ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. — New details are emerging about a dramatic high-speed chase that brought traffic to a standstill in St. Johns County on Thursday afternoon.
Sheriff Robert Hardwick laid out the timeline during a Friday news conference, explaining what led up to the chaotic pursuit.
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A TikTok video captured the moment investigators say Tomal Bowe drove the wrong direction on Interstate 95, with sheriff’s deputies close behind.
The sheriff said the pursuit quickly grew into a multi-agency operation, with K-9 teams, and helicopter pilots tracking the suspect from the air.
The chase ended deep in a wooded, swamp-like area, where deputies belly-crawled through thick brush and waist-high water to find the suspect. Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office K-9 Rek ultimately subdued Bowe by biting him in the buttocks.
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Action News Jax asked Sheriff Hardwick about Florida Highway Patrol policy, which allows troopers to use discretion when initiating a chase — even if a driver is going the wrong way.
“The policies are in place because we make these decisions,” Hardwick said. “Our job is to get these violent felons out of St. Johns County. Did we know what we know now? Absolutely not … but there’s got to be a reason why a person makes that decision to stop on a lawful traffic stop.”
The sheriff confirmed Bowe is from the Bahamas and is wanted by INTERPOL. He also faces an aggravated robbery charge out of the Bahamas.
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