A stolen Toyota Corolla pursuit ended with a Tulsa police cruiser overturned, two officers hospitalized, and the driver fleeing into a residential neighborhood Wednesday afternoon.
The Corolla reached speeds approaching 70 mph, running traffic lights and stop signs before colliding with a patrol vehicle as officers approached from another direction, according to Tulsa Police.
The impact knocked the cruiser onto its side with two officers inside. Both had to be pulled from the vehicle and were taken to the hospital with injuries described as non-life-threatening.
By Thursday, October 15, police had identified the driver as 32-year-old Kejaunte Brown and confirmed that he was in jail facing three charges.
A Stolen Car Alert Turns Into a Chase
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The incident began around 3:54 p.m. on October 14, when an automatic license plate reader alerted officers to a stolen white Toyota Corolla near Pine and North Evanston Avenue, according to an October 15 update from Tulsa Police.
Officers attempted to stop the car, but Brown drove away. The pursuit continued through Tulsa, with the Corolla reaching nearly 70 mph and disregarding traffic signals along the way.
As Brown turned into a neighborhood near Haskell and North Knoxville Avenue, he encountered officers approaching from another direction. Rather than stopping, he collided with their patrol vehicle, overturning it.
The two injured officers were taken to the hospital, while Brown escaped on foot into the surrounding neighborhood.
A Search Through the Neighborhood
The collision prompted an immediate search involving officers on the ground, a police helicopter, and a K-9 unit.
In an on-scene briefing recorded while Brown was still missing, Tulsa Police Capt. Meulenberg warned residents that the suspect might be armed. Officers had discovered evidence of a firearm inside the stolen Corolla, raising concerns about what he might have been carrying when he fled.
Residents near Haskell and Knoxville were asked to watch for suspicious activity around their homes and contact 911 if they spotted anyone matching the description.
The search eventually led officers to a house near Easton and Jamestown, where Brown had taken refuge. Multiple officers converged on the location, and after some coaxing, he came outside and surrendered.
Tulsa Police thanked neighborhood residents for helping locate him. Brown, who had also been injured in the collision, was transported to the hospital for treatment.
Three Charges and Two Recovering Officers
Following his release from the hospital, Brown was booked into the Tulsa County Jail on charges of possession of a stolen vehicle, endangering others while eluding, and leaving the scene of an injury collision.
Although officers initially expressed concern that Brown might be armed, the department’s arrest announcement did not list a firearm-related charge.
The two officers injured in the overturned cruiser were recovering and in good spirits as of Thursday’s update. Police did not identify them or provide further details about their injuries.
The department has not announced whether additional charges are being considered.
All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.