West Palm Beach E-Bike Stop Ends in Foot Chase, Ditched Gun, Felony Charges

A West Palm Beach man is facing felony charges after deputies say a routine stop over a missing bike light on Haverhill Road turned into a foot chase, ending with him allegedly tossing a handgun into the grass before deputies tackled him. Ezekiel Daughtry III was riding an e-bike on the sidewalk when the encounter began, and it escalated within moments into charges that could carry over a decade in prison.

According to WPEC, a deputy spotted Daughtry riding the e-bike on the sidewalk along Haverhill Road instead of using the bicycle lane, and without a functioning white front light. The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office reported in its arrest report, per the station's account, that Daughtry was seen riding at night without the required headlight. Florida law requires any bicycle or e-bike operated between sunset and sunrise to carry a front lamp visible from at least 500 feet and a rear reflector or light visible from 600 feet, under Florida Statute § 316.2065(7).

The deputy activated emergency lights and a siren to initiate a traffic stop, but Daughtry did not comply. Instead, the report indicates he rode around the deputy's vehicle, looked back and pointed at himself, and kept riding. When the deputy yelled for him to stop, Daughtry accelerated and attempted to ride over a curb before fleeing on foot, per the same account.

Handgun Allegedly Tossed Into the Grass

During the chase, deputies say Daughtry pulled a handgun from his waistband and threw it into the grass. Investigators later recovered the weapon, identified as a Taurus PT111 handgun — a compact 9mm semi-automatic pistol with a 3.2-inch barrel, according to Alien Gear Holsters. Deputies eventually tackled Daughtry and took him into custody.

A search turned up about 4 grams of suspected marijuana and $464 in cash, the arrest report notes. Daughtry reportedly asked deputies what he had done as they handcuffed him. His e-bike, deputies found, had a broken chain.

Felony Firearm Charge Carries Steepest Exposure

Prosecutors charged Daughtry with displaying or possessing a firearm during a felony, fleeing or failing to obey an officer's order to stop, resisting without violence, and possessing less than 20 grams of cannabis. Public booking records published by Palm Beach and Broward Mugshots LLC confirm the 26-year-old was booked into Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office custody on August 27 on those same four charges.

The firearm count is by far the most serious. Under Florida Statute § 790.07(2), displaying or using a firearm while committing or attempting to commit a felony is a second-degree felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison and a $10,000 fine. The fleeing charge alone, under Florida Statute § 316.1935(1), is a third-degree felony carrying up to five years behind bars for willfully refusing an officer's order to stop.

The remaining counts are misdemeanors. Resisting an officer without violence is punishable by up to a year in county jail under Florida Statute § 843.02, while possession of 20 grams or less of cannabis carries up to a year in jail, a $1,000 fine, and a mandatory six-month license revocation under Florida Statute § 893.13(6)(b). Deputies ultimately gave Daughtry a written warning for the underlying bicycle violations rather than citing him separately for those.

How a Sidewalk Ride Became a Legal Minefield

Under Florida Statute § 316.003(23) and § 316.20655, e-bikes with operable pedals and motors under 750 watts are legally treated as ordinary bicycles, meaning they're generally allowed on sidewalks unless a local ordinance says otherwise. Florida Statute § 316.008 gives municipalities and counties the authority to pass their own restrictions on e-bike use on specific sidewalks or paths, though it remains unclear whether Haverhill Road falls under any such local rule.

The case adds to a string of e-bike and e-moto incidents across Palm Beach County. A 2026 report from Palm Beach County Commissioner Gregg Weiss' office found the county recorded 16 fatal micromobility crashes in recent years, including six fatalities in 2025 alone, as previously reported by Hoodline. Just weeks earlier, Hoodline also covered a North Palm Beach e-bike rider who suffered head injuries in an SUV crash on U.S. 1.