Released by the Holmes County Sheriff’s Office ———–
HOLMES COUNTY – A Panama City man is in custody after a carjacking that culminated with a pursuit and three crashes in Holmes County on Wednesday.
Holmes County Sheriff’s Office responded around 5 p.m. January 2 to a carjacking that occurred at the Sunoco convenience store in Ponce de Leon. The complainant advised a white male subject forcibly took her red Camaro while she was pumping gas. One of the victim’s family members attempted to follow the vehicle to the rest area off Highway 81 with the intentions of stopping it, but the suspect collided with his vehicle.
The suspect, later identified as Larry Henderson of Panama City, then fled east on Highway 90, striking another vehicle along the way.
HCSO deputies intercepted the vehicle in Westville and initiated a pursuit east on Highway 90 at high rates of speed.
Henderson continued into Bonifay where HCSO, Bonifay Police Department, and Holmes County EMS stopped traffic at Highways 79 and 90 for safety reasons. The suspect went through the parking lot of the store at the 79/90 intersection and headed south on Hwy 79 with HCSO still in pursuit. He continued driving in a reckless manner and lost control of the Camaro as the pursuit approached the intersection of Washington County Road 280 and SR 79, sliding sideways into the rear of a Toyota pickup, causing the pickup to overturn.
Henderson then fled on foot, and HCSO deputies checked the wellbeing of the pickup’s occupant and began setting up a perimeter after assuring the occupant was all right.
Washington County Sheriff’s Office and Holmes Correctional Institute’s K9 Unit responded to assist.
When a passerby stopped to help, Henderson jumped in the back of his SUV and hid as the vehicle traveled down CR 280. The driver wrecked after realizing the subject was in his SUV, and the suspect fled on foot again. Holmes CI deployed their K9 team and was able to track suspect and take him into custody.
Henderson, who was on state probation, faces charges in Holmes County of carjacking, fleeing and attempting to elude, reckless driving, driving on a suspended license, and leaving the scene of an accident.
Additional charges are pending in Washington County.
The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating the incident.
Sheriff Tate would like to thank the Bonifay Police Department, Holmes County EMS, Holmes CI K9, Washington County Sheriff’s Office, the men and women of the Holmes County Sheriff’s Office, and the civilians who stopped to help.