10/31/16 Tulsa, OK – Man Steals Police Car – Live Streams On Facebook – High Speed Pursuit – 100 MPH In Trick-Or-Treat Residential Area – Turns On Siren And Sings

October 31, 2016

fltimes.com

A man who allegedly stole a Tulsa police cruiser and led authorities on a high-speed pursuit that ended at his home in Collinsville live streamed the incident on Facebook late Monday.

Authorities allege John Martin Pinney, who is on probation for several convictions, stole a Tulsa police vehicle from the area of Fifth Street and Denver Avenue in downtown around 10 p.m. A massive search for the stolen cruiser ensued, and Skiatook police eventually spotted the car and pursued the driver at “extremely high rates of speed” nearing 100 mph, according to an arrest report.

Before and during the chase, Pinney, 25, posted four videos on Facebook Live using the officer’s personal iPad and addressed a litany of topics, including his music preferences and experience in prison.

In one video, Pinney exits the car and shows his viewers the stolen cruiser. In another, he mentions that he has been out of prison for a couple months and had recently walked from Missouri to Tulsa with a bag of clothes.

Near the end of that video, Pinney turns the cruiser’s sirens on before noticing officers have caught up with him. He exclaims, “Oh, s***, there they are. I got to turn around. Oh, he just passed me. I’m going to go to my dad’s.”

The arrest report states Pinney sped through several residential areas where children were trick-or-treating as he fled from police.

The pursuit ended when Pinney pulled into his driveway in the 14100 block of North 86th East Avenue in Collinsville. Pinney allegedly resisted Skiatook officers as they apprehended him.

Police say two loaded firearms were in the the trunk of the stolen cruiser during the course of the pursuit.

He was booked into the Tulsa Jail on complaints of eluding police, larceny of a motor vehicle, two counts of possession of a firearm, false impersonation of a public officer, resisting arrest, driving under revocation and not wearing a seat belt. Bail was set at about $17,000.

Police spokeswoman Jeanne MacKenzie the auto-theft occurred when an officer left her vehicle unattended during an apparent coffee break. Pinney reportedly happened upon the unoccupied car and found the key in the ignition.

“Most criminals are opportunists, and he was presented with an opportunity to steal a police car, and he took that,” MacKenzie said. “I don’t know if there’s a motive behind it.”

MacKenzie said it is common for officers to leave one set of keys in the ignition while keeping another set so that the vehicle is always ready in case of emergency.

Tulsa police have on occasion dealt with suspects live-streaming their actions, a tactic that only makes the investigation easier on law enforcement.

“All it is for us is evidence for court,” MacKenzie said. “When you’re on video in a stolen police car, you really can’t deny that you did that. They’re using it, I think, for attention or to try to get notoriety. We use it as an evidence tool.”

State records show Pinney is serving a suspended sentence until 2020 for assault and battery on a police officer. He is also on probation for larceny of an automobile, possession of a stolen vehicle and receiving stolen property.