Oologah Police Officer Wounded In Pursuit Identified

Montgomery County Sheriff's deputies in Kansas arrested a man Friday morning wanted in connection with a shooting on Highway 169 in Nowata County Thursday evening.

Friday, May 29th 2015, 8:35 am

By: News On 6

Oologah Police Officer Wounded In Pursuit Identified

Montgomery County Sheriff's deputies arrested a man Friday morning in Kansas in the shooting of an Oologah police officer. Charles Neill is a U.S. Navy veteran who has been with the department for about a year.

The shooting happened during a police pursuit which started in Talala and headed north on Highway 169 Thursday evening.

Deputies arrested 30-year-old Alejandro Garcia near Liberty, Kansas Friday morning. Authorities say Garcia carjacked an elderly man and shot him. That victim is expected to recovery from his injuries.

5/28/2015 Related Story: Oologah Officer Shot During Pursuit, Police Search For Suspect

Several law enforcement agencies set up a perimeter Thursday night and began searching for the suspect. They arrested him at about 7 a.m. Friday after finding him under a house.

Garcia is being held in the Montgomery County jail.

Two other suspects, a man and a woman, were arrested during the chase Thursday evening.

5/29/2015 Related Story: Three Suspects In Custody In Oologah Officer's Shooting

The town of Oologah identified the wounded officer Friday morning. Neill was hit in the head but was alert when a medical helicopter flew him to a Tulsa hospital.

Lakeside State Bank in Oologah has set up an account for Neill and his family. Donations can be made to account number 132136.

The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation said it has been called in to investigate Neill's shooting. It says the pursuit began after a Talala officer stopped a vehicle with Garcia, the man and woman. That officer requested back up, and Oologah Officer Charles Neill responded.

The driver of the suspect vehicle took off, and Neill was shot during the subsequent pursuit.

"OSBI is only investigating the shooting of the Oologah officer," a news release states.

The other two suspects have been identified as Cesar Rios, 23, and Roxanne Mendoza, 20.