Man Shot By Atmore Police Dies
May 26, 2009
The man shot by Atmore Police early Sunday morning in Walnut Hill has died, according to friends and family members.
Danny Ray Williams, 33, passed away Monday evening at the USA Medical Center in Mobile. Hospital officials confirm that Williams is no longer a patient at their facility, and Atmore Police have also confirmed the death.
Atmore Police say they chased Williams out of Atmore and into Florida about 1:30 Sunday morning after he was seen speeding away from an Atmore neighborhood where police had just received a call of shots fired.
Glenn Carlee, Atmore’s director of public safety, says Williams apparently tried to hit an Atmore Police Department cruiser head-on. Once he stopped and officers approached the car with weapons drawn, Carlee says Williams accelerated toward an officer in an attempt to hit him. That prompted at least two officers to fire at Williams.
Florida authories told NorthEscambia.com Sunday morning at the scene that Williams had been shot at least once in the head.
For a statement released earlier Monday by the Atmore Police Department, click here.
For NorthEscambia.com’s original story from early Sunday morning, click here.
For a complete gallery of exclusive photos from the scene that you will see only on NorthEscambia.com, click here.
Pictured above: Investigators from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement process the car driven Sunday morning by Danny Ray Williams. NorthEscambia.com exclusive photo, click to enlarge.
Suspect Shot By Police Had Prior Florida Traffic Offenses And Warrant For Hunting Violation
May 26, 2009
Court records in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties show that Danny Ray Williams has an outstanding warrant for failure to appear on a misdemeanor hunting violation, and his criminal past included a few traffic violations.
Williams, who was shot in the head following an Atmore Police Department chase into Walnut Hill early Sunday morning, was charged with failing to produce a hunting or fishing license in April 2000. Escambia County (Fla.) Circuit Court records show a misdemeanor failure to appear warrant was issued for his arrest on June 6, 2000, because he failed to pay a fine in connection with the original charge.
If Williams had been arrested on the charge, court records indicate the bond would have been $100.
Escambia court records also show that Williams had a conviction in 2000 for an expired registration.
Santa Rosa County court records indicate that Williams had a 1997 conviction for careless driving, and 1999 convictions for running a stop sign, driving while his driver’s license was suspended, disregard for a passing zone and an improper tag.
Any Escambia County, Ala., court records for Williams were not available, and it was unknown if he had every faced any charges in that county.
$20 Million Approved To Repave Highway 97, Part Of Highway 29
May 26, 2009
The recently approved Florida budget includes nearly $20 million to resurface Highway 97 and a stretch of Highway 29 north of Molino.
The Legislature appropriated $4,609,499 to resurface a stretch of Highway 29 from Molino north to near Pine Barren Road.
Lawmakers also approved $1,513,090 for engineering and inspection on Highway 97 and another $13,690,094 to resurface Highway 97.
The contract on the Highway 97 project is set for letting on August 26, and construction will begin as early as December 17 of this year. The complete Highway 97 repaving project is scheduled to be complete by early October 2010.’
The entire 22.5 mile length of Highway 97 will be repaved from County Road 95 in Molino across Highway 29 to the Alabama state line. No major drainage changes are expected to the route’s 55 cross drains under the highway, with the exception of some possible changes near the intersection of Highway 97 and Crabtree Church Road.
Existing 12 foot wide travel lanes and five foot paved shoulders will be milled and resurfaced. This project does not include the four-laning of Highway 97. A four lane highway is not in any of the state’s current plans for Highway 97.
The Highway 29 resurfacing project includes 4.55 miles of the four lane highway from near Highway 97 to just north of Pine Barren Road. The contract on the project is expect to be awarded on August 26 of this year, with construction slated to begin as early as December 17. The repaving project is scheduled to be completed by early August, 2010.
Couple Appears In Court On Bratt Mobile Home Meth Lab Charges
May 26, 2009
The Bratt residents accused of operating a meth lab out of a Bratt mobile home remain in jail following their initial court appearance.
Daniel Wayne Sheets, 29, and Mary Elaine Sheets, 28, were arrested on multiple drug charges after deputies located the meth lab at 3740 Highway 168 near Wiggins Road last Wednesday.
Escambia County Circuit Court Judge Joyce Williams officially ordered bond at $45,000 each after their first court appearance. The two had not made bond and both remained in the Escambia County Jail early Tuesday morning.
A public defender was appointed for both, and their next court appearance was set for mid-June.
Daniel Wayne Sheets and Mary Elaine Sheets were each charged with a narcotics violation, the production of methamphetamine, use and possession of drug paraphernalia and the possession of chemicals used to manufacture a controlled substance.
For the original story about their arrest, click here.
Class Of 2009 Graduations; With Flomaton Photos
May 26, 2009
Several North Escambia area schools held graduation exercises this weekend, and other area schools will hold commencements over the next week.
Graduation was held Friday night at Flomaton High and Escambia County High School in Atmore.
Northview High School’s graduation will be at 4:00 Saturday afternoon in the school gymnasium.
Tate High School will hold graduation services at 1:00 Thursday afternoon in the Pensacola Civic Center.
Jay High School’s graduation will be at 6:00 p.m. Tuesday, June 2.
For more photos from Flomaton High School, click here.
Pictured above: Graduation for the Flomaton High School Class of 2009. Submitted photo by Alisa Hart for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
North Escambia Memorial Day: Honoring Our Heroes
May 26, 2009
Pictured: Flags fly on the grave of PFC Russell William Stewart on Memorial Day. PFC Stewart died April 14, 2007, while serving at Camp Lejeune, NC. His grave at the Walnut Hill Baptist Church was one of many military graves in North Escambia where people paid their respects over the Memorial Day weekend. After the September 11 tragedy, PFC Stewart penned the following poem, a very fitting Memorial Day tribute:
“Soldiers”
Killed in battle, laid to rest
We fought to free those oppressed
We died a valiant death
Served our country, not for glory or fame,
But for our brothers in arms who shared our pain.
For we are soldiers tried and true,
We died on the field of battle
Let our death not be forgotten
For we fought for you. Soldiers.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Atmore Police Release Information On Sunday’s Pursuit, Shooting
May 25, 2009
The Atmore Police Department has released a statement detailing the events surrounding their shooting of a suspect in Walnut Hill field early Sunday morning.
For an exclusive gallery of photos from the scene and an earlier Sunday morning story on the shooting, click here.
Glenn Carlee, director of public safety in Atmore, has released the following statement on Sunday morning’s shooting of suspect in Walnut Hill by Atmore Police:
On May 24, 2009, at approximately 1:27 a.m., the Atmore Police Department received a call of shots fired in the area of Ashley Street and Jones Street. Police officers responded to the area where they spotted a white Nissan Altima traveling at a high rate of speed and running the stop sign at the intersection of Ashley Street and Carver Avenue. Officers attempted to stop the vehicle.
At this time, the driver continued his evasive actions and failed to yield to blue lights and sirens.
At 1:37 a.m., officers advised they were in pursuit of this vehicle and that the driver was failing to stop. The driver led officers through residential neighborhoods, running stop signs and using evasive maneuvers to avoid officers’ attempts to stop the vehicle in a safe manner.
At 1:40 a.m., Atmore Police notified the Escambia County Florida Sheriff’s office that the vehicle had continued onto Highway 97 south. Officers were following the vehicle at a safe distance awaiting the arrival of Florida officers. The vehicle turned east onto Highway 164 and then north toward Gobbler Road. As the vehicle turned back south onto Highway 97, the driver of the fleeing vehicle pulled over into the northbound lane, apparently in an attempt to hit an Atmore police unit head on. The Atmore unit left the roadway barely avoiding impact and became stuck in a field. The driver of the fleeing vehicled proceeded south and made a U-turn and backed into a wheat field just south of that location.
Two of the pursing officers, thinking the driver of the fleeing vehicle had ended the pursuit, exited their vehicles and walked up to the front of the car with weapons drawn and ordered both occupants to raise their hands. The passenger of the vehicle, an adult black male, immediately complied and the officers heard the passenger pleading with the driver to comply with the officers’ orders.
As officers repeated their commands, the driver turned the steering wheel toward the lead officer and accelerated toward him. The lead officer fell backwards to avoid being run over by the fleeing vehicle. At this point, the driver of the fleeing vehicle attempted to run over the second officer who began firing at the vehicle. As the first officer came to his feet, be began firing toward the rear of the vehicle.
The vehicle got back on Highway 97 traveling north toward the patrol unit he had earlier forced off the road. The vehicle then left the roadway and became stuck. At 1:45 a.m., officers requested medical assistance to the scene. The driver, who has been identified as Danny Ray Williams, an adult white male, had suffered a gunshot wound and was transported by Atmore Ambulance to Atmore Community Hospital, then later to USA Medical Center in Mobile where he was listed in critical condition on Monday.
The passenger was interviewed and released without charges.
The Escambia County Florida Sheriff’s Department, the Florida Highway Patrol and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement were called to conduct the investigation. All officers involved in the shooting have been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.
Final Exams This Week
May 25, 2009
Final exams are underway this week at Northview High and Ernest Ward Middle schools.
At Northview High School, the 9-11 grade exam schedule is as follows:
- Monday, 1st Period 7:45-9:25
- Tuesday, 2nd & 3rd periods
- Wednesday, 4th & 5th periods
- Thursday, 6th & 7th periods
Wednesday, Thursday and Friday are early release days at Northview. Seniors took their exams last week.
The final exam schedule at Ernest Ward Middle School has been changed, and school officials want parents and students to be aware of the new schedule.
EWMS has revised the final exam schedule due to the district requirements for completion of final grades.
- Tuesday, May 26 exams will be periods 1, 4, and 6.
- Wednesday, May 27 exams will be periods 3, 5, and 7.
- Thursday, May 28 exams will be period 2.
Name Released Of Suspect In Atmore Police Shooting, Chase In Walnut Hill
May 25, 2009
A suspect shot by Atmore Police following a high speed chase early Sunday morning in Walnut Hill has been identified as Danny Ray Williams.
Atmore Police say Williams, 33, was in critical condition Monday afternoon at a Mobile hospital. Sunday afternoon, Atmore Police said Williams had died, but Monday they said that statement was due to misinformation from a hospital employee.
For a statement on the shooting by Atmore Police, click here.
The following is NorthEscambia.com’s original story on the shooting from early Sunday morning:
Atmore Police Chief Jason Dean tells NorthEscambia.com that his officers pursued a suspect out of Atmore during the early morning hours Sunday in what started as a routine traffic stop. That chase ended on a field just south of Highway 97 and Kansas Road with a suspect being shot by an Atmore officer. Dean would not make further comment, other than to say a suspect had been shot by an Atmore officer that he would not identify. Dean would not say if the suspect displayed a weapon or otherwise threatened his officer.
The Atmore Police Department has reportedly placed three officers on paid administrative leave following the incident. The names of the officers have not been released.
Florida authorities tell NorthEscambia.com that Atmore police pursued the vehicle south on Highway 97, turned on Highway 164, looped around Gobbler Road back to Highway 97 where the suspect returned toward Highway 164. Near Highway 164, the suspect reportedly turned around headed back north on Highway 97 where he met Atmore officers headed south out of Atmore. The suspect’s Nissan Altima and an Atmore police car were stopped in the field by thick mud.
Authorities tell us the white male suspect was shot at least once in the head. He was transported to Atmore Community Hospital before being transferred to a Mobile hospital in critical condition.
It was not immediately clear if the suspect was shot in the field or on Highway 97. Items believed to be bullet casings were recoved by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement on Highway 97 about 350 yards south of where the Altima was stopped. Officials tell NorthEscambia.com that no weapon belonging to the suspect was recovered following a nearly eight hour search of the scene. FDLE investigators were seen with metal detectors making a systematic search of the area.
The back window of the Altima was apparently broken as shots were fired. FDLE was seen recoving a possible bullet lodged in the Altima between the back window and driver’s side rear passenger window.
The suspect shot by police was reportedly wanted for a misdemeanor failure to appear warrant for a hunting violation.
A passenger that was in the vehicle was taken into custody and transported to the Walnut Hill Escambia County Sheriff’s Precinct for questioning. The black male reportedly told Florida deputies that he had attempted to bail out of the vehicle several times during the pursuit but could not due to the speed of the car. The passenger had no outstanding warrants and was released without being charged with any crime, deputies said. The passenger was not injured in the incident.
Florida deputies say the pursuit was over before they arrived on scene from the Century area. Dispatch records indicate that the first Florida deputy arrived on scene, which is located five miles south of Atmore, at 2:03 a.m. The Walnut Hill Station of Escambia Fire-Rescue was not dispatched.
The name of the driver, the passenger and the officer involved have not been released. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement always investigates officer involved shootings in Florida. It usually takes about 30 days for FDLE to complete their investigation and release results.
Pictured above and below: The scene of a shooting involving an Atmore Police Department officer early Sunday morning in Walnut Hill. Pictured middle: Crime scene investigators from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement work to recover evidence inside the car. NorthEscambia.com exclusive photos, click to enlarge.
Two People Burned In Cantonment House Fire
May 25, 2009
Two people were burned in an early morning trailer fire Sunday in Cantonment.
Fire officials say two people were taken to the hospital suffering from burn injuries after the blaze about 4 a.m. in the 1300 block of Tate School Road. The mobile home was fully engulfed when the first firefighters from the Cantonment Station of Escambia Fire-Rescue arrived on scene.
A man burned in the house fire was transported to Sacred Heart Hospital by LifeFlight, and a female was transported by ambulance. Their identities have not been released.
The mobile home was a total loss.
The exact cause of the blaze was not available. The Florida State Fire Marshal was called to the scene to investigate.
Pictured above: Two people were burned in this mobile home fire early Sunday morning in Cantonment. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.