Suspect again attempts to elude authorities, gets arrested

OGLESVILLE — Butler County authorities apprehended the suspect they spent much of the day Tuesday looking for after he allegedly fled during a second attempted stop.

Steven Don Rick, 48, of the 3100 block of Highway N was arrested at about 7:40 p.m. on suspicion of failure to yield to an emergency vehicle and resisting arrest by Deputy Dakota Loggains.

Butler County authorities had been looking for Rick since earlier in the day when investigators had attempted to initiate a traffic stop on a suspicious vehicle near a residence in the 3100 block of Highway N at about 9:40 a.m.

The driver of the vehicle, later identified as Rick, allegedly fled behind a series of grain bins, jumped out and ran into the residence. Rick allegedly was armed with a handgun when he entered the home.

Butler County deputies and Missouri State Highway Patrol troopers subsequently set up a perimeter around the home; however, it was found unoccupied when SWAT members from the Sikeston Department of Public Safety entered later in the day.

It is believed the suspect “went out a back window or the back deck” before additional officers arrived and the perimeter was set up, Butler County Sheriff Mark Dobbs said earlier.

On Tuesday evening, Loggains reportedly was sent to the area of the 5800 block of Highway N at Oglesville to conduct a well being check on a woman who was walking along the road.

“As I was traveling down N Highway, near 3183 Highway N, where S. Rick was last seen exiting a silver Mazda RX-8, I observed the same vehicle driving down the driveway towards N Highway,” Loggains wrote in his report.

At that point, Loggains said, he pulled into the driveway in an attempt to identify the car’s driver and was able to “positively identify” Rick as the driver.

As Loggains contacted dispatch about Rick, “S. Rick placed the vehicle in reverse and began driving backwards towards the residence,” Loggains said. “S. Rick was able to turn the vehicle around and began driving around a large shed on the property.

“(He) then attempted to go around some grain bins on the property; however, he lost control of the vehicle and ended up resting in a ditch.”

Loggains said he got out of his vehicle and saw Rick allegedly begin running away from his vehicle.

A foot pursuit ensued, with Loggains reportedly commanding Rick to stop running.

“ … he refused to comply and continued to flee from me,” said Loggains. “There was a small patch of woods located behind the property.

“I temporarily lost sight of S. Rick and believed he ran into the wood line due to the rest of the area being an open field.”

Loggains said he began to search the wood line and saw Rick “laying motionless on the ground.”

Rick reportedly was taken into custody without incident.

After securing Rick in his patrol car, Loggains said, he walked the wood line in attempt to locate any items Rick may have discarded, such as the firearm he allegedly had earlier in the day.

Loggains said he did not find any firearms, but he find clothing and other miscellaneous items.