OK Trooper Recounts Dramatic Chase, Gun Battle With Fugitive Michael Vance

<p>When killer Michael Vance was flushed out of his hiding place in western Oklahoma, lawmen who had responded from all over the state lit out after him.  </p>

Thursday, January 12th 2017, 10:53 pm

By: News 9

OK Trooper Recounts Dramatic Chase, Gun Battle With Fugitive Michael Vance

When killer Michael Vance was flushed out of his hiding place in western Oklahoma, lawmen who had responded from all over the state lit out after him. At the front of the pack was a 14-year veteran trooper who'd trained just for this moment.

Trooper Brian Costanza believes it was more than just chance.

“I would like to say god put me on that path,” he said.

On October 30, the head of the Oklahoma Highway Patrol Tact Team, who aspired to be a trooper from age 6, left his home, his wife and two boys in eastern Oklahoma ready to bring down a fugitive.

“Everybody was on edge,” said Trooper Costanza. “Everybody was looking for him.”

Michael Vance, wanted for killing two of his relatives and shooting two police officers, sent law enforcement on a massive manhunt across the state. Costanza knew he wouldn't go down without a fight.

“There was no doubt in my mind that was how it was going to end,” he said.

When the call came into the command post that Vance had shot a local sheriff in western Oklahoma, Trooper Costanza led lawmen out in such a hurry he neglected to put on his own bullet proof vest.

“I thought time was of the essence at that point,” he said.

He set out on a chase down a county road north of Elk City, captured above by OHP's helicopter.

“I'm about two minutes behind him, starting to get some dust and now I can see tail lights,” Trooper Costanza said. “I was pretty confident it was him, so I made that decision to grab my rifle.

Costanza fired almost 50 rounds at Vance through his windshield, the smoke so thick he could barely see. Vance armed with an AK47, returned fire, racing through two road blocks.

“I could see the rounds skipping off the pavement so I knew he was shooting back,” he said.

Then, Vance suddenly jumps out of the truck, using it as a shield.

“I'm playing the odds on where he is,” he said.

With four other troopers by his side, they fired into the dark and Vance eventually goes down.

“Our ultimate goal of course was to stop him that was it,” he said.

Costanza says is unclear whose bullet killed Vance and that to him, it didn’t matter. He said he doesn’t consider himself a hero and believes any trooper in that situation would have done the same thing.