OKLAHOMA CITY — A dispute on Oklahoma City’s Southside resulted in one person being shot and killed Tuesday afternoon.
The death is homicide number 66 for the City of Oklahoma City in 2024.
Patrol officers with the Oklahoma City Police Department were dispatched to the 1800 block of SW 18th Street at 4:27 PM.
When they arrived they found one person, 31-year-old Arturo Martinez, who had been shot and killed inside a residence.
From their initial investigation, detectives now believe that Martinez drove to the address to settle some sort of dispute “between himself and an occupant of the house,” according to MSgt. Gary Knight with OKCPD.
Detectives now believe that Martinez pulled a gun and pointed it at the head of the person with whom he had the disagreement.
“A third person who saw what was transpiring, retrieved a gun and shot Mr. Martinez, killing him,” said Knight.
Detectives interviewed the shooter and eventually decided not to arrest him at the time “pending further investigation.”
While this is a homicide, the shooter is considered to have been defending the safety of the person with the gun to his head.
MSgt. Knight told Free Press that an individual is allowed by law to shoot another person in self-defense if they believe that they or another person are in “imminent peril.”
Knight said that the DA can still decide to file charges once they review the case even though an arrest was not made at the time.
Founder, publisher, and editor of Oklahoma City Free Press. Brett continues to contribute reports and photography to this site as he runs the business.
