Man flees arrest, fined for suspended license

Monday, December 10, 2012

McCOOK, Nebraska -- A McCook man who successfully fled from an arresting officer in June was convicted on a charge of driving on a suspended driver's license stemming from the incident. The offender, 34-year-old Tyler D. Wilcox of 71355 Road 384, was fined $100 for the incident during an Oct. 30 hearing in Red Willow County Court.

Wilcox was initially spotted by a Nebraska State Patrol Officer driving a van near East B Street just prior to 1 a.m. on June 30, 2012. After the state trooper verified Wilcox had a suspended driver's license and was informed he also had warrants from Hitchcock County for his arrest, he relocated Wilcox at the East B Street Car Wash.

According to court documents, Wilcox was outside the van he had been seen driving and was washing it when the state trooper pulled into the car wash. Wilcox subsequently placed the spray wand on the ground and took off running. The state trooper pursued Wilcox but was unable to apprehend him.

Court documents indicate an arrest warrant was requested charging Wilcox with driving under suspension and resisting arrest. Red Willow County Attorney Paul Wood subsequently charged Wilcox with driving under suspension on July 12, 2012, and Wilcox was assigned a public defender on Aug. 7.

Wilcox pleaded guilty to the driving under suspension charge on Aug. 21 and failed to appear for an Oct. 4 hearing in the case. He was subsequently fined $100 during the Oct. 30 hearing in Red Willow County Court.

Wilcox also faced unrelated charges for discharging a firearm from a public road and providing false information in an effort to impede investigators. Those offenses stem from his July 19, 2012, arrest following an incident on Road 714 in Red Willow County.

Wilcox was originally cited by sheriff's deputies with a third offense for obstructing a peace officer, that charge was not pursued by the county attorney.

Wilcox was similarly assigned a public defender on Aug. 14, before pleading guilty to the two charges on Aug. 21 and subsequently failing to appear for a hearing in the case on Oct. 4. He was fined $150 for discharging the firearm and $200 for false reporting during an Oct. 30 hearing.