A former Pittsburg County jailer, who was named a Detention Officer of the Year in 2024, has been arrested and charged with attempted robbery with a weapon and child neglect.

Jose Kirkes, 33, of McAlester, is alleged to have attempted to take Oxycodone pills at Lakeside Pharmacy as well as a back brace at about noon on Saturday, June 21.

A clerk at the pharmacy chased the suspect away with a pistol and he reportedly fled to McAlester in a maroon 2019 GMC Sierra pickup truck.

Witnesses who saw the suspect fleeing in the truck used cell phones to take pictures of the vehicle and its license plate. Eufaula Police Sgt. Josh Cummings said the license plate was traced to Kirkes.

He said Kirkes’ juvenile son was in the back seat of the pickup during the attempted robbery.

McAlester Police arrested the suspect shortly after the attempt and placed him in the jail where he had once served as a jailer. Eufaula police then picked him up and placed him in the McIntosh County Jail.

The suspect made his initial appearance in court Monday, June 23. The Associate District Judge entered a not guilty plea on his behalf and set bond at $100,000.

Kirkes’ next court appearance will be at 9 a.m. on July 22 for a prepreliminary conference.

In a probable cause affidavit filed by Cummings, he received a call shortly after noon Saturday about a man fitting Kirkes’ description, carrying a gun and demanding Oxycodone.

Kirkes allegedly first entered the pharmacy and looked at back braces before demanding the clerk turn over all the store’s Oxycodone.

Cummings reported that he was told by McAlester police that the suspect has a bad back.

He reportedly looked at back braces, left the pharmacy and returned five minutes later, picking up a brace and taking it to the clerk and demanding the narcotics.

The clerk said she saw the outline of a pistol in the robber’s pants and ran out of the pharmacy, returning with her own pistol and chasing the suspect away.