Bonifay Police Department chronicles recent arrests

BONIFAY – The Bonifay Police Department reports the following activity over the past two weeks:

September 3

• Bonifay Police Department, Bonifay Fire-Rescue, Holmes County SheriffÂ’s Office, and Holmes County EMS responded to a traffic crash at the intersection of US 90 and SR 79.  Officers and first responders arrived to find a two-vehicle crash between a Kia sedan and a Toyota van.  Injuries were sustained by the drivers of both vehicles.  The driver of the Kia sedan has been determined to be the at-fault driver as video surveillance shows him accelerating through the intersection and failing to yield to the Toyota van.  This crash is still under investigation as alcohol and/or drug use is suspected.  Names will be released at a later date once toxicology results are received.

• The Bonifay Police Department responded to a local business in reference to theft of property.  It was determined that 22-year-old Damien Devon Anthony Goodman had left the business without paying for his goods received.  Goodman refused to speak with law enforcement via telephone or in person.  A warrant for theft has been issued for GoodmanÂ’s arrest.  His last known location is in the Marianna, FL area.

September 4

• An officer with the Bonifay Police Department conducted a traffic stop on a white Ford van for a moving traffic violation of failure to obey a traffic signal.  When asked to provide license and registration, the driver, identified as 23-year-old Brian Ashel McQuaig of Troy, Alabama, brandished a black handgun obtained from the center console and pointed it at the officer. McQuaig put the pistol down when the officer drew their weapon in response to the threat.  McQuaig was arrested without further incident and charged with aggravated assault.  It was later determined the pistol was a Co2 powered pellet gun.  McQuaig is currently being held on a $55,000 bond and a judge-ordered mental health evaluation.

September 5

• An officer with the Bonifay Police Department attempted to stop a white Chevrolet sedan for failing to obey the traffic signal at US 90 and SR 79.  The driver fled from the marked patrol unit, first west on US 90, and then cutting through the median and traveling east again, running the red light at the same intersection.  The pursuit continued east outside the city limits to Xtreme Boats, where the driver of the white Chevrolet turned into the private parking lot area.  The pursuit continued around the building with the suspect damaging posts and fences in the parking area.  The suspect vehicle became disabled upon striking the last few posts and the driver, identified as 53-year-old Leroy Tyron Cady of Chipley, was taken into custody with minimal force. Cady is charged with fleeing and/or attempting to elude, reckless driving, knowingly driving while license suspended or revoked, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of a controlled substance (methamphetamine), and leaving the scene of a crash with property damage.  In addition, it was determined on-scene that Cady has active warrants out of Washington County, which law enforcement officials believe was his reason for attempting to flee.  Cady is currently being held in the Holmes County Jail on a total bond of $65,000.  

September 8

• The Bonifay Police Department was dispatched to the overflow parking lot at the HardeeÂ’s restaurant in reference to a suspicious person believed to be under the influence of some type of intoxicant. The responding officer was able to communicate with the female subject, but as time passed, her condition worsened. Bonifay PD reports the female “began to roll around on the ground with uncontrollable muscle movements.”  When officers attempted to offer medical assistance, a bulldog in the individualÂ’s vehicle intervened by jumping out of an open window.  According to official reports, the bulldog was “very aggressive,” and attempts to lure it away or into a caged patrol unit were unsuccessful.  Officers deployed a taser to incapacitate the bulldog long enough to restrain it with a catch-pole. When the bulldog was no longer a threat, officers say they were able to administer Narcan to the female, and she began to come less combative and could communicate “somewhat better.” The female was transported to a local hospital for treatment.  A search of the vehicle prior to being towed revealed suspected narcotics and suspected marijuana.  The name of the individual is being held until further investigation is completed.

• The Bonifay Police Department responded along with Holmes County EMS to an address on Neal Lane in reference to a possible overdose.  Officers assisted EMS in getting the patient loaded and transported to a local hospital.  The officer had to later respond to the hospital due to the subject becoming hostile towards medical staff.  The subject was asked to submit to a pat down search, and in doing so, emptied his pockets, turning them inside out. It was then that a small plastic baggie fell out of his pants pocket to the floor.  The substance field tested positive for methamphetamine.  A warrant has since been obtained for the subject, identified as 31-year-old Joshua Cory Atchison of DeFuniak Springs, for possession of a controlled substance (methamphetamine).

September 9

• The Bonifay Police Department obtained felony warrants on two individuals involved in two separate on-going investigations.  A warrant was obtained for 37-year-old Chad T. Harmon of Bonifay.  Harmon has been charged with one count of lewd or lascivious molestation in an abuse case that began in January 2021. Also, in an unrelated case, a warrant has been obtained for 40-year-old Jamison Shane Haskins of Vernon who has been charged with one count of lewd or lascivious battery from an incident in 2020. Haskins is expected to face additional charges from the Holmes County SheriffÂ’s Office. Haskins was arrested by Washington County SheriffÂ’s Office in July on multiple counts of lewd and lascivious behavior in a separate case. He is still being held in the Washington County Jail on a $100,000 bond in that case. 

Police Chief Chris Wells reports that from midnight on September 1 to noon on September 10, the Bonifay Police Department has answered and responded to 358 calls for service.