By Staff Report
A routine traffic stop escalated into a police pursuit on the evening of March 8, resulting in the arrest of a Chinese national visiting the United States on business.
According to the Bonifay Police Department, the incident began when an officer initiated a traffic stop on a vehicle traveling through the city. However, the driver failed to comply, neither pulling over nor reducing speed despite multiple attempts by law enforcement.
After continued non-compliance, officers executed a Precision Immobilization Technique (PIT) maneuver, successfully forcing the vehicle off the roadway and into a ditch. Upon approaching the driver, officers identified him as Tao Zhou, who presented an international driving permit. Zhou allegedly expressed confusion, stating he believed traffic stops in the county were conducted from the front of the vehicle.
Zhou was taken into custody and charged with fleeing/eluding police and failure to obey a law enforcement order to stop. His bond was set at $5,000, and he was released the following morning.
