Sheriff's Reports 11-18-24: Woman allegedly robs gas station while armed with hatchet, rams deputy vehicle

A woman allegedly robbed a local gas station while armed with a hatchet and rammed a deputy's patrol unit several times.

On Oct. 31, Cherokee County Sheriff's Deputy Jesse Mitchell was on his way to assist another deputy with a runaway juvenile call when he was advised a burglary that was in progress at The Barn gas station. Dispatch advised the store was robbed and the suspect was armed with a hatchet. Mitchell was told the suspect tried to force employees to give her cigarettes and left in a silver SUV. Prior to the call, Mitchell said deputies responded to the Snake Creek Marina area due to a woman who was armed with a hatchet and driving a silver SUV. The woman was not located during that initial call. Mitchell was looking for the suspected vehicle on Indian Road and spotted it traveling at a slow rate of speed. The deputy turned his patrol unit around and the driver, who was identified as Evelyn Mae Rawlings, accelerated. Rawlings failed to stop for the deputy as she was reportedly holding a hatchet out of the driver's side window. The woman continued driving until she reached a residence on Bayside Lane. Mitchell had Rawlings at gunpoint and ordered the woman to exit the vehicle and put her hands in the air. Mitchell said the woman leaned out of the vehicle while facing him and pointed to the center of her head. He said Rawlings was displaying characters consistent with that of "suicide by law enforcement" behavior. Rawlings then put the vehicle in reverse and struck Mitchell's patrol unit several times. Additional deputies and other law enforcement officers arrived and were able to pin Rawlings' vehicle, in an attempt to stop her from ramming other patrol units. Deputies rushed the vehicle and opened the driver's side door as Rawlings had the hatchet facing them. Cherokee Nation Marshal Deputy Kody Fisher deployed his Taser and struck the woman. Rawlings was removed from the vehicle and taken into custody. Deputies searched Rawlings' vehicle and found a second hatchet, a hammer, a manchette, a marijuana vape device, and a marijuana paraphernalia device. Rawlings was transported to the Cherokee County Detention Center and booked for possession of marijuana, using a weapon while committing or attempting to commit a felony, reckless conduct while having a weapon, carrying weapons while under the influence of alcohol, resisting an officer, eluding, robbery or attempted robbery with a dangerous weapon or imitation firearm, pointing a deadly weapon at any other person, and assault or battery with any sharp or dangerous weapon with intent to injure,

Deputy Dylan Carder was dispatched to South 568 Road Oct. 31 due to reports of a disturbance. Dispatch advised the suspect reportedly set a fire to the residence and the maintenance man had to put out the blaze. Carder arrived and could see the man lying on a bed in the living room of the apartment. The man, Gary Brewer, refused to exit the apartment and reportedly told Carder if he wanted him out, he would have to come in and get him. Carder could see smoke coming from the bedroom and made entry into the residence. The deputy ordered Brewer to get out of the bed, but the man refused and he resisted deputies as they went to arrest him. After several minutes of struggling with Brewer, he was arrested and booked for resisting arrest, fourth-degree arson, unlawfully burning during emergency drought conditions, malicious injury to property, and burning too close to an occupied dwelling.

On Nov. 5, Deputy Jaxon Thomlinson was patrolling in the area of State Highway 51 and Stick Ross Mountain Road when he observed a vehicle drift into the left lane and then quickly jerk back to the right lane. The deputy pulled the vehicle over and met with the driver, Cameron Parks. There was an odor of alcohol coming from the vehicle and Parks admitted to consuming three or four beers between Muskogee and Tahlequah. Parks was arrested after a field sobriety test and booked for aggravated driving under the influence.

On Oct. 26, Deputy Kevin Cohen assisted Deputy Justin Richardson with a traffic stop on State Highway 82. Richardson advised he pulled the driver over for speeding and failing to maintain lane, coming into the deputy's lane of travel. There was an odor of alcohol coming from the vehicle and the driver, Matthew Sharp, was arrested after a field sobriety test. Sharp was booked for felony driving under the influence, transporting firearms while intoxicated, and speeding.

Deputy Cohen was patrolling the area of State Highway 82 Oct. 27 when he observed a vehicle traveling with no taillights. The deputy conducted a traffic stop and made contact with the driver, who was identified as Luis Manzur Julian Cruz. Cruz advised he didn't have a driver's license, just a passport. Cruz was arrested for driving without a license and booked.

These are arrests, not convictions.