On Sunday, July 16, 2023, at approximately 1630 hrs. (4:30 p.m.), a Polk County deputy attempted to stop a stolen truck on Hwy. 71 north of Hatfield. The driver of the truck, later identified as Steven A. Weinert (age 36) of Hatfield, fled southbound on Hwy. 71 at a high rate of speed.
The pursuit went west on Hwy. 246 into and through McCurtain County, LeFlore County, Lattimer County, and was finally ended when Oklahoma State Police (OSP) troopers executed a PIT maneuver in Pushmataha County, Oklahoma, at Sardis Lake.
During the pursuit, the suspect stopped and backed into one of the pursuing units. He also deliberately drove into oncoming traffic numerous times and fired multiple rounds from a handgun out the window of the vehicle.
Steven A. Weinert was transported to the Pushmataha County Detention Center in Antlers, Oklahoma. He is facing several felony charges in Arkansas and Oklahoma.
Polk County Sheriff Scott Sawyer stated, “This was a desperate individual that led authorities on a dangerous pursuit. If not for the courage, skill, and professionalism of my deputies, the Oklahoma State Police, the Pushmataha County Sheriff’s Office, and the Tribal Police, this could have had a tragic ending.”
All suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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