By DIANE M. MOORE
An Alabama man is dead after a traffic stop in Bonifay on Wednesday, Oct. 10.
During the stop, a deputy with the Holmes County Sheriff’s Office discovered the man did not have a driver’s license and asked the man to follow him to his patrol vehicle to run his license off of a photo on the man’s phone.
Upon being questioned about having drugs or weapons, the man was described as ‘nervous’ and reportedly attempted to move away from the deputy-who then grabbed ahold of the man.
A physical altercation ensued as the men fell to the ground in a struggle, with the deputy holding the subject from behind.
‘It was at this time the man was able to draw a gun from the waistband of his pants, and tried to rack a round into the chamber, and aim the gun backwards at the deputy,’ Sheriff John Tate said during a press conference. ‘The deputy was able to shove him off and subsequently fired off several rounds, shooting the subject.’
Tate described the man as a ‘middle-aged, white male.’
According to Tate, there were several witnesses to the incident, as well as body cam footage and video surveillance from the store’s cameras.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is the lead investigative agency in the case due to it being an officer-involved shooting.
The names of the deceased and the officer have not been released due to pending next of kin notification and being an active investigation.
The deputy has been placed on administrative leave, as required by law in such situations.
‘The good guys won today,’ Tate said. ‘Let me stress that I am very proud of my deputy. He did the best he could not to take someone’s life today. At the end of the day, if someone aims a gun to shoot at us, we are going to kill them.’
The Holmes County Advertiser will continue to follow this story and provide updates as information becomes available.
Below is an earlier version of this story:
Law enforcement confirmed on Tuesday, Oct. 10, an officer-involved shooting occurred on Highway 79 in Bonifay.
This is a developing story. More information will be provided as it becomes available.
Staff Report