LE FLORE COUNTY, Okla. — Police say one man is dead following a police pursuit that started in Fort Smith and ended in Arkoma Saturday night (Aug. 28).
According to Aric Mitchell with Fort Smith Police Department, officers received a call on Saturday night that one man and one woman were moving equipment at a construction site on Old Greenwood Road, and the two were last seen leaving the site in a large construction truck.
Mitchell says when police got to the scene, a Ford van was found damaged and abandoned on the property. Police say several of the large construction trucks had been entered and hot-wired. A representative for the construction site told police a water truck had also been stolen.
According to Fort Smith Police, the stolen water truck was found down the road from Weather Barr on Zero Street. Police say the truck had been driven through a fence at Weather Barr. Several vehicles at the business had also been broken into, hot-wired, and some were left running. A representative from Weather Barr went to the scene and confirmed that one of their company box trucks had been stolen.
Police say Weather Barr tracked the box truck to an area near the Hope Campus, which is located on South E Street in Fort Smith. Officers tried to speak with the suspect in the truck, but the driver took off. Police then tried to initiate a traffic stop, but say the driver of the box truck did not acknowledge and kept driving.
“They stole a box truck and went across state lines,” said Rodney Derryberry, Leflore County sheriff.
Police say the truck was not driving recklessly and did not appear to be actively trying to get away, and was followed until reaching Wheeler Ave. heading toward Arkoma. Fort Smith Police say they notified Arkoma Police that the truck was headed their way.
According to Fort Smith Police, they were later notified that the suspect had been "fatally wounded" in Oklahoma.
“He was going out a very high rate of speed in a box truck,” said witness Jennifer Williams. “That’s way too fast for these roads,” Williams continued saying. Williams watched as the box truck drove through her neighborhood. Williams spoke with the driver of the stolen truck. Saying he asked her to contact his mom and brother.
“He was calm within three seconds each change from bad to worse and it snapped and that’s when he got shot and killed,” Williams said.
LeFlore County Sheriff Rodney Derryberry says Arkoma Police tried a maneuver to surround the stolen truck as it was driving, using a police SUV and small police sedan, but the suspect rammed into the vehicles with the box truck. “It was crazy. It just happened so fast I don’t even know what happened,” said Williams “But I was standing right there face-to-face with it,” she continued.
According to Sheriff Derryberry, the suspect's truck nearly drove over the small police sedan, and that's when police started firing shots, striking the suspect. “The car was caving in right on top of her,” Williams stated. “I thought she was going to die right in front of my eyes,” continued Williams.
Once the suspect began driving over the police car, police started firing shots, striking the suspect.
“He was trying to kill the officer that was here,” Williams said. “He runs over her twice and she fired and he’s dead,” Williams continued.
Sheriff Derryberry says a man was driving the box truck, and there was a female passenger. The woman was not injured in the shooting and was arrested. The identity of the male driver has not been released.
The sheriff says another woman allegedly connected to the crime also drove onto the scene in another vehicle, reaching speeds of about 105 miles per hour before being stopped and arrested. Sheriff Derryberry says she was taken into custody by the Scott County Sheriff's Office. The names of the two women have not been released at this time.
“At this time, there’s no danger to the public,” Sheriff Derryberry stated.
According to the Oklahoma Bureau of Investigations (OSBI), the FBI is now handling this case because the situation involves a Native American man. Because of the McGirt decision, the FBI says anytime a situation involves indigenous people or land, it's in the FBI's jurisdiction. The FBI tells 5NEWS they are in the preliminary stages of the investigation and are working with OSBI.
5NEWS has reached out to the FBI, and we are waiting for additional information.
Stay with 5NEWS as this story continues to develop.