Man is fatally shot by officer in standoff
BY Staff Reports
Monday, February 18, 2013
2/18/13 at 6:07 AM
Tulsa police are investigating an officer-involved shooting that left a man dead following a standoff on Saturday night.
An unidentified man believed to be in his 30s was shot and killed by an officer after he reportedly pointed what officers thought was a rifle at them. The weapon turned out to be a BB gun, police said.
Police, shortly after 9 p.m., were called to the Coppermill Apartments in the 7000 block of South Granite Avenue in reference to a reportedly suicidal person.
When officers arrived, the caller told them his roommate had chased him out of their apartment with a knife, police said in a news release.
Officers attempted to contact the man to get him to surrender, but he refused.
The man walked out onto the balcony of his apartment several times but would then go back inside, police said.
Officers also observed flames in the kitchen area of the apartment. It is not known if the man was attempting to set the apartment on fire, police said.
About 10:57 p.m., the man walked onto the balcony once again, police said.
"This time the suspect pointed a rifle at the officers. The rifle appeared to be authentic and had a scope attached. As the suspect pointed the weapon at the officers, one officer fired multiple rounds at the suspect, hitting him at least once. The suspect was pronounced dead at the scene. When officers approached the suspect it was discovered that the weapon was actually a BB gun," police said in the release.
The name of the officer who fired on the man was not released.
The officer will be placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation, police said.
