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Escambia Man Not Guilty By Reason Of Insanity Of Shooting Two Deputies Off Chemstrand Road
February 18, 2023
An Escambia County man was found not guilty by reason of insanity for shooting an Escambia County deputy and shooting at another in 2019.
Escambia Circuit Judge Coleman Robinson issued the ruling Friday in the case of 44-year old Daniel Jeremy Hux who was charged with two counts of attempted murder. He will be held in the Escambia County Jail until being transferred to a treatment facility.
At about 1:30 p.m. on December 11, 2019, 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”.
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.
Comments
15 Responses to “Escambia Man Not Guilty By Reason Of Insanity Of Shooting Two Deputies Off Chemstrand Road”
There is one way around this. If found not guilty by the state, federal charges may be brought if the crime broke a federally enforced law.
You have to look no further than the case of John Hinkley jr. He shot president Reagan, his press secretary, a secret service man, and a DC police officer. He was found not guilty by reason of insanity. He spent 30 years in a mental institution, was allowed to make home visits at some point much later. Was finally unconditionally released as a free man. Fact, you cannot be retried once you have been found innocent for any reason.
K-K Cantonment,
When a person is found not guilty by reason of insanity, he CANNOT be tried again. He has already been tried and found not guilty. He will be ordered into some kind of treatment, and if he is ever deemed to be sane again, he will be released. Another trial would be double Jeopardy.
If he is found incompetent to stand trial, he is ordered into treatment, and if that treatment is successful and his sanity “restored”, he is then brought back to stand trial for his alleged crime. Please understand the difference between the two.
REGARDING:
“Send wrongdoers to jail not for punishment but for public safety.”
Or an asylum for the criminally insane. If a judge rules that to be the case, you don’t even have to wait until they have killed or injured someone. Further, jail sentences heve term limits, release after a given date. Asylums are to hold them until such time as they can be safely released It might be next week (unlikely) or it might not be until such time as they are safely dead (not uncommon).
David for public safety
A lot of people think that prison is a punishment for the wrongdoers. The way I see it, it is a protection of the public. Do I care if someone that hurts me or my family or a neighbor is insane or not? I do not. Send wrongdoers to jail not for punishment but for public safety.
He was just, sane enough to lure two lawmen at his front door to murder.
Follow up from KK-Cantonment —
Stumpknocker:
Point well taken. Still, a problem exists that must be addressed and dealt with. Better to have a support system than nothing at all. Again, police come to people’s homes all the time for mental health or being suicidal. It is part of their difficult job.
Ensley boy + Others: when someone is found not guilty by reason of insanity that person can later be tried for what they did (when they are recovered). They are not off the hook. The insanity defense is not a free pass likesome people believe.
he was just sane enough to lure two lawmen right in front of him to murder. The insane ones let him off.
@ K-K Cantonment, it will never matter how much money or personal you throw at mental illness because if the mentally ill doesn’t want help nothing will work, same goes for a drug addiction or alcohol. I know people who have spent well over a 100k on the adult child in some the absolute best recovery facilities, only to have wasted their money.
REGARDING:
“Since he was found not guilty, can he be tried again once he gets well”
He can not. He has been tried for this and found not guilty. If he is restored to sanity, he will still not have been sane when he did it.
David for justice and sanity
Look the guy is mentally ill and went over the edge of stability. Just look at the blank stare in the photo of Hux. He is out to lunch. This is part of the job for police. No it is not OK to shot at a cop. Not ever. Hux needs treatment and a long stretch in psych.
Thank God and the powers of the universe that the officers were not killed. It is an unfortunate situation all the way around. This is why money must continue and be increased to treat the mentally ill in FL. With services to keep them on meds and out of dangerous situations. Mental health is where states tend to cut back and nickel and dime. Well, then this is what you get.
You did a good job Deputies thank you both.
I’m glad the Deputies and yes even the very mentally ill individual all survived this tragic sad situation. Everyone below this comment obviously has been privileged enough not to have to deal with anyone with serious mental illness based on their very misguided and completely inhumane comments.
Since he was found not guilty, can he be tried again once he gets well. The judge should have said he was unfit for a trial and sent off for help with his issues. I was wondering if the double jeopardy rule would apply in his case.
Ok the shooters insane I get it but at the very least he should never see freedom the rest of his entire life.
No parole, no early release, no time served for good behavior.
I know he will be a burden on society but he must be locked up forever.
If he is released whoever let him out should be made personally responsible to the family of the next person he harms.
We need to end this revolving door system.
I see why nobody wants to be a cop, now. When they shoot someone they get treated like criminals and rot under the jail. When they get shot it’s “just part of it”.