Last Updated on March 28, 2021, 10:41 PM | Published: March 27, 2021
OKLAHOMA CITY (updated 8 a.m., 3-28-21) — An Oklahoma County Detention Center (jail) officer was held hostage by several detainees Saturday afternoon ending in one suspect detainee being shot and killed by police.
The officer was taken to the hospital and is considered to be in good condition.
The situation began on “10-David” — the 10th floor, D pod — when an officer accompanying medical staff was overpowered by a detainee when his cell door was opened to give him medication.
Tactical Teams from the Oklahoma County Sheriff’s office and the Oklahoma City Police Department entered the jail and regained control.
The officer who shot and killed the suspect was from the OKCPD Tactical Team.
News conference
At the news conference around 8:30 p.m. Saturday, Oklahoma County Sheriff Tommie Johnson said that deputies responded soon after the call for help went out but because their deputies are scattered throughout the county only three could arrive quickly.
That’s when they asked the OKCPD Tactical Team to join them to mass enough numbers to enter the jail and gain control of the floor where the hostage situation was underway.
OKCPD Chief Wade Gourley said that he would have no information to tell yet because they will have a number of officers who they will need to interview and begin the investigation that they always do with an “officer-involved shooting.”
Jail Administrator Greg Williams had little information immediately at the news conference except that the jail would be on lockdown tonight as usual overnight but would stay that way longer as they investigate what happened.
He did say that the situation started when a detainee rushed the officer when they opened the cell door during “med pass” time. That’s when the jail medical staff give out prescribed medications to detainees.
According to our sources, typically there is only one officer who accompanies the medical staff during med pass.
And, jail cell doors are not equipped to pass medications to detainees, check to make sure they took it, and check vital signs without unlocking and opening the door.
Williams said that the nurse was not injured and that he did not know how many officers were working with medical staff Saturday on the 10th floor.
Live video
It seems that one detainee had a cell phone and was broadcasting the situation live on Facebook.
KOCO-TV reporter Storme Jones posted this video on Twitter showing what seems to be a Facebook video of the hostage takers an a hostage, although that has not been confirmed.
Oklahoma City Free Press has been covering Oklahoma County government and the jail as a part of our ongoing Oklahoma County coverage. To learn more, search “jail” from the home page to see our ongoing coverage of the jail and issues with the transfer of operations of the jail to the Oklahoma County Criminal Justice Authority or Jail Trust.
Founder, publisher, and editor of Oklahoma City Free Press. Brett continues to contribute reports and photography to this site as he runs the business.
