TULSA – An early morning traffic stop turned into an attempted theft of a patrol vehicle, forcing a trooper to chase his own vehicle.
The trooper was traveling westbound on the Creek Turnpike when he says he noticed a truck with a pair of shoes and a needle on the bumper.
Troopers&TFD needed a boat and helicopter to catch him on the banks of the Arkansas River @KJRH2HD pic.twitter.com/Y81GOpEgqr
— Ashley Holt (@AshleyHoltKJRH) September 1, 2016
After pulling over the driver on the westbound Riverside off ramp, the trooper said it appeared the driver, 23-year-old Tanner Allen Beauvais, was under the influence of something.
Eventually the trooper put the man in his patrol car after finding what appeared to be a needle and possibly meth in his pocket.
While searching for the man’s truck, the trooper said he turned around and noticed the man climbing to the front seat from the back seat.
The suspect then drove off a few hundred feet to a nearby restaurant and left the patrol car. Troopers say the suspect then ran to an embankment on the Arkansas River.
It took OHP, Tulsa fire crews, a helicopter and a boat to get him into custody but eventually authorities were able to located the suspect and arrest him once again. The patrol vehicle was recovered with zero issues and nothing was found missing, says OHP.
"None of these traffic stops are routine, the trooper was out doing his job. This is what happens when you're out here working," said Trooper Dwight Durant, OHP.
The man was arrested on complaint of possession of CDS, drug paraphernalia, destruction of evidence, assault of an officer, unauthorized use of vehicle and attempting to elude.
