A Wellston man facing five felony charges after reportedly shooting at his parents and leading law enforcement officers on a high speed pursuit before being caught and arrested has pleaded guilty to three of the charges.
Formal felony charges were filed March 1, 2023, in Lincoln County District Court against Clyde Edgar Gladden III, 23. He appeared Feb. 27, 2023 before Associate District Judge Sheila Kirk who set his bond at $150,000.
Judge Kirk later lowered Gladden’s bond from $150,000 to $25,000.
During his arraignment on Jan. 30, 2024 before District Judge John Canavan, he pleaded not guilty.
The judge scheduled Gladden for the Sep. 30 felony disposition docket and a jury trial at 9 a.m. Oct. 21.
On Monday of this week, appearing before District Judge John Canavan, Gladden, as the result of a plea bargain, pleaded guilty to three of the charges. Those included two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon and one count of endangering/attempting to elude a police officer.
Judge Canavan received the pleas. The state and defendant both agree to waive a pre-sentence investigation. The waiver was received.
Judge Canavan found Gladden guilty of assault with a dangerous weapon and sentenced him to 10 years in the Department of Corrections with all time suspended. He also fined him $100, handed him a $100 VCA and court costs.
Gladden received suspended terms on the other two counts he pleaded to along with fines of $100 on each counts.
Assistant District Attorney Kelly Trimble prosecuted the case and Gladden’s defense attorney was Larry Lenora.
He waived his preliminary hearing on Nov. 30, 2023. In Count 1, Gladden was accused on Feb. 24, 2023 of shooting with intent to kill by shooting a firearm, specifically a semi-automatic rifle with the intent to kill Robert Martin.
In the alternative in Count 2, he was charged on the same day with assault with a dangerous weapon by shooting at Robert Martin with a semi-automatic rifle.
Count 3 accused Gladden of shooting with intent to kill by shooting a firearm, a semi-automatic rifle at Elisha Martin.
Count 4, in the alternative, he was charged with assault with a dangerous weapon by shooting at Elisha Martin with a semi-automatic rifle.
The fifth felony was aggravated attempting to elude a police officer by trying to elude the Stroud Police Department and the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office by speeding and disregarding an audible siren, endangering another person.
Counts 1 and 3 were dropped. According to a probable cause affidavit filed in the case, the 911 Communications Center dispatched a shooting in progress call shortly after 3:30 p.m. on Feb. 24, 2023 at 850123 S. 3570 Road in Lincoln County.
The reporting person stated her son was intoxicated and shooting at her and her husband.
The suspect was identified as Clyde Edgar “Trey” Gladden, III. Prior to law enforcement arriving the reporting party, identified as Elisha Martin and her husband Robert Martin left the residence and went to a safe location to wait for officers.
The affidavit states that Stroud police began a pursuit of the suspect just prior to 4 p.m. headed south on 3570 Road, then west to SH 99, where it went north.
Several Stroud officers reportedly were in pursuit of the vehicle and the chase was heading northwest from the original address.
Lincoln County Sheriff’s Capt. Larry Stover, Sr., stated he was at 760 road and 3570 Road as the pursuit began. He proceeded south towards the area of the pursuit, he said. Radio traffic from pursuing units indicated the suspect vehicle was attempting to hit oncoming traffic, forcing civilian vehicles off the road.
Stover reported the pursuit went west on 850 Road to 3570 Road. He attempted to clear civilian traffic north of that location, he stated.
Stover stated his stopped his vehicle at 870 Road and 3570 Road to warn any civilian traffic. He noted the suspect vehicle was traveling 90 miles per hour on a 45 miles per hour dirt road and wasn’t slowing down for stop signs.
Due to the danger to civilians, Stroud Officer Wade Martin attempted to perform a tactical vehicle intervention but was unsuccessful, causing major damage to Martin’s patrol unit.
Martin had to stop, Stover said, due damage to his vehicle.
Stroud Officer Levi Bruder attempted a TVI but was also unsuccessful.
Undersheriff Tim Donaldson and Lt. Tony Long informed the Comm Center they were set up at 3570 road and 770 Road with spike sticks. It was announced it was a good spike on the suspect’s vehicle.
Gladden got out of his vehicle with a semi-automatic long rifle. Donaldson reportedly arrived at the stop and Gladden ran in front of his own vehicle, then north into an oil field drive.
The Undersheriff pursued him in his patrol unit as Gladden was turning around with the rifle in his hands and Donaldson struck Galdden with the front of his patrol unit, causing Gladden to drop the rifle and an extra magazine, falling to the ground.
Donaldson exited his unit and placed Gladden into custody.
Lt. Long later took Gladden to the Stroud Hospital for the state’s blood test draw and later to the Lincoln County Jail.