Crestview Man Gets Over $1 Million Dollar Bond After Fleeing Law Enforcement
Tuesday, April 30, 3034
Crestview, Fla. – A 37-yeaar-old Crestview man who ran from Law Enforcement Sunday evening is now in the Okaloosa County Jail with a bond that exceeds $1,000,000.00.
On Sunday, April 28, 2024, shortly before 5:30 pm troopers with the Florida Highway Patrol received a tip that 37-year-old Elliot Maurice Bell had active warrants for Fleeing and Eluding Law Enforcement with Lights and Siren Activated, Leaving the scene of a traffic crash involving property damage and Aggravated Assault on a Law Enforcement Officer.
According to the arrest report, Troopers located the vehicle that Bell was allegedly driving, a white 2023 Ford F-150 pickup truck, just south of the intersection of Hwy 85 South and Live Oak Church Rd in a south bound lane. As the trooper, who was driving a fully marked Florida Highway Patrol car, noticed the window tint was darker than the legal limit, the driver, later positively identified as Elliot Maurice Bell, accelerated rapidly prior to the trooper activating his emergency lights and siren.
Once the trooper activated his lights and siren, Bell passed a vehicle in the center median driving in a reckless manner and reached speeds in excess of 100 mph. The arrest report stated, with Bell operating his vehicle in an aggressing manner which could easily cause great bodily harm or death to an innocent motorist, troopers made the decision to use a Precision Immobilization Technique or PIT maneuver to end the danger. The pursuit ended near Duke Field with the white 2023 Ford F-150 resting against several small trees on the west shoulder of the roadway.
According to the arrest report, Bell stated he knew he messed up; he ran because he had warrants.
907.2 grams of methamphetamine, 60.9 grams of an unknown powder substance and 27.18 grams of marijuana were recovered from Bell’s truck during a search.
Bell was charged with Trafficking in Methamphetamine, Fleeing and Attempting to Elude Law Enforcement with lights and siren, Possession of Marijuana more than 20 grams, and driving while license suspended or revoked. He was also arrested on the outstanding warrants from the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office.
According to the Okaloosa County Jail’s website, Bell remains in custody with a bond in the amount of $1,270,000.00 and has a court date of May 7th at 8:30am.