A defendant who waived a jury trial and asked for a bench trial instead failed to appear and a $50,000 bench warrant has been issued for his arrest.
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.
After he was called three times in open court last week for his bench trial, District Judge John Canavan issued the warrant and set a $50,000 bond with the bond forfeiture ordered.
Pleasant was arrested following a pursuit that began in Meeker and ended in Chandler in Lincoln County.
During a hearing on Oct. 10 this year, District Judge John Canavan set the bench trial for 9:30 a.m. on Nov. 28.
On March 16, before Special Judge Emily Mueller, Pleasant had waived his preliminary hearing.
On Oct. 6 last year, she denied his request to reduce his bond.
In Count 1, Pleasant is 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 charges 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.