Beckham County, OK – The Beckham County Sheriff’s Office recently arrested a man on complaints of stalking and falsely reporting a crime following an investigation that Sheriff Derek Manning says began with an unserved emergency protective order.
According to Manning, the protective order originated outside Beckham County and had reportedly been outstanding since March. Investigators later determined the man was aware of the order but had not been formally served.
The investigation began after the man allegedly followed his ex-wife and another individual on the highway. Beckham County deputies intercepted the man who was following them, while the other individuals stopped separately and contacted law enforcement.
“We were able to intercept the person that was following and then were able to talk to the other people when they stopped and got in touch with us,” Manning said.
Manning said deputies conducted a lengthy investigation into the incident and the events leading up to it. The investigation resulted in the man being arrested on allegations of stalking and falsely reporting a crime.
Manning said his office takes stalking investigations seriously because the behavior can be an indicator of escalating domestic violence.
“If somebody is stalking and obsessing over someone, then the things that can follow tend to spiral upwards and become more and more dangerous and more and more possibly violent,” Manning said. “So we take those kinds of things very seriously.”
Manning noted that stalking is now treated as a more serious offense than it once was, in part because of its connection to potentially escalating domestic violence.
The identity of the person arrested was not provided. Formal charges and guilt are determined through the court system.
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