Suspect Found Guilty In 2017 Death Of OHP Trooper

Nearly two years after Oklahoma Highway Patrolman Lt. Heath Meyer was killed during a pursuit, the man responsible for his death was found guilty. Jurors recommended he be sentenced to life with the possibility of parole.  

The verdict came down Monday. Jurors found D'Angelo Burgess guilty of first-degree murder and eluding police.

“The men and woman of the patrol are grateful that justice was served and that 12 citizens applied the facts of law and achieved the appropriate outcome,” said Department of Public Safety Commissioner Rusty Rhoades.

Gone but never forgotten.

See: Fallen OHP Trooper Heath Meyer Laid To Rest

“We mourn the absence of Lt. Heath Meyer on a daily basis,” said Rhoades. 

In July of 2017, Burgess was stopped by OHP. But after Burgess admitted he did not have a valid license, he drove off, reaching speeds upwards of 110 mph.

Meyer and another trooper were out of their cars deploying stop sticks in Moore ahead of the chase. 

And while Burgess managed to avoid the roadblock, two troopers trying to avoid the stop sticks collided, and one of their vehicles struck Meyer.

“Losing a fellow trooper is never just losing a colleague, it's losing a brother,” said Rhoades.

Prosecutors argued while Burgess did not hit Meyer, he was responsible for his death. They said had he not initiated the chase, Meyer would not have been killed.

Following the verdict, Rhoades said the best way to honor Meyer and other fallen officers is to continue to serve the people of Oklahoma the way they did.

“Consistently, with honesty, loyalty, integrity, respect, self-discipline and professionalism,” said Rhoades.

Meyer's family members expressed their satisfaction with Monday's outcome and asked for privacy as they begin to heal.