Accused Amazon truck thief gets stuck on railroad tracks; OKC police use less-lethal force to make arrest

Oklahoma City police used less-lethal force on Friday to arrest a man accused of stealing an Amazon truck. The suspect got the truck stuck on the railroad tracks in southwest Oklahoma City as a train was approaching.

Police arrested 43-year-old Melvin Bishop, and at last check, he remained in custody at the Oklahoma County Detention Center.

The unusual scene played out near Southwest 29th and Portland Avenue. A stolen Amazon truck sat on railroad tracks with a train only feet away. Police said the truck heist started near Southwest 49th and Pennsylvania Avenue as the driver was on her delivery route.

“The driver indicated she was making a delivery in the area when an unknown person jumped inside the vehicle,” said Sgt. Dillon Quirk, Oklahoma City Police Department. “Took off with the truck.”

The driver initially tried to stop the suspect but was unable to and called 911. Police watched Flock cameras through the Real Time Information Center to find the truck. Bishop drove it onto the railroad tracks, getting it stuck. 

“Officers tried to remove that person from the vehicle,” said Quirk. “He simply refused to get out.”

The Amazon driver stood by watching as officers used two rounds of less-lethal force to get Bishop to surrender.

“There was some less-lethal gas that was put into that truck to get him to come out,” said Quirk. “Ultimately, he was taken into custody and booked into the county jail on larceny of motor vehicle charges.”

The truck had to be towed off the tracks, and Bishop was taken to the hospital to be medically cleared before being booked into jail.

Bishop told officers he did not get out of the truck because he didn't know how to open the door of the electric truck.