TULSA - Terrifying moments happened Wednesday afternoon for hundreds of workers and students after an attempted carjacking put several campuses on lockdown.
It happened in the parking lot of the TCC Conference Center, near I-44 and 41st
Street.
It took police and K-9 units an hour to catch up with the suspect in a drainage ditch over a mile away.
Now that he's in custody, police believe that attempted carjacking was just the beginning.
“It got quiet. It got very quiet,” said worker Terry Jacobs-Davis.
When the doors locked and the lights shut off at the TCC Conference Center this afternoon, workers like Jacobs-Davis could do nothing but wait in the dark.
“You know, my husband texted me and said 'Are you okay? Are you scared?' and I said 'You know what, I haven't heard gunshots so I'm not scared yet,'” said Jacobs-Davis.
Outside, police launched a search for the suspect after they say he pulled out a knife and tried to steal a woman's car in the parking lot.
Nearby schools also locked down.
But as he ran from police, they say his path of terror continued.
“He attempted several first degree burglaries. Right now, we've got at least five calls holding,” said Tulsa Police Public Information Officer Leland Ashley.
Officers and K-9 units finally caught up with him and arrested him.
Police credit victims for being calm and alert.
“Was it to rob someone, was it to hurt someone? Only he can say what his true intent was, but as a citizen out here, you should always be aware of your surroundings,” said Ashley.
Jacobs-Davis says she's grateful no one was hurt and for the plan that prevented panic.
“I hope we have more training and some more practice because that's why it worked for me,” she said.
Police have not released the identity of the suspect just yet.
They say he could face multiple charges, including for that attempted carjacking and at least one forcible entry into a home.
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