Deputies were called to a West Pensacola grocery store after a man carrying an ax allegedly threatened employees who asked him to wear a face mask.
An employee at the Grocery Advantage on Lillian Highway asked Michael Bevans and the woman accompanying him to put on masks inside the store, according to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. When the pair refused, the employee told them to leave — and that is when deputies say Bevans became belligerent and yelled racial slurs.
According to the arrest report, Bevans kept arguing with employees and repositioned his hand on the ax he was carrying, leading workers to fear he was about to swing it at them. Employees called 911 during the confrontation.