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D'monte L. Harris

Age : 21

Gender : Male

Race : Black

Date : 09/11/2021

Location : SW Sheridan Road and SW Jefferson Avenue

City : Lawton

County : Comanche

State : Oklahoma

Agency : Lawton Police Department

Officer(s) :Not Disclosed

Cause of Death : Vehicle

Event : Fatal crash following police pursuit

OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :

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REASON FOR POLICE CHASE:
Reckless driving. At approximately 3:30 a.m., a Lawton Police Department officer attempted to stop a black 2021 Chevrolet Camaro after police said the driver was driving recklessly. Harris continued driving away and the officer pursued.
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EVENT NARRATIVE:
On 09/11/2021, 21-year-old D’Monte L. Harris of Kathleen, Georgia, was killed when the Chevrolet Camaro he was driving crashed during a Lawton Police Department pursuit in Lawton.
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At approximately 3:30 a.m., a Lawton police officer attempted to stop Harris for alleged reckless driving. Harris continued driving away and the officer pursued. Lawton police characterized the chase as a short pursuit.
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Harris drove south on Sheridan Road at what the Oklahoma Highway Patrol described as a high rate of speed. Publicly available reports do not provide a measured maximum speed, the total pursuit distance, or identify the officer driving the pursuing police vehicle. No PIT/TVI maneuver, stop sticks, roadblock, or intentional contact between the police vehicle and Harris's Camaro was reported.
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At approximately 3:35 a.m., Harris lost control of the Camaro while traveling south on Sheridan Road. The car left the roadway, struck a curb and a mailbox, continued south across Jefferson Avenue and struck an embankment.
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The Camaro then overturned and struck a fence, an unoccupied van and a trailer. The vehicle rolled an undetermined number of times before coming to rest upside down. Harris was pronounced dead at the scene.
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Oklahoma Highway Patrol investigated the fatal crash.
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OHP publicly identified Harris three days later as D’Monte L. Harris, 21, of Kathleen, Georgia. Public reporting about his death provides little additional information about his family, work, education, or life in Georgia.
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Lawton police subsequently released dash-camera video of the pursuit in November 2021. The approximately one-minute recording shows Harris's Camaro traveling south on Sheridan Road with the police vehicle following. The Camaro eventually disappears from the dash camera's view, while the impact from the crash can be seen in the distance. The video therefore provides evidence that the pursuing police vehicle was behind Harris rather than physically contacting his Camaro when it crashed.
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The Lawton officer who initiated and participated in the pursuit has not been publicly identified.
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OFFICER BACKGROUND:
The Lawton Police Department officer who initiated and participated in the pursuit has not been publicly identified.

SOURCE LINKS :

https://kfor.com/news/local/man-killed-in-crash-after-running-from-oklahoma-police/
https://www.koco.com/article/man-dies-after-pursuit-with-lawton-police-officer-ends-in-single-vehicle-crash-ohp-says/37558467
https://www.kswo.com/2021/09/11/one-killed-saturday-morning-crash-lawton/
https://www.kswo.com/2021/09/14/ohp-identifies-man-killed-lawton-crash/
https://www.kswo.com/2021/11/04/lawton-police-release-video-deadly-september-chase-crash/