A defendant who requested a bench trial on two felony counts of running a roadblock has been found innocent of an amended felony but guilty of a misdemeanor and two misdemeanor counts.
Joshua Wade Pleasant, 34, Shawnee, was formally charged in Lincoln County District Court on Aug. 1, 2022 with two felony counts of running a roadblock. He also was charged with two misdemeanors, failure to obey a traffic control device and resisting an officer.
The state amended the first felony roadblock charge to aggravated attempting to elude police and that motion was granted by presiding District Judge John Canavan.
The state had moved to dismiss the second felony roadblock count and count 2 was dismissed.
Judge Canavan found Pleasant guilty of attempting to elude, a misdemeanor, and fined him $200, assessed a $100 VCA and court costs.
On Count 3, failure to obey traffic control device, Pleasant was founded guilty, given 10 days in Lincoln County Jail, a $100 fine, $100 VCA and court costs.
The judge found Pleasant guilty on Count 4 of resisting an officer, handed him a one-year sentence in the Lincoln County Jail, a $200 fine, $200 VCA and court costs with sentences to run concurrent with each other. Defendant is to receive credit for time served and is to report to the Court Clerk’s Office with in 10 days of release from custoday.
First Assistant District Attorney Adam Kallsnick prosecuted the case and Pleasant was represented by his attorney Zachary Privott.
Pleasant was arrested in 2022 following a pursuit that began in Meeker and ended in Chandler in Lincoln County.
In Count 1, Pleasant was originally accused of running a roadblock by driving his Ford Ranger pickup on SH 18 in Lincoln County and failing to stop at a roadblock manned by Lincoln County Deputy Sergeant Larry Stover, Jr., located at the intersection of SH 18 and County Road 950.
Count 2 originally charged Pleasant with running a roadblock by driving his pickup truck on SH 18 and failing to stop at a roadblock manned by Lincoln County Deputy James Robinson located at SH 18 near the railroad overpass just south of SH 66.
The misdemeanor count for failure to obey a traffic control device accuses him of driving his pickup truck and failing to stop at a stop sign located at the intersection of Carl Hubbell Boulevard and Dawson Street.
The resisting an officer count charges Pleasant by resistance with force and violence the efforts of law enforcement officers to arrest him for felony offenses.
Meeker Police Officer Kyle Crow, in an affidavit filed in the case, states he spotted a vehicle traveling northbound failing to stop at a stop sign and proceed straight from the turning lane at the intersection of Carl Hubbell and Dawson in Meeker.
Crow said he initiated a traffic stop in which the driver identified later as Pleasant failed to stop and continued north on Dawson. The officer contacted Lincoln County Comm Center of the pursuit and advised them to contact Meeker Assistant Police Chief Scott Wilson.
Crow states Meeker Police Officer Raymon Mackin joined the pursuit and called out the radio traffic.
Stover reportedly advised he set a spike strip at SH 18 and 950 Road. When Pleasant arrived there, he swerved into the southbound lane missing the spike strip continuing on northbound.
Deputy Robinson advised he set a strip up at SH 18 and the railroad pass south of Route 66 and he had placed his patrol unit in the northbound lane, he said.
Pleasant again swerved into the southbound lane and struck the spike strip on the passenger side wheels. Pleasant continued north, turning eastbound on Route 66 and came to a stop.
Officers arrived and ordered Pleasant at gunpoint out of the vehicle and he continually refused. He was finally taken into custody and Mackin took him to the Lincoln County Jail in Chandler.