By John Dobberstein, Editor
The Broken Arrow police officer who fired his service weapon from inside his patrol vehicle toward a passing car after hearing loud popping noises felt he was in imminent danger, Broken Arrow Police Chief Lance Arnold said Monday.
The June 5 incident on Washington Street just west of Aspen Avenue stemmed from an original call about a road rage shooting. Arnold said BAPD detectives have identified and arrested the individual believed to be responsible for the initial shooting that prompted the police response.
At approximately 11:30 p.m. on June 5, officers responded to a report of a road rage incident involving a silver sedan. The reporting party stated that the occupants of that vehicle had fired shots at them.
Investigators confirmed key aspects of the initial report through evidence collected during the investigation, including video footage depicting a muzzle flash and information consistent with the reported vehicle description.
While responding to that call, an officer encountered a silver sedan matching the description provided by the reporting party. Arnold said the vehicle was in close proximity to the reported incident in the same time frame, and traveling at a high rate of speed, as well being driven erratically.
Arnold said that during that encounter, the officer encountered circumstances that, based on the information available at the time, appeared consistent with gunfire. As the vehicle passed, sounds from the vehicle’s modified exhaust were perceived as gunshots. The officer also reported feeling concussive impacts and observing flashes that appear consistent with muzzle flashes.
As the officer prepared to relay these perceived circumstances to other responding officers and dispatch personnel, the vehicle abruptly crossed multiple lanes of traffic, completed a U-turn and accelerated back in the officer’s direction.
Based on the circumstances — including information that the vehicle had reportedly been involved in a shooting moments earlier, the officer’s perception that shots had been fired from the passing vehicle, and the vehicle’s sudden movement back towards him — the officer felt he was facing an immediate threat and discharged his firearm. Arnold said no physical injury or property damage occurred during this incident.
The vehicle was subsequently stopped without further incident. But the driver was unarmed and unaware of the circumstances that had unfolded prior to the traffic stop, police said. Nobody was harmed during the incident.
Investigators also learned that the driver had been demonstrating the sound produced by the vehicle’s modified exhaust system to friends prior to the incident.
“We are dedicated to protecting our community while holding ourselves accountable through a fair and comprehensive review of the facts,” Arnold said.
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