Police Arrest Armed, Suspected Drunk Driver After SE OKC Chase

A suspected drunk driver led police on a chase Thursday morning through a southeast Oklahoma City neighborhood. 

A passing driver called 911 after seeing 26-year-old Jacob Jaramillo’s truck stopped in the intersection of Southeast 44th Street and Shields Boulevard.

Caller: “There’s a guy just, I think he’s passed out at the light.”

Dispatcher: “Like he’s in his vehicle?”

Caller: “Yeah, he’s in his vehicle.”

When officers got to the intersection, they said the truck had not moved and was on the wrong side of the street.

“They began banging on the man’s window to wake him up,” said MSgt. Gary Knight with the Oklahoma City Police Department. “They were unable to wake him up initially.”

Officers also noticed Jaramillo's keys were in the ignition and the truck was in drive. Before he came to, officers put stop sticks in front of Jaramillo's truck in case it rolled forward.

“Once he realized what was happening and why police were there, he simply drove away,” said Knight. “He drove right over the stop sticks and initiated a pursuit.”

After driving over a mailbox and losing a tire the suspect eventually stopped.

Officers said Jaramillo smelled like alcohol and refused a state blood test. He was arrested and booked into the Oklahoma County Detention Center on multiple complaints including DUI and eluding police.

During a search of the truck, officers found a loaded gun.

“Obviously, you cannot be in possession of one of those when you are under the influence of alcohol,” said Knight. “So that was one of the charges that was added to it.”

Knight said thankfully because it was early in the morning there were not many drivers on the roads, and no one was injured during the chase.