Police in Tulsa, Oklahoma say two officers are in critical condition after being shot and that the suspect is now in custody after a search of more than seven hours.
2 min read
TULSA, Okla. – Two police officers in Tulsa, Oklahoma, were shot and seriously injured on the east side of town on Monday morning, and police arrested the suspected gunman after a search of more than seven hours, authorities said.
David Anthony Ware, 32, was arrested around 10:45 a.m., Capt. Richard Meulenberg said.
Police had been searching for Ware since 3:30 a.m. after he allegedly shot two officers during a traffic stop. Officers – Sgt. Craig Johnson and rookie officer Aurash Zarkeshan remained in critical condition Monday afternoon and were “fighting for their lives,” said Police Chief Wendell Franklin.
Zarkeshan had been on patrol for less than six weeks after graduating from the police academy in the spring, Franklin said.
The two officers were attempting to remove Ware from the vehicle, and one officer had already deployed a Taser and pepper spray in an attempt to remove it.
“When they were able to get the driver out of the vehicle, the driver pulled out a gun and fired several bullets,” said Franklin.
The motive for the shooting was unclear and Ware did not have a known bias toward police, Meulenberg said.
“I clearly didn’t want to be arrested,” said Meulenberg.
After officers were shot, Ware walked away from the scene and was picked up by an “accomplice” who had arrived in a separate vehicle, Franklin said. That man, Matthew Hall, was later arrested on Broken Arrow, Franklin said.
“He got on the phone and called that person while they were detaining him,” he said.
Ware has been charged with two counts of shooting with the intent to kill and unlawful possession of a firearm, court records show. They did not mention an attorney who could speak on Ware’s behalf.
.
