Hominy man shoots, kills self at Bartlesville shopping center; 3 Pawhuskans arrested on drug charges

BARTLESVILLE — Police are still piecing together information from an incident Thursday in which an Osage County fugitive took his own life in the Eastland Shopping Center parking lot rather than be taken into custody by authorities.

Williams David Parks Jr., 36, of Hominy reportedly died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound around 6 p.m. Thursday as officers and U.S. Marshals were attempting to take him into custody, according to Bartlesville Police Department Capt. Jay Hastings.

“We are still in the process of interviewing witnesses and collecting evidence from Thursday night’s suicide,” Hastings said early Friday.

Parks was a passenger in a vehicle that local law enforcement officers were attempting to stop in Eastland Shopping Center, he said.

“Parks … shot himself once in the head as officers attempted to talk him out of the vehicle,” Hastings said.

At the time of his death, Parks faced several charges in Osage County.

“Parks was wanted on two Osage County warrants for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and three counts of feloniously pointing a firearm,” Hastings said.

According to Hastings, local police were contacted by the United States Marshall Fugitive Task Force Team “in reference to a wanted suspect on an Osage County case who was staying at a local motel in Bartlesville.”

Representatives from several law enforcement agencies reportedly spent the day Thursday attempting to locate Parks and apprehend him safely.

“Osage County (Sheriff’s Office) deputies and officers from the U.S. Marshal’s Fugitive Task Force had been in Bartlesville during the day and were attempting to take Parks into custody,” Hastings said. “Bartlesville Police, along with Washington County (Sheriff’s Office) deputies made the initial contact with the suspect vehicle at the time of the incident.”

Hastings said authorities had previously obtained information that Parks was “armed and had made statements about taking his own life if caught” — a statement that he apparently made good on during the short standoff.

“Officers were concerned with the public’s safety during the search for Parks and every attempt was made to take him into custody in a safe area,” Hastings said.

However, he said, “once the suspect became mobile in a vehicle, the officers’ choices became limited.”

Parks was taken to Jane Phillips Medical Center via ambulance but died a short time later, reports show.

A search of the vehicle turned up both a firearm and illegal drugs.

Police say 29-year-old Jennie Mae Dilley of Pawhuska was in the vehicle at the time Parks fired the gun.

Dilley was later taken into custody, along with 26-year-old Frederick Allen Reese and 22-year-old Sadie Diana Patterson, both of Pawhuska, on charges of trafficking methamphetamine, child endangerment, possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute, paraphernalia, unlawful use of surveillance equipment, and illegal use of a police scanner.

The three were arrested after police served a search warrant at the motel room in which Parks had been staying, located in the 2300 block of SE Washington Blvd.

“Police found illegal drugs and a 3-month-old child in the motel room,” Hastings said.

The child was reportedly taken into protective custody by Department of Human Services Child Welfare workers.