Wednesday, August 25th 2021, 6:15 pm
A police task force responsible for cracking down on illegal street racing in Oklahoma City made a large bust over the weekend.
Officers arrested 70 people for trespassing Sunday and had their vehicles impounded, according to police officials. Those arrested were booked into the Oklahoma County Detention Center.
A large parking lot near Interstate 240 and South Pennsylvania Avenue served as a meeting place for more than 100 drivers and their passengers. Burnout marks could still be on the pavement days later.
“A majority of these were teenagers or right around the age of 20,” Oklahoma City Police Department Master Sgt. Gary Knight said. “Some of them under 18 (years old). We had to notify parents.”
According to reports, the crowd turned violent when the drivers learned there were undercover police among them. One officer was assaulted.
“He was hit in the head with a bottle,” Knight said. “He was also struck, and he was transported to an area hospital with minor injuries.”
When marked police cars arrived, drivers fled the scene. However, many of them and their passengers ended up in handcuffs.
“We made at least 70 arrests,” Knight said. “Most of them misdemeanors charges. Many were cited and released. Many were transported to jail and booked in.”
The department's street racing task force has been working to shut down the illegal activity. Drivers have previously stopped traffic on major interstates and intersections in the metro to gather and do burnouts.
Officers are asking the public to call 911 if they see rallies like the one last weekend.
“It’s something we take very seriously because it does pose a threat to the driving public,” Knight said. “So we’re going to address this as we see it.”
Police also found drugs and loaded guns in the cars of some of the drivers.
Jennifer Pierce is an Emmy-award-winning reporter for News 9 and has been on staff since 2017. While most days, she covers crime in the metro and court cases, she enjoys telling the stories of Native Americans in Oklahoma. Jennifer is a proud member of the Choctaw Nation. She takes pride in the success her tribe and the many other tribes in Oklahoma have gained in recent years.
August 25th, 2021
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