UPDATE: Holmes County deputies help end high-speed chase

A high-speed chase through five counties Friday afternoon ended safely after Holmes County sheriff’s deputies  deployed spike strips that blew out the vehicle’s tires  and slowed its advance.

A pair of 20-year-old Pensacola  men,  David Lee Cattell Jr. and  Antonio Raychouni Slocum Jr., were apprehended  sometime after 3:30 p.m.  after they fled from their disabled vehicle on foot into the woods in Walton County.

Cattell was arrested on charges of aggravated lleeing and eluding, grand theft of a motor vehicle and driving while license suspended or revoked.  Slocum was arrested for possession of a fraudulent driver license, resisting arrest without violence, grand theft of a motor vehicle and violation of state probation.

According to a news release from the Florida Highway Patrol, the chase of a white Jeep Grand Cherokee, with temporary Texas tags, heading westbound on Interstate 10, began in  Gadsden County.

The vehicle had fled, and was next observed driving recklessly at the 147-mile marker by two troopers who had set up on Interstate 10 in Jackson  County,. The troopers  initiated a pursuit as  a third  joined in at the 142-mile marker.

As the chase continued into  Washington County, sheriff’s deputies there joined the chase, as FHP Troop A’s commander, who was working traffic enforcement on the interstate, also joined near the 120-mile marker and assisted the Criminal  Interdiction Unit.

As more troopers joined the pursuit into Holmes County, sheriff’s deputies there successfully deployed the spike strips sometime after 3:30 p.m., and the chase of the disabled vehicle continued into Walton County, where it ended at the 88-mile marker. 

The FHP release said the Jeep traveled off the road onto the north shoulder into some bushes. Both the driver and passenger, who fled on foot into  the woods, were arrested without further incident.

The release said  further investigation revealed the Jeep was stolen from the Chicago, Illiinois area and had a fraudulent temporary tag attached. A search of the vehicle revealed evidence of multiple counts  of credit card fraud and multiple counts of check fraud. Trooper Nate Jordan with the Bureau of Criminal Interdiction and Intelligence) responded to assist with the fraudulent charges portion of the case.