Last Updated on August 22, 2022, 7:15 PM | Published: August 22, 2022
OKLAHOMA CITY (Free Press) — (UPDATED 7:12 p.m. 8/22/22) — A suspect is in Oklahoma City Police custody following two Oklahoma County Deputies being shot in the backyard of a home where a “lock out” or eviction notice was being served.
One of the deputies, Sgt. Bobby Swartz, has died. The condition of the other deputy in surgery at OU Medical Center in OKC has been changed to “stable” after having started as “serious” according to Sheriff’s Office PIO Aaron Brilbeck who spoke amid tears at the scene of the shooting.
Earlier news reports as well as ours said that the suspect was in the Oklahoma County Detention Center (OCDC) or Jail. But, at 6:49 p.m. Mark Opgrande, spokesperson with the OCDC, responded to our questions in an email that the suspect was “not in the facility yet.”
But, a quick check with the OKC Police Department on-call PIO Jon LaPuzza at 7:10 p.m. produced information that the OKCPD detectives still had him in custody for processing evidence and interviews.
The incident occurred near S.W. 78th and S. Youngs Boulevard around 1:30 p.m. in a neighborhood.
According to news reports, one of the deputies was shot twice and the other once.
What deputies call a “lock-out warrant” is an eviction notice giving a resident a court order to move out of the property.
Both deputies were regularly detailed to serving warrants and were experienced in the process.
A chase followed the shooting and ended when Oklahoma City Police cornered the suspect at the Air Depot gate at Tinker Air Force base. The man was taken into custody with no others being injured.
According to a news conference by Captain Valerie Littlejohn, PIO for the OKCPD, their officers exchanged fire with the suspect as he was fleeing in a pickup truck pulling a ski boat. Littlejohn reported that he did have some sort of “long gun” in his possession when he was arrested.
In a news conference outside the hospital, Sheriff Tommie Johnson was overcome with emotion, broke down, and Brilbeck, also in tears, concluded the news conference. Brilbeck has told news outlets that they need time and will not give an update until Tuesday morning.
The shooting came as an extreme shock to law enforcement personnel, especially from the Sheriff’s Office not accustomed to their deputies being shot.
Brillbeck said that he believed the last time an Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Deputy was shot was “one hundred years ago.”
In fact, the last time a deputy was shot and killed was June 14, 1935, when the Sheriff’s Office was called the “Oklahoma County Constable’s Office.” Constable Joseph W. Wood was the last officer killed in the line of duty until Monday.
Commissioners express sorrow, outrage
Oklahoma County commissioners work closely with the Oklahoma County Sheriff and see numerous deputies on a daily basis as they rotate through the various security posts in the Oklahoma County Courthouse and the Annex. The news hit two of them hard, Monday.
Oklahoma County District 1 Commissioner Carrie Blumert quickly put out a statement about the line-of-duty death.
“I am sad and angry to learn that two of our Deputies have been shot today in the line of duty,” said Blumert in a prepared statement. “Tragically, one of those deputies succumbed to their injuries. It’s a sad day in Oklahoma County. Our Deputies, as well as all law enforcement officers across Oklahoma County, work daily to keep the citizens of Oklahoma County safe. My thoughts and prayers are with our two deputies, their families, and all the members of the Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office.”
District 2 Oklahoma County Commissioner Brian Maughan released the following statement later in the day:
“On behalf of the entire Oklahoma County family, I wish to extend our heartfelt sympathy to the family of Sgt. Swartz and to the other deputies involved in Monday’s tragic shooting,” wrote Maughan in the prepared statement. “Three sworn law enforcement officers were performing vital duties when they were maliciously attacked by a suspect who also fired upon other law enforcement officers and endangered the public in a lengthy chase. We owe a great debt to the officers who brought that pursuit to a successful conclusion with no additional injuries or loss of life.
Most of all our thoughts, prayers and best wishes go out to the Swartz family, and by extension to all of the members of the Sheriff’s office. May they know that we stand with them in this time of loss.”
Founder, publisher, and editor of Oklahoma City Free Press. Brett continues to contribute reports and photography to this site as he runs the business.
