UPDATE 4 p.m.: A McAlester man has been arrested in connection with a fatal shooting that occurred more than six years ago, according to police and court records.
Deraje Nathaniel Jackson, 29, was taken into custody March 20 and booked into the Pittsburg County Jail on a complaint of first-degree murder, authorities said.
The charge stems from the Jan. 1, 2020 shooting death of a man found inside a taxi in the 200 block of West Delaware in McAlester, according to a probable cause affidavit filed in Pittsburg County District Court.
Officers were dispatched to the area around 6:30 a.m. after reports of multiple gunshots. When they arrived, they found the victim, Dustin Parker, in the driver’s seat of a taxi suffering from gunshot wounds to the head, the affidavit states.
On March 20, Jackson told officers he had shot someone about six years earlier and wanted to turn himself in, the affidavit states. According to investigators, Jackson said he had been thinking about the incident and decided to come forward in part because he did not want his actions to negatively affect people he knew, including individuals in the military.
After being advised of his rights, Jackson agreed to speak with investigators and described the events leading up to the shooting.
Jackson told police he had taken a cab ride earlier that night and believed the driver overcharged him, and that a dash cam in the vehicle made him angry. He also admitted to being on multiple drugs, but said that he had not used at the time of the incident. He later returned to the area, waited for the same driver, approached the vehicle and fired multiple shots at the driver while he was seated inside the taxi, the affidavit states.
Investigators said Jackson reported using a Ruger 9mm handgun and told officers he later disposed of the weapon by throwing it into a lake in Missouri after leaving Oklahoma. According to the affidavit, Jackson said he left the area immediately after the shooting, later traveling out of state before eventually returning.
Court records show Jackson has prior felony convictions in Pittsburg County, including offenses involving firearms, burglary and drug-related charges.
The Pittsburg County District Attorney’s Office has formally charged Jackson with first-degree murder. If convicted, the charge is punishable by life in prison, life without parole or death, according to court documents. He was formally arraigned on Monday afternoon and given a $1 million bond.
Original 2:15 p.m.: An arrest was made on March 20, 2026 in connection with the January 1, 2020 murder of Dustin Parker. Deraje Jackson was arrested and booked into the Pittsburg County Jail.
According to a press release from the McAlester Police Department, a Probable Cause Affidavit has been presented to the Pittsburg County District Attorney’s Office for the charge of First Degree Murder, with formal charges pending.
The investigation is still ongoing, and further information will be released when it becomes available.