Vian Police Led on Slow Chase

A competency exam was ordered for a Guthrie man after he attempted to slowly elude Vian police, then resisted arrest and refused to give his name.

Authorities discovered the man’s name is Richard James Cotton Jr., 38.

The Vian officer reported a call was received on Oct. 15 that a man in a white GMC pickup truck was behaving oddly in the parking lot at Short Stop No. 2 in Vian. It was reported the man would go into the store, then exit, get in the pickup truck, block the entrance to the store, then drive across the parking lot again.

The officer reported when he arrived and tried to block the truck, the suspect drove away onto State Highway 64 and drove east, running through a four-way stop. The officer reported the pursuit speeds ran from 25 to 50 miles per hour. The officer reported he sounded his siren and demanded the suspect stop two or three times over a loud speaker. The suspect did not stop, and attempted to drive around spike strips placed on the highway by Sallisaw police.

The Vian and Sallisaw police attempted to box Cotton and the pickup truck in with their cars as they reached the four-lane highway near Blue Ribbon Downs, but the suspect swerved into oncoming traffic. Police were finally able to stop the suspect and several tried to extract him from the pickup truck, but he refused to get out.

The report states, “Several officers took him to the ground and attempted to cuff him but he resisted by placing his hands underneath him.”

Officers were finally able to cuff the suspect and he was taken to the county jail in Sallisaw where he refused to talk to police until he had a lawyer.

Cotton was charged Tuesday in district court with endangering others while eluding a police officer, and a misdemeanor count of obstructing an officer.

Associate District Judge Kyle Waters on Thursday ordered a competency exam for Cotton and set his next court date for Nov. 1.

Sally Maxwell, Senior News Director

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