Deputies kill gun-wielding man
BY MATT BARNARD World Staff Writer
Saturday, April 10, 2010
4/10/10 at 6:08 AM
Sheriff's deputies killed a gun-wielding man Friday morning during a "high-risk" drug raid at what officials said was a motorcycle gang's barricaded hangout.
The Tulsa County Sheriff's Office's SWAT Team was serving a search warrant when its members found a man lying face-down inside the clubhouse at 1826 N. Kingston Place, Sgt. Shannon Clark said.
Three deputies opened fire after the man grabbed a handgun from a nearby bookshelf and turned toward them just after 7 a.m., Clark said. The man died at the scene.
The cluttered, dark building serves as a gathering place for members of motorcycle gangs, Clark said, and the search warrant stemmed from claims of methamphetamine and marijuana activity there.
The name of the man who was shot was not released Friday because his next of kin had not been notified, Tulsa Police Officer Jason Willingham said.
Undersheriff Brian Edwards on Friday would not identify the deputies who were involved in the shooting. They are on administrative leave pending the conclusion of the investigation and an internal review by the Sheriff's Office, he said.
Deputies cordoned off several surrounding blocks after they found what appeared to be a pipe bomb inside the one-story building. The Tulsa Police Department's Bomb Squad examined the device and determined that it was not an explosive.
The search was considered high-risk based on several factors including the building's layout and history of the occupants, Clark said.
"When it comes to something where there could be multiple people, multiple elements inside, they want to use a team that's highly skilled and highly trained," he said. "They have a lot of research that goes into it before they ever ask our SWAT team to do a high-risk search warrant."
A surveillance camera sits above the building's front door, but whether it was operational wasn't immediately clear. A steel-reinforced gate blocked the front door and had to be removed before the deputies could get inside, Capt. John Bowman said.
Neighbors said the club recently had drawn more bikers than usual.
The Rogues Motorcycle Club is listed on several property records related to the building.
A handful of people were in the building during the raid and were questioned by authorities, Clark said. Officials will wait for the results of the search warrant before determining whether any arrests will be made, he said.
World Staff Writer Nicole Marshall contributed to this story.
Matt Barnard 581-8408
matt.barnard@tulsaworld.com
Associated Images:
Tulsa County sheriff's deputies gather near a motorcycle gang clubhouse where a man was fatally shot during a drug raid Friday morning. The man reached for a gun as deputies entered the building in the 1800 block of North Kingston Place, officials said. MATT BARNARD/Tulsa World
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