Last Updated on March 29, 2021, 5:52 PM | Published: March 29, 2021
OKLAHOMA CITY (Free Press) — The Oklahoma City Police Department has identified their two officers who shot and killed Curtis Montrell Williams Saturday while rescuing a Jail officer who had been taken hostage.
Lt. Coy Gilbert and Officer Kevin Kuhlman were both involved in the shooting and have been placed on routine administrative leave while an investigation is launched. All officer involved shootings are investigated by the department.
For Kuhlman, this is the second shooting resulting in a death since December, 2019 when he and a sergeant shot and killed a man weilding a gun in a two-hour standoff.
It is not known at publication if the two officers are on the OKCPD Tactical Team.
Gilbert and Kuhlman were among the officers who were able to arrive quickly and join with the Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office Tactical Team.
Oklahoma County Sheriff Tommie Johnson III said in a news conference late Saturday that they needed more than their three that had arrived quickly in order to have a large enough number of officers to restore order to the tenth floor of the jail where the jailer had been taken hostage.
It is a part of the jail’s procedures to call for help from the Sheriff’s Office when there is a major disturbance in the jail according to Jail Administrator Greg Williams.
Williams was shot and killed by Gilbert and Kuhlman. The jailer who had been taken hostage was transported to the hospital and is reported to be in good condition.
The body of Williams is now with the Oklahoma State Medial Examiner.
OKCPD Public Information Officer Capt. Dan Stewart said in a news release that the jailer was treated at the hospital for injuries from being beaten and stabbed in the incident.
This is the main part of the narrative given by Stewart in that news release:
“As officers entered the pod, they encountered inmate Curtis Williams who was holding a makeshift weapon to the throat of the detention officer. Seeing that the life of the detention officer was in imminent peril, Lt. Gilbert and Officer Kuhlman discharged their firearms, killing Mr. Williams.”
Administrator Greg Williams told Free Press Monday in messages that the incident did not occur during med pass as he had first thought and said in the Saturday news conference.
Instead, he said the incident involved only the officer when meal trays were being picked up.
The routine is for food trays to be handed through the “bean hole” in the cell doors which is made for that purpose.
But, the officer was asked to open the door to let the detainee remove trash from his cell. That’s when detainees rushed the officer, subdued him and took his radio and keys.
They, then started unlocking cells nearby.
Founder, publisher, and editor of Oklahoma City Free Press. Brett continues to contribute reports and photography to this site as he runs the business.
