By: Patti Weaver
(Stillwater, Okla.) — A 29-year-old Cushing man accused of attempting to elude police by increasing his speed and failing to stop at several stop signs has been ordered to appear in court on May 24 for a preliminary hearing.
Michael James Dillon Constantino remains free on $5,000 bond on the felony charge punishable on conviction by one to five years of incarceration, court records show.
Constantino was arrested in the driveway of his residence on March 10 at 8:58 pm — 56 minutes after Cushing police were dispatched there on a report of a physical domestic incident in progress, court records show.
Cushing Police Officer Matt Piatt alleged in an affidavit, “As I was arriving, I saw a grey-colored vehicle backing out of the driveway from that residence and speeding away eastbound in the 1400 block of E. Broadway. I saw a female and an older male standing by a vehicle by the roadway. I advised dispatch I believed the vehicle fleeing may be involved in the domestic.
“I continued attempting to stop the fleeing vehicle and accelerated to 68 mph on E. Broadway. I saw the vehicle fail to stop at the posted stop sign at Broadway and Jones and turn northbound in the 100 block of N. Jones. The vehicle continued north to Oak St. where it failed to stop for the posted stop sign and turn back westbound.
“The vehicle continued west on Oak St. back to Linwood. As the vehicle and I approached Linwood Ave., I saw a vehicle traveling south on Linwood pass in front of us. The fleeing vehicle turned south on Linwood and quickly approached the vehicle in front of us. There was a construction sign up in the roadway on Broadway and the vehicle passed between the construction sign and the vehicle traveling southbound.
“The vehicle pulled back into the driveway at 1402 E. Broadway and stopped. The driver, Michael James Constantino, exited the vehicle with a black phone in his right hand and was instructed to lay on the ground. Constantino was at gunpoint at that time and complied with directions. Constantino was taken into custody without incident.”
When the officer spoke to Constantino’s girlfriend, she said “they got into an argument about taxes and his ex-wife,” but there was no physical incident except when her father and her boyfriend got in each other’s face and pushed each other, according to the affidavit.
The father of Constantino’s girlfriend said “he remained in the vehicle until he heard Michael threaten to bash his daughter’s head in,” the affidavit alleged. He said “he did not want to press criminal charges against Michael; he wanted him to get some mental health help,” the affidavit alleged.
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