter of this program. This is great for Alabama.”
Fifteen of UA’s 21 points came from the leg of kicker Jeremy Shelley, who converted on a bowl-record five field goals from 23, 34, 41, 35 and a career-long 44 yards. The defense provided the offense with excellent field position all evening and quarterback AJ McCarron did a masterful job under center completing 23-of-34 passes for 234 yards to earn Offensive Player of the Game honors.
“We knew that he [McCarron] was going to have to play well because we knew that we were going to throw the ball,” Saban said of his quarterback. “He showed great leadership and poise in making good decisions.”
Thanks to Shelley, the Tide carried a 15-0 lead into the final quarter when LSU mounted its first legitimate charge after being held to just 55 yards in the previous three quarters. Upon crossing midfield for the first time all game, the drive stalled and left the Tigers facing 4th and 18 to gain on the UA 40. The Tide defense came through again as Dont’a Hightower sacked LSU’s Jordan Jefferson and knocked the ball loose at the 50-yard line. Nick Gentry fell on the fumble to end the drive and set the UA offense up at midfield with 6:15 left in the contest.
Four plays later, Pensacola’s Trent Richardson (pictured left) raced 34 yards for the first touchdown of the game and the Heisman Trophy semifinalist finished with 96 yards on 20 carries and 107 all-purpose yards.
Alabama put up the first points of the game when Shelley capped off a five-play, 20-yard drive with a 23-yard field goal with five minutes left in the first quarter. Shelley would come up big for the Tide on two more occasions in the first half, connecting from 34 and 41 yards to give Alabama a 9-0 lead at the break.
Alabama held LSU to one first down throughout the first half, while collecting 13 of its own. The Tide also collected 156 total yards compared to the Tigers’ 26 total yards in the first 30 minutes.
The title is the Tide’s 14th in program history adding to the national championships won in 1925, 1926, 1930, 1934, 1941, 1961, 1965, 1966, 1973, 1978, 1979, 1992, 2009 and 2011. The Crimson Tide finished the 2011 season with a 12-1 record. The combined record of UA’s 14 national championship teams stands at 157-7-2.
Pictured top: Alabama Coach Nick Saban celebrates the BCS National Championship Monday night in New Orleans. Pictured top inset: AJ McCarron was named the BCS National Championship Game Offensive Player of the Game. Pictured bottom inset: Escambia High School graduate Trent Richardson scored the only touchdown in the game for the Tide. Photos by Kent Gidley, University of Alabama, for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Article courtesy the University of Alabama.
Tell On Teens Who Get Tickets, But Don’t Tell The Boss
January 10, 2012
Lawmakers want state officials to be able to send you a note to let you know if your kids get a speeding ticket. But if you get a caught going too fast, they don’t really want the state telling your boss.
Of course you – and your boss – can find out anytime you want if someone’s had a ticket: driving records are public under state law. Just go to the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles and give them your kid’s name – or an employee’s name – and pay the fee, and you can find out whether they have a lead foot or drive while drunk.
Almost any company that has employees who drive for work, from school bus drivers to package deliverers, checks on driver records.
But at issue on Monday was a bill that would turn the process around in some cases, letting parents sign up to be notified electronically anytime their child violates a traffic law. The parent wouldn’t have to periodically check their child’s record, the DHSMV would simply let them know any time their kids have seen blue lights in the rearview.
The bill (SB 854) enjoyed full support of the Senate Transportation Committee on Monday, sending the measure to the Budget Committee.
But not before the Transportation Committee firmly rejected a proposed amendment that would have also allowed employers to sign up with DHSMV to get notices when their workers – whether they drive for their job or not – get some sort of traffic ticket.
That would mean, for example, that instead of a school board simply checking up on bus drivers from time to time, it would now be automatically notified if a teacher had gotten a ticket, or a janitor, for example. Theoretically, the Senate president could also sign up to be notified if senators get pulled over and ticketed, noted Sen. Lizbeth Benacquisto, R-Wellington.
To have employers routinely notified of workers’ driving slip-ups, “for me, that goes a little bit too far,” Benacquisto said.
An official with the highway safety agency, which actually recommended the change, reminded legislators that employers can check up on their employees now. “It’s public record, they can do that today,” noted Steven Fielder, the agency’s legislative affairs director.
But having the agency proactively rat out employees to their bosses is different than having the agency go through the effort to find out, said several members of the committee.
“That’s a horse of a different color,” said Sen. Arthenia Joyner, D-Tampa. “There’s something that’s just not right about it,” added Sen. Larcenia Bullard, D-Miami.
No vote was even needed on the amendment.
“Is there anybody here besides (amendment and bill sponsor Sen. Greg) Evers who supports this?” asked the committee’s chairman, Sen. Jack Latvala, R-Clearwater, who had earlier called the provision a “Big Brother amendment.”
No one spoke up and Evers, R-Baker, withdrew the amendment before the panel approved the original bill.
By The News Service of Florida
Jim Allen To Present “What’s On The Menu” For Families
January 10, 2012
Parents and students at Jim Allen Elementary School will gather for an engaging and educational program called “What’s on the Menu.” This program is aimed at helping promote financial education among the students’ families. The program will be held Thursday from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the school’s cafeteria.
For additional information, please contact Rachel Watts, Principal of Jim Allen Elementary School, 937-2260.
Pedestrian Killed Friday Night Identified
January 9, 2012
The name of a pedestrian who died from injuries he received Friday night after being struck by a vehicle in Escambia County has been released.
The man was identified through fingerprints as 38-year old Justin Langham of Pensacola, according to Pensacola Police.
Police said 90-year old Clyde Eddins was southbound on Ninth Avenue near Creighton Road in a 2011 Jeep Cherokee when Langham stepped into his path. Langham was transported to Sacred Heart Hospital were he passed away late Saturday morning.
No charges will be filed, according to police.
Drive By Shooting Suspect Shoots At Deputies
January 9, 2012
An Escambia County man is behind bars, accused of shooting and a house and sheriff’s deputies.
Willie James Brazile, 21, was arrested Sunday night after deputies responded to a prowler call in the 5400 block of Tomlinson Road. While in the area, Deputy Daniel Dreadin observed someone in a silver car fire several shots towards a house. Dreadin gave pursuit, and deputies said someone in the vehicle fired shots at them.
After the vehicle came to a stop, two people fled on foot. A short time later, Brazile was taken into custody and a firearm recovered. Deputies later discovered that the vehicle was stolen.
Brazile, who deputies believed to be the passenger, was charged with four counts of aggravated assault , two counts of aggravated assault on law enforcement officer, use of firearm while committing a felony, discharging a firearm from a vehicle, firing deadly missiles into a dwelling, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and resisting an officer without violence. He was booked into the Escambia County Jail with bond set at $101,000.
The other suspect remained at large Monday morning.
Anyone with information on the crime is asked to call the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office at (850) 436-9620 or Crime Stoppers at (850) 433-STOP.