Last Updated on July 14, 2017, 9:29 AM | Published: July 13, 2017
Oklahoma City police officer Mohammed Tabiai and six officers from the gang unit were looking for Dorsey Glenn Taulbee Jr. on the near southwest side of Oklahoma City before midnight and then into Wednesday morning, June 12.
It is Tabiai’s regular patrol area.
They were familiar with Taulbee, a 33-year-old felon whose aggressive behaviors had been escalating in recent days say police.
Eventually, around 2:30 a.m., the officers spotted his car at the end of a dead-end street. He had parked across from a small house at 2920 SW 23rd Street.
When Taulbee got out and started to enter the house officers confronted him.
He shot at the seven officers, who all returned fire.
Taulbee was found dead inside the house later once the tactical team got a search warrant and went in.
The officers were not injured and are on routine paid administrative leave pending a full investigation of the shooting.
Connection
Free Press talked with a man in front of the house Thursday morning who identified himself as Wayne Snider. He said he owns the house along with a partner.
Oklahoma County tax assessor records show the property belongs to Wayne Snider and Jeffrey Sanders.
He said he also owns several other properties nearby.
“My brother, Robert, lives in this house right here with his girlfriend,” Snider said.
He said he didn’t know for sure why Taulbee would come to that house because his brother didn’t know him at all.
“But, he has this girlfriend living with him right now, and we think she might have known him [Taulbee],” said Snider.
He said he had lived in the neighborhood for some time “without much of any trouble.”
Tabiai
“Relentless” is how Oklahoma City Police Major Nick Elias described Officer Mohammed Tabiai to Free Press six months ago in January.
Elias commands the Southwest Division where Tabiai is assigned.
They were both at Oklahoma City Hall where Tabiai was given a commendation by the City of Oklahoma City.
“I respect this guy,” said Elias about Tabiai. “He’s got a warrior’s heart. He is a solid police officer.”
In January, then OKCPD Public Information Officer Capt. Paco Baldarrama praised Tabiai for his persistence in catching those who prey on the citizens in his patrol area.
“What’s different about Mohammad is that he scratches the surface,” said Balderrama. “When he gets some information – limited as it may be – he’ll search around, he’ll call around, he’ll do some research and then he’ll get the bad guy.”
Next
Thursday, new OKCPD PIO, Capt. Bo Mathews did not have any estimates on when the routine investigation would be complete and the officers returned to duty.
Mathews identified the seven officers involved.
- Sergeant Tyler Head (ten years of service)
- Sergeant Harrison Fincham (nine years of service)
- Sergeant Chase Ladd (five years of service)
- Officer Mohammed Tabiai (five years of service)
- Officer Christopher Malley (five years of service)
- Officer James Runner (three years of service)
- Officer Justin Bailey (three years of service)
Taulbee’s body is now with the Oklahoma Medical Examiner’s office for autopsy. There is no estimate of when the autopsy report will be complete said Mathews.
Founder, publisher, and editor of Oklahoma City Free Press. Brett continues to contribute reports and photography to this site as he runs the business.
