The Washoe County Sheriff’s Office announced on March 27 that deputies arrested Joseph Wheatley, a wanted suspect with a felony warrant, following a vehicle pursuit in Sun Valley the previous night.
Authorities said Wheatley was wanted on several charges including evading, assault with a deadly weapon with elderly enhancement, disobeying a peace officer and endangering others, possession of drug paraphernalia, driving without a valid license, failing to stop at the scene of an accident involving property damage, and having an open alcohol container in a vehicle. Additional charges related to this incident include two counts of felony battery with the use of a deadly weapon and one misdemeanor count of driving without a valid driver’s license.
Detectives from the Human Exploitation and Recovery Operations Unit and the Northern Nevada Drug Task Force assisted patrol deputies in locating Wheatley. The Northern Nevada Regional Intelligence Center also supported the investigation. According to officials, Wheatley exited his residence late Wednesday night and entered a parked vehicle. When deputies attempted to conduct a traffic stop, he fled at high speed through Sun Valley.
Deputies used drone technology as part of their response. The chase ended near South Fork Drive and Middle Fork Drive when authorities surrounded Wheatley’s vehicle. After initially stopping for commands from law enforcement officers, Wheatley tried to flee again by striking both a patrol unit and detective’s vehicle head-on.
After several minutes at the scene, officials said Wheatley complied with orders and was taken into custody without further incident. One deputy and one detective were transported to Renown Regional Medical Center for injuries sustained during the incident; both were treated and released later that night. Wheatley was also treated for crash-related injuries before being booked into Washoe County Detention Facility.
The Sheriff’s Office said this incident highlights coordinated efforts among its personnel along with supporting units.
