A Parrish man running for Congress was arrested Tuesday after deputies said he pushed past detectives who were serving a court order tied to a child-welfare investigation.
According to a report by Tampa Bay 28, deputies with the Manatee County Sheriff's Office Child Protection Investigation Division went to a Parrish residence around 4 p.m. to assist the Florida Department of Children and Families. Investigators were conducting face-to-face interviews with children after DCF obtained an emergency court order to produce them and access the home, the report said. Mark Davis, 42, was arrested after allegedly pushing past detectives, then booked and released after posting a $500 bond; authorities said the children were safe and found no concerning conditions inside the residence.
What The Obstruction Charge Means
Under Florida law, resisting, obstructing or opposing an officer or another person legally authorized to execute process, without violence, is a first-degree misdemeanor. The charge against Davis concerns the alleged interference with investigators; it does not establish that he committed child abuse or that the underlying allegations were substantiated.
Davis Is Qualified For Florida’s 16th District Race
The Florida Department of State lists Davis as a qualified No Party Affiliation candidate for the 2026 U.S. House race in Florida's 16th Congressional District. The state listing shows he qualified on June 12 and is seeking the seat as a nonparty-affiliated candidate.
Davis's campaign website describes him as an Air Force veteran, husband, father and small-business owner. The initial report did not include a public response from Davis or his campaign to the arrest.
