LEFLORE COUNTY (KFSM) -- A LeFlore County man is behind bars after deputies said he led them on a chase, threatening to kill himself and a baby in the car.
On Friday night, deputies from the LeFlore County Sheriff's Office were involved in a pursuit that the sheriff said lasted more than 20 miles and ended in deputies rescuing a six-month-old child.
The pursuit started when Jeffery Fox failed to pull over after he turned off a road almost hitting undersherriff, Kendall Morgan's vehicle.
"It went quite a ways through," Rob Seale, LeFlore County sheriff said. "It went through Highway 9 on Twilight Road and then on to some private property where we later found out the suspect was staying with his girlfriend."
Sheriff Seale said Fox made gestures at the officers and that is when they realized a baby was in the car.
"He called the baby's mother, the girlfriend, and told her that he was gonna kill the baby and himself if the police didn't back off," Seale said. "He actually called 911 said if you don't back off, I'm killing myself and the baby."
The pursuit continued and after multiple attempts of tactical vehicle intervention, deputies were able to stop him.
"They got around the front of him to stop him," Seale said. "He rammed undersheriff Morgan's car and backed up and rammed a trooper car and then we finally had another car that pinned him in and he couldn't get away."
But, the pursuit wasn't over. The sheriff said deputies then had to get physical to get the child away from Fox.
"One deputy had to get a lateral neck restraint and choke him until he got to where he would release the baby," Seale said. "Another deputy yanked the baby and the car seat out and continued to fight with the deputy until he finally got him subdued."
Fox is still in jail and faces 13 charges from the pursuit including assault on a police officer and child endangerment.
Sheriff Seale said Fox was intoxicated and under the influence of what deputies think was meth.
The child was checked out at the hospital and is okay. A family member is now caring for the baby.