Dustin Kyle Marris Guilty of Firing on Deputy in Indian Country

Dustin Kyle Marris, 33, of Okemah, Oklahoma, opened fire on a deputy during a high-speed chase through Indian Country, unleashing a barrage of bullets as he sped over 100 miles per hour in a desperate bid to escape. The violent assault left the Okmulgee County Sheriff’s Office deputy in imminent danger, dodging gunfire while attempting a routine traffic stop. Marris, a convicted felon, showed no hesitation in brandishing and discharging a firearm — a move that would seal his fate in federal court.

A federal jury in Muskogee, Oklahoma, returned guilty verdicts on Wednesday, November 3, 2021, convicting Marris on multiple charges: Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to do Bodily Harm in Indian Country, Use, Carry, Brandish and Discharge of a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence, Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, and Felon in Possession of a Firearm. The jury acquitted him on one count of Assault with Intent to Kill in Indian Country, but the conviction on the discharged firearm charge alone carries a mandatory minimum of ten years.

The attack unfolded on November 9, 2020, when the deputy initiated a traffic stop for speeding. Marris refused to comply, slammed the gas pedal, and led law enforcement on a dangerous pursuit. Witnesses and evidence presented at trial confirmed that Marris leaned out the driver’s side door, aimed a handgun directly at the deputy, and fired 3-4 rounds. The barrage echoed through the rural roads of Okmulgee County, lands that fall within the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Reservation — placing the case under federal jurisdiction.

Minutes after the gunfire, Marris lost control of his vehicle and crashed into a ditch. He abandoned the car and fled on foot, vanishing into the night. Law enforcement scoured the area but failed to capture him that evening. The next day, officers tracked him down and arrested him. A search revealed four baggies of methamphetamine weighing a total of 49.38 grams — enough to support a drug distribution charge.

The investigation was led by the Okmulgee County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with prosecution handled by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathaniel Walters and Department of Justice Trial Attorney Brian Lynch. Because Marris is a member of a federally recognized Indian tribe and the crimes occurred within the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Reservation in the Eastern District of Oklahoma, the case was prosecuted under federal law.

U.S. District Judge Ronald A. White presided over the trial in Muskogee and ordered the preparation of a presentence report. Marris was remanded into the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending sentencing. He now faces over ten years in federal prison — a sentence that will reflect the severity of opening fire on a law enforcement officer in Indian Country.