On Wednesday, July 3, 2019, at approximately 1:30 PM, a Patrol Sergeant with the Nolan County Sheriff’s Office (NCSO) initiated a traffic stop on a white Chevrolet pickup after observing it traveling eastbound on West Broadway at a high rate of speed. The driver of the white pickup then suddenly executed an illegal U-turn which nearly caused a crash with another motorist that was in the area. The Sergeant pursued the white pickup until it stopped in the parking lot of a convenience store located in the 600 block of West Broadway.
Before the Sergeant could contact the driver, she observed him discard an object from his hand onto the parking lot and then speed away from the location of the traffic stop. A brief pursuit then ensued and ended in the 1300 block of West Broadway when the driver drove the pickup into an open bay door of a large metal building. During the pursuit, a Department of Public Safety (DPS) unit responded to assist.
Once parked inside the building, the driver stayed inside the pickup and refused to comply with the numerous orders given by the Sergeant to exit the vehicle, which eventually led to a standoff. In addition to DPS, units with the Sweetwater Police Department, Texas State Technical College Police Department, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and Texas Rangers all arrived and assisted in the incident. During the standoff, the driver was identified as John Underwood Gunter, of Sweetwater.
The NCSO Criminal Investigations Division (CID) also responded and after conducting an investigation in the 600 and 1300 block of West Broadway, an affidavit for a search warrant and arrest warrant for Mr. Gunter was submitted and warrants were issued. A DPS Special Response Team (SRT) was then activated, arrived and eventually extracted Mr. Gunter from the vehicle. He was taken into custody at approximately 6:35PM after a 5-hour standoff with law enforcement.
Mr. Gunter was then taken by ambulance to the Rolling Plains Emergency room and after being evaluated and medically cleared, he was transported to the Nolan County jail where he was booked in on Evading Arrest with Vehicle, a 3rd Degree Felony.
“Thankfully, nobody was injured in the pursuit or standoff. We are very appreciative of all the area agencies that assisted in this matter.” – Sheriff David Warren