A police chase of a suspected armed man ended in a crash and an arrest Tuesday afternoon, authorities said.
- Police responded around 12:08 p.m. to reports of a man with a firearm making threats at Thai Spice restaurant on Miracle Strip Parkway SW, said Lt. Kendra Stalls of the Fort Walton Beach Police Department.
When officers arrived, the suspect, later identified as 38-year-old Charles Emerson of Fort Walton Beach, fled in a white Chevy Avalanche pickup truck, prompting a vehicle pursuit, Stalls said.
The chase ended when Emerson’s truck flipped in the Hardee’s parking lot on Beal after he allegedly rammed an Okaloosa County Sheriff’s vehicle along Memorial Parkway, according to Stalls.
- “Everybody was okay throughout this entire process,” Stalls said, noting Emerson was taken to a hospital for evaluation. “It’s an isolated incident, so there’s no harm to the public. Everything’s safe and okay.”
Stalls commended the response by Fort Walton Beach police and sheriff’s deputies. She said a firearm was recovered from Emerson’s truck.
Both agencies will pursue felony charges against Emerson, Stalls said. The investigation is ongoing.
