Garvin County, Oklahoma: Deputies Warn of Possible Sighting of Armed Suspect Wanted in Bryan County

Deputies in Garvin County, Oklahoma, warned residents on Tuesday night to stay alert after a possible sighting of an armed man wanted in neighboring Bryan County. The Garvin County Sheriff's Office said the sighting has not been confirmed.

News 9 in Oklahoma City carried the warning under a Blue Alert headline late on Tuesday. KOCO and KOKH Fox 25 in Oklahoma City carried the same Garvin County warning on Tuesday night, according to the Oklahoma State Capital wire room listing of Oklahoma coverage.

According to the Bryan County Sheriff's Office, the suspect broke into a residence, fired at the homeowner and then shot at deputies who responded to the scene. No injuries were reported. The suspect fled and remains wanted.

The man deputies are looking for

Authorities identified the suspect as Michael Nathan Dale Garrett. The name and description come from the Bryan County Sheriff's Office and were carried by News 9, KOCO and KOKH Fox 25. This article publishes the name for one reason: deputies are asking the public for help finding a man they call armed and dangerous.

The Bryan County Sheriff's Office describes Garrett as a white man, 5 feet 11 inches tall and weighing about 160 pounds. He has brown hair and blue eyes. He was last reported wearing shorts of an unknown color and a gray T-shirt, and carrying a black backpack.

Both sheriff's offices have warned that Garrett should be considered armed and dangerous. Deputies had announced no arrest as of late Tuesday night, and the search remained open.

What Garvin County residents are asked to do

Garvin County Sheriff Jim Mullett urged residents to remain alert and to avoid approaching anyone they believe could be the suspect. Anyone who sees Garrett or knows where he is should move to a safe location and call 911 at once, deputies said.

Residents were also warned not to approach, confront or follow the suspect, and not to put themselves at risk by trying to take photographs. The advice from both counties was the same: keep distance, get to a safe place and let deputies handle any sighting.

The Garvin County report matters because it widens the ground on alert. Bryan County is in southern Oklahoma along the Texas line, with Durant as its county seat. Garvin County sits to the northwest, with Pauls Valley as its county seat, on Interstate 35 south of Oklahoma City. A sighting report in Garvin County, even an unconfirmed one, puts drivers and households along that corridor on notice.

What is confirmed, and what is not

Confirmed by the two sheriff's offices, through the Oklahoma City stations: a man identified as Garrett is wanted in Bryan County after shots were fired at a homeowner and at responding deputies, nobody was hurt, and he fled. Garvin County deputies received a report of a possible sighting in their county and issued a public warning on Tuesday night.

Not confirmed: that the man reported in Garvin County was Garrett. Deputies in Garvin County said so directly, and residents should treat the sighting as a warning to stay alert, not as proof the suspect is in the county. Anyone with information should call 911.