OWASSO, Okla. — Owasso Police officers were called to a local Kum and Go around 3:45 a.m. on Saturday.
Lt. Nick Boatman with Owasso Police said employees called about a suspicious vehicle that had been there all night.
“They just wanted the guy to leave. They did not want to trespass him, they did not want any type of confrontation,” said Boatman. “They just wanted him to leave, so the officers went out and tried to communicate that to the driver who just ignored them.”
Lt. Boatman said the officers left shortly after as the employees did not wish to press charges, but were called back around 4:15 a.m.
“At this point, the Kum and Go employees are thinking ‘Morning traffic is coming, we need those pumps...for morning traffic.’ So, they wanted the guy trespassed and told him to leave, get out of here, and wanted to prosecute him if he did not leave,” said Boatman.
Lt. Boatman said the second time officers made contact with the suspect, identified as Barton Stovall, and ordered him to leave.
He did not do so and continued to ignore the officers.
“They told that guy finally, after all of that time and him failing to leave the premises, after being trespassed, they told him he was under arrest,” Boatman said.
Lt. Boatman said at that point, Stovall was not free to leave and that’s when officers set up the stop sticks under his tires.
“Since he still refused to communicate or come out of the vehicle, the officers were forced to break his window and then fill the cab with pepper balls,” said Boatman.
That’s when Stovall took off and his rear tires deflated.
Even then, he was able to reach speeds of nearly 90 miles per hour.
“Another Owasso officer had gotten ahead of the chase, and right when the suspect was going by, threw out another set of stop sticks and was able to deflate all four tires,” Boatman said.
Lt. Boatman said by the time Stovall reached the Tulsa metro, all four tires were deflated and his speed significantly slowed.
“We don’t feel like anyone was in danger in this chase, so we chased him to I-44 headed west and at some point, a trooper who was helping us was in a position to get right behind him and conduct a TVI maneuver,” Boatman said.
After being stopped, Stovall exited the truck, but Boatman said he still refused to get on the ground, like officers were asking.
“Finally, one of the officers was instructed by the supervisor out there to go ahead and utilize a taser and that is what ended up working,” said Boatman. “Fired the taser, incapacitated the individual and they took him into custody safely.”
Lt. Boatman said the Oklahoma Highway Patrol (OHP) made the arrest. After being checked out at a hospital, Stovall was booked into the Tulsa County Jail on multiple charges, including resisting arrest, reckless driving, and two counts of felony eluding.
Stovall is out on bond and he is expected in court on November 8.