A high-speed police pursuit that began in Roland, Oklahoma ended in Sallisaw, Oklahoma at around 1:02 PM thanks to the action of a local police officer. The suspect who has yet to be named or booked into the Sequoyah County Jail was involved in a pursuit that stretched across four agencies and reached speeds as high as 101MPH on both sides of the I40 freeway.
Roland, Sallisaw, The Sequoyah County Sheriff, and the OHP were involved in the chase. Spike strips were used in an attempt to slow the suspect down at the 308 exits in Sallisaw to no avail. The suspect made his way into town, through the Sallisaw Sports Complex, down Delaware Street, and the driver was headed straight towards the Diamond Daze Festival downtown.
The Sallisaw Police Department has released the name of the local officer and it is John Webber. He has been with the department for over twenty years. The suspect has not been taken into custody at this time. Pafford EMS was on the scene to transport the suspect and the local officer to the hospital for injuries that were sustained during the chase.
A block of Oak Street was shut down and traffic was redirected during the investigation. The suspect was driving a white late model Hyundai SUV and appeared to be an African American male. The Diamond Daze festival was not affected by the chase or the subsequent arrest and the festivities for the rest of the night will continue.
The story is still developing as the suspect hasn't been booked into the county jail yet and it is unknown at this time why he was fleeing from the officers. But thanks to the actions of a brave Sallisaw police officer there were a whole lot of festival goers who were protected from what would have otherwise been a disaster.
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