Cody Barker, 30, of Guthrie, was taken into custody Friday at 1:05 p.m. by the McClain County Sheriff’s Office.
Barker was booked into the McClain County Jail on five complaints. The complaints included unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, grand larceny of a motor vehicle, knowingly concealing stolen property, possession of a firearm after a former felony conviction and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.
Around 10:30 a.m. Friday, a woman living at the dead end of Popular Road reported the vehicle was south of her residence going into a densely wooded area.
Authorities found the abandoned police vehicle on this dead end road east of state Highway 76 off of state Highway 74B.
The vehicle was abandoned. McClain County Sheriff Don Hewett said a tracking dog from Purcell Police searched the area to no avail.
At 1:05 p.m., a resident reported seeing a man going to a barn about three-quarter of a mile south of where the Expedition was abandoned.
Shortly after, Barker was taken into custody without incident.
The onset of the incident occurred when a Dibble Police officer was attempting to make a routine traffic stop along state Highway 76 Thursday around 9:30 p.m.
The Ford Mustang sped up, passing another vehicle. The driver of the Mustang lost control going into the ditch, McClain County Sheriff Don Hewett said.
Hewett said the driver of the stolen Mustang started to flee the scene, but instead, held a .44 caliber magnum revolver to the officer’s stomach.
The officer reportedly pushed the gun away from his stomach as he backed up from the suspect. Barker then jumped into the Dibble Police Expedition and sped away.
The sheriff said the Dibble officer fired 18 rounds at the fleeing vehicle.
The car and the revolver were reportedly stolen out of Lone Grove.
The police cruiser was reportedly seen going east on state highway 74B from SH 76.
Barker is reportedly heavily armed. Along with the .44 revolver, he was in possession of a mini 14 rifle that was in the cruiser.
When the vehicle was found, Hewett said the rifle was still inside the vehicle.
It is not known at this time if Barker was in possession of the .44 magnum when he was taken into custody.
The sheriff’s office, OHP and police from Lindsay, Maysville, Dibble and Blanchard searched until around 1 a.m. Friday when the search was scaled back, Hewett said.
The search resumed at daylight Friday in the area. The OHP’s helicopter was being used for the search