Bartlett accepts deal in Ozark County portion of 2023 police pursuit case

Adam Bartlett, 33, pleaded guilty to the charge of resisting arrest, detention or stop by fleeing-creating a substantial risk of serious injury or death to any person. According to a plea agreement with the state, misdemeanor charges of operating a motor vehicle in a careless and imprudent manner and two counts of stealing of less than $150 with no prior stealing offense were dismissed. 

Bartlett was sentenced to 5 years in the Missouri Department of Corrections. He is also ordered to successfully complete long term substance abuse under RSMo 217.362 for chronic non violent offenders. 

Charges stem from a multi-day and multi-county police pursuit in October 2023. The pursuit also included the alleged theft of several vehicles.

According to the probable cause statement prepared by Ozark County Sheriff Cass Martin, the sheriff was dispatched to a Bakersfield gas station around 8 a.m. Oct. 6, 2023, for a report of a customer pumping gas and driving off. 

The sheriff responded, and while enroute, Howell County Deputy Seth Smith called the sheriff and informed him that a suspect in a Howell County police pursuit and manhunt may be in Ozark County and was currently driving a stolen black Chevrolet Trailblazer with a breast cancer awareness sticker on the back glass. 

While speaking with Smith, the sheriff noticed that the vehicle at the drive-off matched the description Smith gave of the vehicle Bartlett was driving. He told Smith he believed the defendant may be in the Bakersfield area. 

The sheriff and a Howell County deputy met in Bakersfield and searched for the vehicle in the immediate area of the gas station. An attendant there said he drove off without paying for $79.09 in fuel. 

“We canvased the area and were later advised that Arkansas State Police were in pursuit [of Bartlett] with that vehicle heading north on Highway 5 toward Missouri. Deputy Smith and I attempted to get to Gainesville to assist Arkansas State Police with the pursuit traveling north on 5 Highway into Missouri. I was then advised by dispatch, Ozark County deputies took over the pursuit and were traveling west on 160 Highway, traveling toward Theodosia. I was advised the Chevrolet Trailblazer was reaching speeds of 110 miles per hour on Highway 160,” the sheriff’s report says.

Several Ozark County deputies followed Bartlett in pursuit, attempting to stay with the vehicle during the chase, but they lost him near the Ozark-Taney Counties line.

“While speaking with dispatch on the phone, I was advised that [former OCSD Seth] Miller was on his time-off and had made a positive identification of Mr. Bartlett at Walmart. Deputy Miller had contacted the Mountain Home Police Department and advised there was a subject with an active full J.S. extradition warrant at Walmart in Mountain Home, Arkansas. When Arkansas authorities attempted to apprehend the suspect in the Chevrolet Trailblazer, he attempted to flee,” the report says. 

On Oct. 20, the sheriff was advised by the gas station owner of another drive-off that had happened the day before. 

The Howell County Sheriff’s Department found and arrested Bartlett there. He was driving the black Chevrolet Trailblazer he was seen in before.