Canadian Man Arrested For Threatening Oologah Officer

Rogers County 911 dispatchers got a threatening phone call about an injured Oologah police officer after he was shot during a chase.

Tuesday, June 2nd 2015, 6:56 pm

By: News On 6


During a police chase last week that started in Talala and ended in Kansas, the suspects fired shots at the officers pursuing them and even citizens on the highway, according to police.

Talala Officer Stephen Pales initially stopped the vehicle for speeding, and when he realized no one in the vehicle had an Oklahoma driver's license, he called for backup and Oologah Officer Charles Neill arrived.

In an interesting twist to this story, Rogers County 911 dispatchers got a threatening phone call about Neill just days after the chase and shooting.

Investigators traced the call to Canada.

Dispatchers couldn't believe they picked up a call from a man screaming at them, wanting to know if Neill died from being shot in the head.

5/29/2015 Related Story: Oologah Police Officer Wounded In Pursuit Identified

911 operators are prepared to answer just about any call that comes into their dispatch center, but this particular call caught Rogers County dispatchers a little off guard.

Dispatcher: Hello?
Caller: Here about the…guy shot in the head is he dead yet?
Dispatcher: No sir he's not! Who is this?
Caller: …why does it matter?
Dispatcher: Why are you calling and asking me if my officer is dead sir?

Rogers County Chief Deputy Shane Rhames said the caller was Naveen Kumar.

Rhames said Kumar ranted to the dispatchers about the police chase where Neill was shot in the head after trying to back up a Talala Police Officer during a traffic stop.

Investigators said they traced the threatening phone call and a Facebook post on the Oologah Police Department page back to Kumar.

“The thing that he was expressing the most interest in is whether the Oologah officer had died from his injuries. Whenever it wasn't, he basically opened up this whole tirade to law enforcement in general that we're always going out, killing innocent people, we're sticking our nose in where it doesn't belong," Rhames said.

The dispatcher couldn't believe what she was hearing on the other end.

Dispatcher: I don't appreciate you calling my dispatch and asking me if my officer is dead.
Caller: ...stuck his nose in his business that's none of his (bleep) business that's what happens...and he got, he found what he deserved,"

Rhames said Kumar was charged with making the threatening phone call and released by Canadian authorities.

Kumar even posted about his arrest on his Facebook page.

Rhames will continue to make sure Kumar is held accountable for what he said.

"Again, we take it seriously," he said.

Neill went home from the hospital Monday.

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