Man charged in officer's death bound for trial

Derrick James, McAlester News-Capital, Okla.
·2 min read

Oct. 12—TULSA — A Tulsa County judge ordered a man bound over for trial who is charged in the March death of a McAlester Police officer after the man waived his right to a preliminary hearing.

Martin Rivas Rodriguez, 39, listed on court records with a Tulsa address, appeared in court Wednesday and waived his right to a preliminary hearing with Tulsa County Special District Judge Kasey Baldwin accepting the waiver and binding Rodriguez over for trial.

The man was soft-spoken and kept his head down throughout the hearing, and only gave simple answers to Baldwin using a Spanish/English translator.

Rodriguez is charged with felony counts of first-degree manslaughter and causing a fatality accident without a valid driver's license in the death of McAlester Police Patrolman Joseph Barlow following a March 17 collision in Glenpool.

He is also facing misdemeanor counts of reckless driving and no valid driver's license.

Barlow died March 20 at St. John Medical Center in Tulsa from injuries received in a head-on collision during an escort for fallen McAlester Police Capt. Richard Parker.

Several officers from the McAlester Police Department traveled to Tulsa on March 17 to escort Parker from the medical examiner's office to a funeral home in Wetumka.

The Glenpool Police Department said officers were notified that evening of a head-on collision on Highway 75 just north of 151st St. South.

A probable cause affidavit filed in the case states a Spanish-speaking officer was dispatched to the scene after officers spoke with Rodriguez following the collision.

Rodriguez told officers he was driving a Ford F-250 truck "when a red car in front of him came to a stop," the affidavit states.

"Rodriguez said he braked suddenly which caused the F-250 to depart the roadway and strike the McAlester PD unit," the affidavit states.

According to the court documents filed by the Tulsa County DA's Office, Rodriguez "drove his car into the center lane of the road and hit the guardrail, causing the vehicle to launch into the air and collide head-on with a police vehicle being operated by McAlester Police Officer Joseph Barlow."

Court documents state after Rodriguez was cuffed, the man refused to give officers his date of birth "for several minutes."

After Rodriguez was read his Miranda Warning and the implied consent, "a blood specimen was taken on the scene by EMSA," according to court documents.

Rodriquez remains in the Tulsa County Jail on an aggregate bond on $250,000 and a hold by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. He is set to next appear in court for district court arraignment on Oct. 30.