Wilson, OK   - Police Officer Assaulted - Patrol Car Stolen - Fled the Scene - Suspect Remains at Large

Wilson Arrest Results in Stolen Patrol Vehicle

Posted: June 22, 2007 03:28 PM PDT


 

Early Thursday morning in Wilson, a routine traffic stop turned into chaos for one officer. After asking the driver for identification, the officer was assaulted and then his patrol car was stolen right in front of him.
 

Police say although the driver of the vehicle was arrested, the passenger who took off in the police car remains at large. Wilson officer, Richard Lakey, pulled the suspicious vehicle over after he noticed it was improperly tagged.as Lakey approached the vehicle, the driver swung his door open to hit the officer resulting in an altercation between the two. During the struggle, the passenger in the vehicle jumped in the police car and took off down the road, he got he car stuck in mud and fled the scene. Police Chief, Felix Hernandez, says this particular incident was definitely unique.

Hernandez says, "I have never seen that, and I've never seen that in my entire law enforcement career when someone jumped out and tried to take a police officer's vehicle. That's a first on me."

The 21-year-old driver, Jarod Seven Kerley, was arrested by police and transported to the Carter County Jail. When asked about his male passenger, Kerley told police he was driving alone. Kerley could face charges for driving under the influence, attempted assault and battery on a police officer, eluding a police officer, being an accessory to auto theft and operating a vehicle with defective equipment. Police say the case is still under investigation until they identify and arrest the car thief.
 

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