A welfare check escalated into a high-speed pursuit in Bonifay, Florida Thursday morning.
The Bonifay Police Department (BPD) was dispatched to a welfare check at Highway 173 (N. Caryville Rd) and State Road 79 (Waukesha St.).
The subject of the welfare check was identified as Jasper Hatcher, a black male driving an older model Ford Explorer with a Tennessee license plate.
Hatcher was stopped at a red light, appearing to wave and point westward while behaving erratically.
BPD began to follow the vehicle and attempted to conduct a traffic stop at the Bonifay Fire Department. Hatcher slowed down and seemed to pull over at first, but he began to speed up and refused to pull over.
BPD pursued Hatcher south on State Road 79 through Bonifay and into Washington County.
During the pursuit, police say Hatcher drove recklessly, using center turn lanes to pass vehicles, weaving in and out of traffic, and breaking speeds over 100 miles per hour.
The chase continued into Vernon, where police say Hatcher took a hard lane change to avoid crashing into another vehicle.
Hatcher’s vehicle crashed at the Vernon Post Office.
Hatcher was arrested and faces charges of felony attempting to elude and reckless driving.
The Holmes County and Washington County Sheriff’s Offices helped in the incident. No injuries were reported.
