UPDATED STORY: Suspect in custody, two officers recovering after pursuit

A suspect who led law enforcement on a chase beginning Friday evening was taken into custody in Caryville early Saturday morning by the Washington County  Sheriff’s Office.

Two law enforcement officers injured in a pursuit that took place last evening are expected to recover.

According to a Florida Highway Patrol report, a marked Bonifay Police Unit was traveling west on Sand Path Road in active pursuit of the suspect, 52-year-old Thomas Bernard Peterson, Friday evening.

FHP states the patrol car collided into a dirt embankment and into a fence after the driver lost control. The vehicle then overturned once before coming to a final rest on the north shoulder of the road. 

The officer and passenger, a fellow Bonifay Police Officer, each sustained serious injuries and were transported to area hospitals.

Meanwhile, Peterson continued to flee, traveling west on Sand Path Road for about another mile and a half before losing control and leaving the roadway, at which time the van he was driving collided into a tree before rotating counterclockwise and entering a water canal.

The suspect fled on foot in an unknown direction of travel. He was picked up about 7:30 a.m..

FHP was assisted by Holmes County Sheriff’s Office, Holmes County EMS, Bonifay Fire Department, Bonifay Police Department, Holmes Correctional Institution, and the Bay County Sheriff’s Office Aviation Unit.

PREVIOUS REPORT:

The Holmes County Sheriff’s Office, along with law enforcement with the Bonifay Police Department and the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, are actively searching for Thomas Bernard Peterson.

The pursuit has been active after Peterson, 52, wrecked his vehicle and then fled on foot off Sandpath Rd between Mack Brock Lane and Greenwood Drive. 

Any sightings of Peterson should be called immediately into 911.