21-year-old shoots at passing cars, then is killed by police, Oklahoma cops say
A 21-year-old was fatally shot by an officer after he fired multiple times at passing cars, Oklahoma police say.
Police arrived to the area on May 15 to find Elmer Vargas shooting at passing vehicles, Tulsa police said in a Facebook post. Callers said he had fired multiple shots, according to police.
Vargas continued to fire at cars, and an officer returned fire and struck the man, police say.
Vargas died at the scene, police said.
“We responded to the suspect’s actions. He was clearly representing a continuing threat to citizens and to officers. And so the officers had to do what was necessary to stop that threat,” Tulsa Police Capt. Richard Muellenberg told KWTV.
The officer involved in the shooting was placed on administrative leave, per standard procedure, according to police. Evidence, including body camera footage, will be reviewed by the Tulsa County district attorney to “make an independent determination on the officer’s actions,” according to police.
This story was originally published May 16, 2024 at 5:51 PM with the headline "21-year-old shoots at passing cars, then is killed by police, Oklahoma cops say."
