A pre-preliminary hearing has been scheduled for today for a man involved in a high speed pursuit that reportedly started in Perkins, went down U.S. 177 clear to I-40 and ended up at the Dale Middle School after partially running through a farmer’s wheat field.
On April 3, Pope was formally charged in Lincoln County District Court with felony eluding/ attempting to elude police officer, unauthorized use of a vehicle and driving without a valid driver’s license.
On March 31, Pope appeared before Associate District Judge Sheila Kirk and she set his bond at $5,000 and he made his initial appearance on Monday, April 3. Judge Kirk set his pre-preliminary hearing for 1:30 p.m. today (April 20).
The pursuit reportedly reached speeds of 105 miles per hour and the vehicle being pursued was stolen.
The pursuit spanned over parts of three counties, Lincoln, Pottawatomie and Payne.
Lincoln County Sheriff’s Deputy James Robinson said in a probable cause affidavit the vehicle was stolen from the Heart of Oklahoma Exposition Center in Shawnee.
The driver, identified as Roderick David Pope, Jr., 34, was finally arrested by Pottawatomie County deputies as he attempted to flee after crashing his car into an awning at the Dale Middle School.
Dale School Supt. Will Jones said, “No buildings were damaged, just an awning is all. The damage is minimal.”
He confirmed the awning was at the Dale Middle School.
“Pretty minor with all the factors considered,” he said. “It had no impact on school on Friday, adding, “No disruptions to classes whatsoever.”
He said that school officials just made sure that area was taped off where no one get could near it.
But a wheat field, owned by Robert Nowakowski, longtime area farmer, did sustain some damage.
Nowakowski said that wheat field runs right up to the west side of the Dale School property and sustained some damage, He said there were two sets of tracks about four feet square about 800 yards long.
“That’s destroyed,” Nowakowski said. “And there is no way we think we can be compensated.”