A Bonifay man is facing multiple felony charges after allegedly pointing a gun at motorists traveling along Highway 331.
According to the Walton County Sheriff’s Office, 33-year-old Blackie Alvarez was quickly located by deputies along with officers from the Office of the City Marshal and the DeFuniak Springs Police Department.
Authorities said when officers found Alvarez, he exited his vehicle, removed a firearm from his waistband, and placed it on top of the vehicle. Deputies also reported he was in possession of two metal knuckles.
Victims told deputies they were traveling north on Highway 331 when Alvarez, driving a white Ford Explorer, began speeding and honking at them. Reports state he then stopped his vehicle in front of theirs, exited, and pointed a firearm at them.
Alvarez was arrested and charged with:
Two felony counts of false imprisonment
Two felony counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon
One felony count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
Two counts of unlawful carry of a concealed weapon
Driving without a license
Authorities also confirmed Alvarez had an active warrant in Bay County for failure to pay child support.
Authorities have issued a Missing & Endangered Person Alert for James Richard Hawes, who was reported missing on February 9, 2026.
Hawes is described as a 74-year-old white male, standing 6’2” tall and weighing approximately 250 pounds. He has red hair and blue eyes.
He was last known to be driving a maroon 2014 Ford F-150 bearing Alabama license plate 26A1C51.
Hawes was reported missing from Hartford, Alabama.
Anyone who sees James Richard Hawes or the listed vehicle is urged to call 911 immediately and provide authorities with as much information as possible, including location and direction of travel.
More information will be shared as it becomes available.
TAYLOR: 7:31 PM Former Taylor Police Officer Tim Miller has been hired back as a Police Officer in Taylor.
According to reports, Acting Taylor Police Chief Jimmy Hill hired Tim Miller as a Taylor Police Officer. RSN had noticed the newest Taylor Police vehicle, a pick up truck, went missing recently. We have learned it is assigned to now Taylor Police Officer Tim Miller.
The past Taylor City Council meeting there was zero discussion in the open Taylor City Council Meeting. There were no executive sessions, but then the hiring of the officer would not have been an executive session issue. The issue discussed in the Administrative Meeting was employing a Police Chief for Taylor. The Administrative Meeting is after the reguslar meeting and Taylor Mayor Robert Lamb was upset when the council did not vote to hire anyone. However the council could not vote because the Adminstrative Meeting is following the regular meeting. The matter of hiring a police chief was placed on the agenda for February 17 regular Taylor City Council Meeting.
There is an issue that Taylor Mayor Robert Lamb did not follow the policy and procedures of the Taylor Personnel Manual. Which sitting council members stated that they had never read until last week. There is also issues the Taylor City Council has never voted to affirm the firing of James Brazier as Taylor Police Chief. Taylor’s incoming Mayor had made statements that his first action was going to be to terminate James Brazier as Taylor Police Chief. Robert Lamb took the oath of office at 8:00 AM and he terminated Brazier at 8:45 AM. Braizer appealed to the Taylor City Council but stated at the next meeting he wanted his attorney present and the appeal was continued.
According to the Personnel Rules and Regulations in full force and affect for the City of Taylor, at the time of Mayor Robert Lamb’s actions, written terminations papers should have been given to Chief Brazier. And they were not. In addition, how can someone fight termination when they were not told exactly why they were being terminated.
Taylor Officer Tim Miller was present for Robert Lamb’s Oath of Office. According to sources Miller made the statement that he was there to watch James Brazier be terminated. And in fact, Tim Miller did not leave Taylor City Hall complext until about 10:30 AM when Brazier was termiated at 8:45 AM.
Officer Tim Miller has worked for Dothan Police, Ashford Police, Jackson County Florida Sheriff’s Department, then Taylor Police Department. When James Brazier came on as Police Chief it was not long before Officer Tim Miller resigned and went to Columbia Police Department. Now Miller resigned as Police Officer in Columbia and has returned to Taylor as Police Officer. And Miller was assigned the patrol vehicle that was assigned to Chief Brazier upon his recent return to Taylor.
Now the sitting members of the Taylor City Council have found the Personnel Manual and should know the rules and regulations.
Prior to leaving office as Mayor, Billy Snell, who did not seek re-election as Mayor, and the then sitting members of Taylor City Council placed $ 5 million dollars in the bank. Hopefully it will be spent on projects ofr the citzens and not legal expenses and paying out to parties discriminated against.
A Dothan teenager was killed Sunday night after being struck by a vehicle on Montgomery Highway.
On February 8, 2026, just after 7:00 p.m., the Dothan Communications Center received a report of a pedestrian struck in the 4700 block of Montgomery Highway in front of the Dothan Pavilion Shopping Center.
When officers arrived on scene, the victim later identified as David Allen Tice, 18, of Dothan. He was found in the roadway and pronounced deceased at the scene.
According to the initial investigation, Tice was crossing Montgomery Highway from the area of La Parrilla toward Walmart when he was struck by a vehicle traveling in the southbound lanes. Investigators say Tice was then struck by a second vehicle that was unable to see him in the roadway.
At this time, and unless additional information is revealed, the drivers of both vehicles are not expected to face charges.
“Anytime someone dies is a tragic day regardless of the circumstances,” officials said. “Our thoughts and prayers are with Tice’s family and friends during this difficult time.”
The incident remains under investigation by the Dothan Police Department CRASH Team.
Authorities have identified the two people killed in a crash early Sunday morning following an attempted traffic stop by a Troy University police officer.
According to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, 52-year-old Rosolando V. Givens and 45-year-old Alkesa S. Liptrot, both of Troy, were pronounced dead at the scene.
ALEA reports that around 1:48 a.m. on February 8, a Troy University Police Department officer attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a 2008 Audi A4 on Elm Street near the Troy University campus. The vehicle fled at a high rate of speed, and the officer followed briefly before the car left the roadway and struck a utility pole.
Givens was driving the vehicle at the time of the crash. Investigators say neither occupant was wearing a seatbelt.
The crash remains under investigation by ALEA’s Highway Patrol Division.
DALE COUNTY: 10:43. ALEA-Trooper went to make a traffic stop. The person the ALEA-Trooper was stopping fled on the vehicle. The vehicle came to a stop and fled on foot.
The suspect bailed on foot on Andrew’s Avenue in Ozark. ALEA-Trooper, Ozark Police and Dalle County Sheriff involved in a foot chase.
