Eluding a Police Officer in Oklahoma – Law & Punishment

Definition of Eluding an Officer in Oklahoma

The official name of this crime in Oklahoma is “eluding a peace officer.” This also applies to attempting to elude. If you’re operating a motor vehicle and you’ve received a visual and audible signal, a red light, and a siren from a peace officer driving a motor vehicle showing the same to be an official police, sheriff, highway patrol, or state game ranger vehicle directing the you to bring the vehicle to a stop and you willfully increase the speed or extinguish the lights of your vehicle in an attempt to elude that officer, or willfully attempt in any other manner to elude the peace officer, or you actually elude that officer, then you can be convicted of the crime of “eluding a police officer.”

The peace officer, while attempting to stop a violator of this law, may communicate a request for the assistance of other peace officers from any office, department, or agency. Any peace officer within this state having knowledge of that request is authorized to help in stopping the violator and may effect an arrest upon probable cause.

This crime is a misdemeanor. The maximum punishment in jail is one year. The range of fine is $100-$2,000. A second or subsequent violation of this law has a maximum punishment in jail of one year and a range of fine of $500-$5,000. 

Eluding and Endangering Others

Eluding an officer in a way that endangers any other person is a felony. The range of punishment in the Department of Corrections is 1-5 years. The range of fine is $1,000-$5,000.

Causing an Accident While Eluding

Causing an accident, while eluding or attempting to elude an officer, that results in great bodily injury to any other person while driving or operating a motor vehicle is a felony. 

“Great bodily injury” means bodily injury that creates a substantial risk of death or that causes serious, permanent disfigurement or protracted loss or impairment of the function of any bodily member or organ.

The range of punishment in the Department of Corrections is 1-5 years. The range maximum fine is $5,000. 

Source: 21 O.S. § 540A

Current as of April 6, 2020. Laws are subject to change at any time! Go to the sources cited above for the most up-to-date law.

Charged with eluding an officer in Oklahoma? Call Oklahoma criminal defense attorney Frank Urbanic in OKC for a free case consultation.

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