Wanted Man Arrested in Sun Valley

A late-night attempt to locate a wanted man in Sun Valley escalated into a high-speed pursuit and crash, ending with his arrest and injuries to two law enforcement officers.

According to the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office, deputies received information around 11 p.m. on March 26 that a man with an active felony warrant was at a residence near Yukon Drive.

The suspect, identified as Joseph Wheatley, was wanted out of Sparks Justice Court on multiple charges, including evading, assault with a deadly weapon with elderly enhancement, disobeying a peace officer, endangering others, possession of drug paraphernalia, driving without a valid license, failure to stop at the scene of an accident, and having an open container of alcohol in a vehicle.

Authorities say Wheatley now faces additional charges stemming from the incident, including two counts of felony battery with the use of a deadly weapon, one count of felony disobeying a peace officer, and a misdemeanor charge of driving without a valid license.

Deputies, along with detectives from the Human Exploitation and Recovery Operations Unit, the Northern Nevada Drug Task Force, and the Northern Nevada Regional Intelligence Center, responded to the scene.

Investigators say Wheatley left the residence and entered a vehicle parked nearby. When deputies attempted a traffic stop, he fled through Sun Valley at a high rate of speed.

The pursuit ended near the intersection of South Fork Drive and Middle Fork Drive, where the vehicle initially stopped. Deputies used a drone to help locate the suspect and surrounded the vehicle, issuing commands for him to exit.

Instead, authorities say Wheatley attempted to flee again, crashing head-on into both a patrol vehicle and a detective’s car.

After several minutes, Wheatley complied with commands, and deputies took him into custody without further incident.

One deputy and one detective went to Renown Regional Medical Center with injuries. Wheatley was also taken to the hospital for treatment before being booked into the Washoe County Detention Facility.

The incident remains under investigation.