Ponca City Police Arrest Armed Fugitive Following Nearly 5 Hour Long Standoff

PONCA CITY, Oklahoma – 

A Ponca City fugitive is behind bars following a four-and-a-half-hour long standoff with police.

Ponca City Police say officers were on a separate call on Osage Street on December 31st, when they were alerted to a man wanted by police.

“They were alerted to a possible fugitive that had warrants that they were familiar with being across the street,” said Cpt. Kevin Jeffries of the Ponca City Police Department.

That man, identified as Dalton Hale, 22, ran into an Osage Street home as soon as he was spotted.

Dalton Hale

Officers surrounded the home, beginning the hours-long standoff.

“Mr. Hale tried to run out the back door on one of the officers,” said Jefferies. “The officer tried to deescalate and talk him down but he ended up shutting and locking the door”

Officers made several attempts to communicate with Hale throughout the duration of the standoff.

“We tried to get him to communicate by cell phone, he wouldn’t do that. We tried to communicate over the loudspeaker, he wouldn’t do that,” said Jeffries. “The next step was to try to use gas to bring him out to us.”

Officers make their way inside the home to search for Hale. They eventually found him during a second search in the garage where the gas was less potent.

“He wrapped himself in some carpeting and some blankets and had stuffed himself in a little hole in the garage,” said Jeffries. “That is where he was discovered during a secondary search.”

Hale was wanted on 6 felony warrants, including what police call a violent assault and battery.

Hale has run from officers on multiple occasions, including an October incident where he reportedly jumped into the river and swam away.

“As long as he has been running from us, it’s good to catch up to him and let him know that it is time to go to jail,” said Jeffries.

After being booked at the Kay County Jail, a judge set Hale’s bond at $25,000.