By Police1 Staff
TULSA, Okla. — Police have released footage of a shootout that left one officer wounded.
The suspect, 34-year-old John Terry Chatman Jr., was charged Wednesday for his role in the gunfire exchange that occurred at a QuikTrip in early July, Tulsa World reported. The Tulsa Police Department also released body cam footage of the shootout the same day.
On July 3, two Tulsa officers, identified as Officers M. Cawiezell and D. Bean, initially stopped to talk to Chatman, who was in a van in a motel parking lot, before letting him go. As Chatman drove away, the officers ran the van’s license tags and found that they didn’t match the vehicle.
The officers initiated a traffic stop at the QuikTrip and attempted to identify Chatman and get him to step out of the vehicle. As Chatman refused to step out and argued with the officers, Sgt. M. Parsons arrived and warned Chatman he would use a pepper ball on him if he continued to ignore police commands.
When Parsons eventually fired a pepper ball at Chatman, the suspect drew a gun and started shooting at the officers. The officers returned fire as one of the LEOs pulled Parsons, who was shot in the thigh, to cover.
Tulsa Police Sgt. Shane Tuell said Parsons “continued to command the scene after he was shot.”
“I can tell you I don’t know a whole lot of people with that work ethic,” Tuell said.
Chatman was seriously injured in the shootout and was taken to a hospital, where he currently remains. Police said a warrant has been issued for his arrest.
Parsons was also treated and is on medical leave. Bean and Cawiezell are on administrative leave, per policy, as the investigation into the shooting is ongoing.
Chatman faces a number of charges, including three counts of shooting with intent to kill.