At a preliminary hearing Thursday, a Rogers County Sheriff’s deputy hired in 2023 detailed in court a police chase that led to the death of a 23-year-old innocent bystander.
On Oct. 20 last year, Cpl. Keenan Marcotte testified that he was on the lookout for a white Subaru allegedly stolen by 17-year-old Anthony Giancola of Missouri. Marcotte spotted the abandoned vehicle not far from the intersection of Highway 66 and 410 Road in Rogers County around 10:30 a.m.
A man in distress was already there, running toward Marcotte. Dustin Weygandt testified that his 2018 Chevy Silverado was stolen from his driveway by the person who abandoned the Subaru. Weygandt’s keys were inside the truck at his rural home because he planned to use the vehicle that morning, he said.
Dash cam video played at the hearing showed Marcotte catching up to the stolen truck after leaving Weygandt. Though Marcotte at times reported exceeding 100 mph in his cruiser, the suspect was mostly a dot in the officer’s vision as the pair raced past a handful of other cars on two-lane country roads.
Four to five officers were involved in the chase, Marcotte said. Spike strips were used at different locations, though it’s unclear if Giancola hit any of the strips.
At the intersection of Highway 66 and 410 Road, a final set of spike strips was deployed that Giancola swerved to avoid just before striking some railroad tracks. Marcotte said he thought the Chevy went “airborne.”
23-year-old Logan Harrel and her mother were traveling toward Claremore on Highway 66 to do some shopping. Giancola slammed into their Trailblazer, quickly killing Harrel. Marcotte said he didn’t offer aid to to the Rogers State University student because she was “obviously deceased.”
Harrel’s mother Kimberly survived, though she testified she experienced a broken sternum, six broken ribs, and still has trouble with her shoulder.
At least one other Oklahoma agency called off the pursuit of Giancola that same morning due to safety concerns.
Giancola’s alleged string of car thefts began in Missouri and was fueled by what he reportedly told police was the voice of his speech and debate teacher, Mr. Sutton. According to officer testimony, the voice told Giancola to start a new life in California “by way of Texas,” and so he began traveling in his own vehicle until it ran out of gas.
Law enforcement says Giancola admitted to stealing several cars and later ended up in Vinita in the Subaru. That’s where another officer encountered the vehicle that was reported stolen.
Vinita Police Department Lt. Patrick Garrett testified that he pursued the Subaru for about 12 miles before he and another officer abandoned the chase due to concerns around “high speeds and the safety of the general public.”
A spokesman for the Rogers County Sheriff’s Office said terminating a chase is at a supervisor’s discretion. He said that Marcotte was rehired in 2023 after taking a break from several years of patrol duty to pursue another job.
The Claremore Progress reports that in 2019 Marcotte initiated another high speed chase that cut through “the center of Claremore."
Data published in 2021 show that more experienced officers reduce violent crime because they rely on less aggressive tactics.
Giancola is charged with seven felony counts, including first-degree murder.
Special Judge Terrell Crosson found probable cause for all seven counts. The case’s next hearing in Rogers County District Court is scheduled for March 27.
Update: This story was updated to clarify language around officer experience.
