An anti-Trump congressional candidate in Florida was arrested after deputies said he tried to enter his home during a court-ordered welfare check involving his children. Mark Davis, an independent candidate for Florida’s 16th Congressional District, was taken into custody on July 28th and charged with obstructing an officer without violence. The encounter unfolded while investigators from the Florida Department of Children and Families were conducting a child-safety investigation at the family’s home in Parrish. Davis later denied the complaint and claimed it was retaliation for his criticism of President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Davis is running for the congressional seat currently held by Republican Rep. Vern Buchanan, who is not seeking reelection. He is the only independent candidate in the race, while five Democrats and three Republicans are competing on their respective ballots ahead of the August 18th primary. The arrest centered on a welfare check ordered by the Sarasota Circuit Court. Authorities said the order set specific restrictions on Davis and his wife while investigators spoke with their children.
According to the arrest report, DCF investigators went to the Davis residence to investigate allegations concerning the children’s safety. The allegations reportedly involved firearms inside the home that were accessible to the children. The report did not state that Davis had been charged with any firearms offense or child-abuse-related crime. His arrest instead stemmed from what deputies described as his conduct while officers and investigators were carrying out the court order.
As Sarasota-area station ABC7 WWSB reported, the court order said neither Davis nor his wife was permitted inside the home while investigators interviewed the children. Davis recorded the encounter on video as Manatee County Sheriff’s deputies assisted the DCF investigators. Deputies said he nevertheless attempted to enter the residence despite the restriction contained in the order. Officers then placed him in handcuffs and transported him to the Manatee County Jail.
Davis was booked on a charge of obstruction of an officer without violence and was later released on bond. The available report does not disclose the full substance of the DCF complaint, the identity of the person who made it, or what investigators were able to conclude after speaking with the children. Davis has publicly disputed the allegations.
After his release, Davis told ABC7 that the DCF complaint was false and politically motivated. He tied the investigation to his frequent criticism of Trump and DeSantis, two of the most prominent Republican figures in Florida politics. Davis did not produce evidence establishing that any political opponents were responsible for the complaint. He only pointed to the hostility he says his political activity has generated in the area.
Watch the report and footage from the encounter here:
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No final finding from DCF was included in the report, and Davis has not yet been convicted of the obstruction charge. “It’s really rubbed people the wrong way around here,” Davis said of his criticism of Trump and DeSantis. “And I get death threats all the time.”
Featured image credit: screengrab from the embedded video.