Suspect and hostage dead after stolen vehicle pursuit in Oklahoma

A suspect and a woman he allegedly took hostage were killed after a stolen vehicle pursuit out of Missouri ended in gunfire on Interstate 44 in northeastern Oklahoma, according to officials.

The incident began after Joplin police notified the Quapaw Nation Marshals Service about a vehicle stolen. Officers located the vehicle just after 9 a.m. Tuesday at the Downstream Casino and Resort in Miami, Oklahoma, according to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation.

When officers tried to contact the driver, he sped away, leading to a pursuit involving the Miami Police Department, the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office and the Miami Nation Police Department.

Authorities said the driver brandished a firearm during the pursuit and that an adult woman was in the passenger seat. Miami Police Chief Stephen Sigmon told KSN and KODE that the preliminary investigation indicated the suspect had picked up a woman who was using a cane near the Baxter Springs exit.

The suspect allegedly fired several rounds while driving westbound on the turnpike before pulling into the Miami Welcome Center, according to the stations.

The OSBI said the driver later began traveling eastbound in the westbound lanes of Interstate 44. Law enforcement blocked traffic, and the vehicle was stopped.

The man and woman got out of the vehicle after it was stopped, officials said. The OSBI said the man again brandished a firearm and failed to comply with commands from officers, leading to the shooting.

Sigmon told KSN and KODE that the two had crossed the turnpike into the eastbound lanes and were walking in the grass when gunfire was exchanged.

Both the man and the woman were pronounced dead at the scene. Their names were not immediately released. No other injuries were reported.

Sigmon said three Miami police officers and a Quapaw Nation marshal were involved in the shooting, according to KSN and KODE. The three Miami officers have been placed on paid administrative leave.