Retired Oklahoma Police Lieutenant Survives Gunshot to the Head and Endures Crash During High-Speed Police Chase

Retired Oologah, Oklahoma Police Lieutenant Charles Neill emerged as a survivor after sustaining a gunshot to the head and enduring a subsequent crash during a high-speed police chase. The incident unfolded when Lt. Neill responded to a call for assistance from Talala Police Officer Stephen Pales, resulting in a 24-mile pursuit that crossed state lines into Kansas. The chase took a dangerous turn when the suspects opened fire on police cars and other vehicles, critically wounding Lt. Neill.

Despite miraculously surviving the violent crash, Lt. Neill found himself facing a new challenge in the aftermath – a feeling of abandonment by the Town and State Government. Confronting life-altering injuries, he asserted insufficient support for himself and his family. The aftermath exposed delays in workers’ compensation, impeding crucial medical treatments.

Navigating bureaucratic hurdles, Lt. Neill experienced a two-week delay in filing a workers’ compensation case, initially relying on his private insurance for hospital expenses. This resulted in postponed neurology appointments and a protracted approval process for necessary medical devices.

Lt. Neill, undergoing multiple surgeries and therapy, voiced the ongoing pain stemming from the shooting, including migraine headaches and bulging disks in his neck and lower back. The sluggish workers’ compensation process left him in a state of uncertainty, unable to secure a medical retirement from his department.

Financial strain compounded the challenges, with disability payments capped at just under £400 per week. Lt. Neill, along with his wife – a schoolteacher, found themselves battling for every bit of medical treatment, even resorting to legal intervention to settle a £36,000 bill for a life flight. Despite his military background and recent college graduation, Lt. Neill encountered unforeseen hurdles in his pursuit of justice, shedding light on systemic issues within the workers’ compensation system that impacted not only his career but also his family’s well-being.

The pursuit leading to this traumatic incident originated from a shooting on Highway 169 in Nowata County. The suspects, identified as Alejandro Garcia, Cesar Rios, and Roxanne Mendoza, instigated the chase, resulting in shots fired at police and Lt. Neill’s critical injury. Garcia was ultimately apprehended in Kansas after carjacking an elderly man and shooting him, while Rios and Mendoza were arrested during the pursuit.

In the face of these challenges, Lt. Neill was honored with a Law Enforcement Purple Heart during a town hall meeting for the injuries sustained during the pursuit. Nevertheless, the road to recovery remains uncertain as he grapples with the physical and bureaucratic aftermath of a high-stakes police chase that brought him to the brink of tragedy. The incident underscores the complexities and deficiencies within the workers’ compensation system, prompting a broader discussion about the support and care provided to law enforcement officers confronting life-altering events.

Listen to the entire interview in this episode of the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast. The nationally syndicated law enforcement talk radio show via our free on-demand podcast service. Explore a variety of law enforcement subjects and delve into the nuanced path of trauma recovery in every episode, gaining priceless insights along the way.

Attributions:

News On 6

Claremore Daily Progress

Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast