Hux Denied Bond, Plans Insanity Defense To Charges Of Attempted Murder Of Deputy Off Chemstrand Road
January 12, 2023
A suspect that shot and injured an Escambia County deputy off Chemstrand Road will remain in jail without bond until trial after the police union and the sheriff told the judge he is dangerous to the public.
The suspect, Daniel Jeremy Hux, is charged with two counts of attempted first-degree premeditated murder after he allegedly shot the deputy four times on Limerick Lane in 2019.
Thursday, Hux’s attorney said he will present an insanity defense. Hux is due back in court and his trial is set for mid-February.
In a January 5, 2023 letter to Judge Coleman Robinson, Sheriff Chip Simmons wrote:
“Hux placed a call to 911, effectively luring law enforcement and first responders into an ambush and attempted to kill two of my deputies. He called 911 stating someone had kidnapped his son and told ECSO dispatch he needed medical assistance. He also advised dispatch he was not feeling violent and did not have any weapons. This was obviously not true. While one deputy was knocking on his front door, another walked over to the carport area where he saw Hux with a firearm. Hux, upon seeing the deputy, opened fire, hitting the deputy multiple times. I am alarmed and gravely concerned for the safety of the citizens of Escambia County and for the safety of all law enforcement and first responders that may be called upon again to respond to his residence.
“It is hard for me to believe that we currently face the possibility that this attempted murderer could be released into our community. I am sympathetic to those with mental illness, but that does not, in my opinion, relieve him of responsibility and his release will not make our community a safer one.
“I implore the court to use every available resource to ensure Hux is confined to either a secure detention facility, or a long-term mental health treatment center to ensure the safety of our community. I can’t imagine anyone would believe that his release, in any capacity, is a good idea if they themselves were the ones tasked with responding to an incident involving Hux.”
The Northwest Florida Police Benevolent Association also issued a plea to keep Hux from being freed:
“While it is a miracle that our deputy survived, it would be an absolute travesty of justice to allow his attempted murderer to return back to the community. This cold-blooded attempted murderer poses a clear and present danger to our entire county and to the men and women who serve and protect our county,” the union said in a press release Wednesday.
December 11, 2019 Shooting
At about 1:30 p.m. on December 11, 2019, suspect Hux called 911 and requested to be taken to the hospital, stated that he was contemplating suicide, and that he was standing outside under a pine tree.
Deputy Douglas Shoemaker was dispatched to the address on Limerick Lane for a welfare check. He did not see anyone outside, knocked on the front door and went to a side carport door. At 2:16 p.m. he canceled Escambia County EMS.
Shoemaker was joined by Sgt. Melissa Lee. They again checked the doors of the residence, and Shoemaker returned to the carport and knocked on the side door again. He saw a figure moving to the door through frosted glass. When the door opened, he saw the muzzle of a firearm pointed toward him, and the person holding it opened fire. Shoemaker said he was hit by the first round in the chest and immediately ran and secured cover. The deputy then returned fire at Hux until he saw him “go down”.
Shoemaker suffered gunshot wounds to his chest, right side and right middle knuckle, and he was grazed on the forehead.
The sergeant heard the gunshots and saw an arm with a handgun sticking out of the door. Hux began to shoot in her direction, forcing her to seek cover at her vehicle. Lee indicated she did not fire because she could not see a clear target.
Deputy Shoemaker was shot four times and Hux was struck twice. Both were transported to the hospital and both survived. The State Attorney’s Office cleared the deputies of any wrongdoing.
Hux’s wife told investigators that Hux had become increasingly paranoid and delusional over several months. She said he called her the morning of the shooting and told her, “he loved her, and everything would be OK”.
“It is hard for me to believe that we currently face the possibility that this attempted murderer could be released into our community. I am sympathetic to those with mental illness, but that does not, in my opinion, relieve him of responsibility and his release will not make our community a safer one.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge. Pictured top inset: Daniel Jeremy Hux in court on January 12, 2023, courtesy WEAR 3 for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Officials Still Asking Residents To Check Their Address On FCC Broadband Map For Accuracy
January 12, 2023
Officials are encouraging residents in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties to review a new FCC national broadband map by Friday to see if it is accurate for their location.
Residents in both counties are asked to submit challenges if they notice any inaccuracies such as location or available internet service providers listed for their location. Accurate information is important because the federal government will use the map to determine how much funding each county will receive for broadband expansion opportunities.
“I would ask everyone to take a few minutes and check their address on the website and see if the correct data populates,” Escambia County Commissioner Steven Barry said. “If not, then I’d ask them to take a few minutes to challenge the FCC data. I believe more accurate information will give North Escambia residents direct access to an increased level of federal funds over the next few years.”
Challenges to the FCC broadband map are due by Friday, January 13. View the map at broadbandmap.fcc.gov/home.
Escambia County said people without a fixed or mobile broadband connection are especially encouraged to participate. A mobile phone, a friend or family member’s computer, or a public access site can be used to enter a home address, review, and if needed, challenge the FCC’s national broadband map.
Escambia River Electric Cooperative has also joined the push to make sure the map is correct locally. EREC serves members in northern Escambia and Santa Rosa counties, and the cooperative responded to an Escambia County request for proposal to provide fiber internet in North Escambia.
To learn more about the new FCC broadband map and how to submit a challenge, visit www.fcc.gov/BroadbandData/consumers.
Nikki Gill Is Tate High School’s Teacher Of The Year
January 12, 2023
Nikki Gill was named the Tate High School Teacher of the Year. She is the Early Childhood Academy instructor and FACS teacher. She has been teaching for 25 years.
NorthEscambia.com spotlighting Teachers of the Year from the North Escambia area. The county’s overall teacher of the year will be named in late January.
Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Clouds And Cooler Tonight, Low In The Low 40s
January 12, 2023
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Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Tonight: Clouds, with a low around 42. Northwest wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Friday: Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming sunny, with a high near 50. Northwest wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 30. Wind chill values between 25 and 30. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 51. Wind chill values between 25 and 35 early. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Saturday Night: Clear, with a low around 28. Northwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 60. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph.
Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 40. Calm wind becoming east around 5 mph after midnight.
M.L.King Day: Partly sunny, with a high near 67. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
Monday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers, mainly after midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 57. South wind around 5 mph.
Tuesday: A 40 percent chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 72.
Tuesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 57.
Wednesday: A 20 percent chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 75.
Wednesday Night: A 50 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 59.
Thursday: A 40 percent chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 73.
Embattled Contractor Jesse LaCoste Wants To Pull Building Permits Again
January 12, 2023
An embattled local contractor asked a county board to allow him to once again pull building permits.
Jesse LaCoste and his brother-in-law Matthew Banks have been accused of taking money from people but never completing, or even starting, their jobs. Both have been arrested, and both counties have suspended their licenses while ordering large sums of restitution.
Both were scheduled to appear before the Escambia County Contractor Competency Board Wednesday, but only LaCoste was present.
He told the board he wants his privilege to pull building permits reinstated so that he can get back to work .
“I’ve been called a lot of things this year,” LaCoste said, adding that he has been a builder for 11 years as of this month. “I had nothing but beautiful relationships all along the Gulf Coast, and was touted as something pretty good to work with for a long time. And had nothing but positive interactions.”
“This year, I’ve had my entire life stripped from me,” an emotional LaCoste said. “I’ve continued to be the same person I am, while being called everything you can imagine, receiving death threats and all of those things.”
The Contractor Competency Board told him they would revisit the reinstatement request in the future after fines and restitution are paid.
Northview Softball’s Emma Gilmore Signs With Bishop State
January 12, 2023
Northview High School softball senior Emma Gilmore signed Wednesday to play for Bishop State Community College.
For more photos, click or tap here.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Two New Flomaton Police Officers Sworn In
January 12, 2023
Two new Flomaton Police Department officers were sworn in Wednesday.
Officer Clay Smith will be assigned to the FPD traffic division and Investigator Ashley Wood will be assigned to the criminal investigation division. Wood currently holds a master’s degree in criminal justice and is currently seeking a doctorate degree.
The Flomaton Police Department is currently seeking non-sworn applicants to attend the police academy in May 2023. Applications can be submitted in person at the Flomaton Police Department on Ringold Street.
Pictured: Judge Jo Whitt swore in new Flomaton Police Department officers Ashley Wood and Clay Smith on Wednesday at the Escambia County Courthouse in Brewton. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Parole Denied For Two Nokomis Brothers In 1993 Murder
January 11, 2023
Wednesday morning, the Alabama Bureau of Pardons and Paroles denied parole for two Nokomis men behind bars for the 1993 murders of a woman and 12-year old girl.
Shannon Dean Barlow and Franklin Lee Barlow, Jr. are both serving life sentences with the possibility of parole for the murders of Kathy Victor Hall Barlow and Angel Marie Hall.
They will be eligible for parole again in five years.
A large number of North Escambia area residents wrote letters and emails opposing the brothers’ release following a NorthEscambia.com story last week.
On October 10, 1993, the Barlow brothers went out with Albert Ganoe “Rocky” Beasley, consuming alcohol and smoking marijuana. They then went to the home of Kathy Barlow in Perdido, Ala., shooting her in the head with a .410-gauge shotgun when she opened the door. According to testimony, he then went to the room of Angel Hall, 12, raped her and shot her in the face.
“They were shot, stabbed, raped, beaten, strangled, buried in the sand at the gravel lakes near our home, then urinated on,” said Marsha Maher, Kathy Barlow’s niece and a North Escambia resident. “They surely do not need to be paroled and pose a threat to myself, my family and to our community. So for the sake of our family’s sanity and security and also for our community.”
Shannon Barlow was sentenced to three consecutive life terms, and Franklin Barlow was sentenced to two life sentences. Both were now eligible for parole from prison in Alabama. Beasley remains behind bars, sentenced to life without the possibility of parole.
Beulah Man Charged With Child Porn Last Month Arrested On New Sex Offender Count
January 11, 2023
A Beulah man was arrested this week on a sex offender violation stemming from a child pornography investigation.
David Joe Gomez, age 44 of Patrick Lane, was charged this week with felony failure to register an email address or internet identifiers.
The charged was filed following Gomez’s arrest December 7 on of two counts of possession of child pornography. As NorthEscambia.com first reported last month, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office received a tip that a child porn file depicting two female children about 6-8 years old exposing themselves in a lewd or lascivious manner had been uploaded to the cloud. When a search warrant was served at Gomez’s home, authorities found the image file on his cell phone, a report states.
As a registered sex offender, Gomez was required to register with the Florida Sex Offender Database and report any email or internet account that he uses.
Authorities later located Facebook, TikTok, Tumblr, Reddit, and Pinterest accounts being used by Gomez, according to the ECSO.
According to Florida Department of Law Enforcement records, Gomez was designated as a sex offender in a 2012 providing obscene material to a minor case in which adjudication was withheld.
Gomez remained in the Escambia County Jail with bond set at $120,000.
Century Man Charged With Stealing Semi Truck And Its $80,000 Cargo
January 11, 2023
A Century man is accused of stealing a semi truck and its cargo of $80,000 worth of rolled steel.
Cecil Devon Brown, 41, was charged with grand theft of a motor vehicle, first degree felony grand theft of cargo valued at $50,000 or more in interstate commerce, criminal mischief with property damage, and larceny.
The victim told investigators that she hired Brown to drive her 2007 Volvo semi and the rolled steel cargo from Mobile to Pensacola to Birmingham before making a return delivery to Milton. She said he did pick up the truck and cargo and drove it to Pensacola, but then she lost contact with Brown. She stated that she texted him and told him there was a tracking device on the truck, then the GPS device went offline.
Another of the victim’s drivers spotted the truck in Flomaton. The victim found the trailer and rolled steel parked next to the Dollar General at 9410 North Century Boulevard, but the truck was missing. While she was there, Brown pulled up in her Volvo semi truck and ran away, according to an arrest report.
Deputies located Brown nearby at his residence on Ivey Street.
According to the report, Brown was suspected in the theft of a Garmin truck GPS and $520 he received to purchase diesel fuel. The truck’s radio was also ripped from the dash, causing about $300 in damage.
The truck, trailer and $80,000 worth of rolled steel were released to the owner.
Brown remained in the Escambia County Jail with bond set at $37,000.