Police Pursuit Ends In Car Crash In NW OKC, K9 Finds Suspect

A stolen car, police pursuit, and a K-9 assist—it was a busy morning in the typically quiet northwest Oklahoma City neighborhood of Denniston Park.

“It was a little more exciting than usual,” Todd Goodman, who lives in Denniston Park, said.

Goodman and his neighbors got an early wake up call.

“I heard like a crash, but it didn't sound loud enough to be against a car,” Prisma Espinoza said.

“It was a lot of hustle and bustle,” Jill Coleman said.

What these neighbors witnessed was the aftermath of a police pursuit that started just a few blocks away.

“They did not get that far,” MSgt. Gary Knight with the Oklahoma City Police Department said.

MSgt. Knight said officers were recovering a stolen car around northwest 30th Street and Independence Avenue when 39-year-old Christopher Souder took off in another stolen vehicle.

“They fell in behind the vehicle and attempted to stop it,” MSgt. Knight said. 

The tire marks show where the suspect jumped the curb and crashed out in a front yard at northwest 26th Street and Drexel Boulevard, leaving a trail of destruction with deep ruts in the grass and glass and scattered car parts.

“We didn't hear any of that, we just heard the aftermath of yelling and then saw all the police out and about,” Coleman said. “I thought I heard somebody yelling ‘help.’” 

“Kind of nervous to see something like that happen because we've never had that happen around here,” Espinoza said. 

Police say after the crash, the suspect took off on foot, but didn’t get far in that pursuit either.

“Unfortunately for him there were two K-9 units in the area,” MSgt. Knight said.

“We heard the police, after a while, say ‘please come out, if not, we're going to release the K-9,’” Espinoza said.

According to police, that’s what they did when the suspect refused to surrender.

“Maybe that is why we heard the yells for help,” Coleman said with a chuckle.

“I think they're incredible,” Todd Goodman said of the police K-9’s.

Goodman has a guard dog himself, a pet rescue named Rocco.

“He stands up and kind of keeps watch of the park,” Goodman said.

He said he wasn’t surprised, in the end, that it was a dog that protected his neighborhood.

“So wonderful to hear that dogs are doing work,” he said. “Got the bad guy.”

Neighbors breathed a sigh of relief as police took Souder away in handcuffs.

“I’m glad they were on top of everything, the dog included,” Coleman said.

Police say Souder was treated for dog bites and then booked into the Oklahoma County Detention Center on multiple complaints including eluding a police officer, speeding, threatening to perform an act of violence, and unauthorized use of a vehicle.