A Sunday evening traffic stop in Flagler County, Florida, turned into a full search operation after a dirt bike rider waved at a deputy to follow him. That wave ended up pulling in multiple units to help track the suspect down.
According to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office, a deputy spotted a red and white dirt bike exiting the Eagle Rock Ranch community shortly before 6 p.m., traveling south along the shoulder of US 1. When the deputy attempted a traffic stop, the rider didn’t stop. Instead, he turned around, looked at the deputy, and waved his arm as if inviting him to follow.
The rider then cut down a gravel road onto Circle S Road, slipping through an electronic gate that had just opened for another vehicle. The deputy followed with lights and sirens on but lost sight of the motorcycle on the dirt road.
Rather than give up, he followed the trail marks left behind in the dirt until he found the bike abandoned in the woods. That’s when the search expanded well beyond a single deputy on the ground.
A Helicopter and K-9 Team Join the Search
Fire Flight and a K-9 team were called in to help track down the rider. From the air, Fire Flight spotted a man matching the rider’s description trying to leave a home on Circle S Road in a separate vehicle.
A witness told deputies that 35-year-old Kenlee Critcher lived at the home and was the man they were looking for. Deputies stopped the vehicle and found Critcher inside.
The Sheriff’s Response
Sheriff Rick Staly had plenty to say about how the whole pursuit played out. “He waved at our deputy to follow him down the road and a dirt trail and then through the woods,” Staly said.
Staly then summed it up simply: “If you run from a deputy sheriff, you will go to jail, just tired and with one less toy.”
Critcher was arrested on charges of fleeing and eluding law enforcement, operating a motorcycle without a motorcycle endorsement, and operating an unregistered vehicle. He was booked into the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility and later released on a $3,500 bond. Records show he was previously found guilty of stalking and criminal mischief under $200 back in 2021.
Commenters Had Questions About How Far Deputies Went
Not everyone was convinced the response matched the crime. One commenter joked that the wave probably won’t seem as funny once the jail cell door closes, while another asked, half-seriously, whether waving at a deputy was really enough to count as a felony.
Others focused more on the size of the search itself. One person joked that you simply can’t outrun a helicopter, while another argued that using a helicopter and a K-9 team to catch someone on a dirt bike was excessive, adding that taxpayers were footing the bill for resources they felt should be reserved for more serious crimes.