Tulsa, OK – On Tuesday, Tulsa Police Officer Derek Sullins was awarded a Medal of Honor by Atoka County Sheriff Kody Simpson and received commendations and challenge coins from the Stringtown Police and Atoka Police. Officer Sullins was recognized for his act of bravery on May 30, 2025.
On that day, officers from the Atoka Police Department responded to a shoplifting call at a local Walmart. After stopping the suspect vehicle, the driver sped off onto Highway 69. While fleeing, the suspects struck an Atoka County Sheriff’s unit and two civilian vehicles before crashing near Stringtown, Oklahoma.
One of the three suspects, 19-year-old Jason New, fled into a nearby wooded area armed with a rifle and began firing shots at officers. The suspect later emerged further up the highway, where law enforcement had stopped traffic as a precaution.
Officer Sullins, who was traveling in a vehicle on the highway, saw the armed suspect. According to Sheriff Simpson, Officer Sullins held the suspect at gunpoint, subdued him, and placed him in cuffs after identifying himself to the surrounding officers as a Tulsa Police Officer. After securing the suspect in a police vehicle, Officer Sullins left the scene before law enforcement could locate him.
Following the incident, the Atoka County Sheriff’s Office and both the Atoka and Stringtown Police Departments reached out to multiple agencies to identify Officer Sullins and formally thank him for his role in apprehending the suspect.