Tulsa County DA's Office Taking Precautions In Wake Of Texas Killings

Prosecutors across the country are on high alert, as police search for the person who gunned down a Texas district attorney at his house.

Although that tragedy happened miles away, Tulsa County District Attorney Tim Harris said it has prompted his office to take extra precautions.

Harris said this is the perfect reminder that crimes can happen to anyone, but he said he refuses to live in fear.

"No prosecutor should have to lose his life to maintain justice," Harris said.

Harris has been a prosecutor for 26 years. It's a job that he doesn't take lightly.

"There are some risks that go along with this job, but, certainly, I don't think anybody anticipates you're going to be murdered for what we do," Harris said.

On Saturday, police found a north Texas district attorney and his wife dead inside their home. Investigators say someone shot the couple multiple times. This comes just eight weeks after the DA's assistant was gunned down in broad daylight.

"I think we live in a day and age where you've got to take your personal safety and the safety of your family into consideration," Harris said.

Harris survived a threat against his life in 2010. The plot was hatched by someone behind bars for murder and warranted 24-hour protection for Harris and his family.

"I can't say it scares me, but do I take it seriously, yeah," Harris said.

So serious, that the killings in Texas prompted him to send letters to his staff.

"In my email, I told people, 'Hey, you can't be on autopilot. You have to be thinking about your situation and looking at circumstances,'" Harris said.

Harris said the Tulsa County Sheriff has done a great job securing the courthouse and a lot of his assistants are also armed at home.

"You can't assume anymore that it won't happen to you," Harris said. "You don't necessarily see a boogeyman behind every bush, but you have to understand there is a boogeyman behind a bush sometimes."

Harris said he believes this will motivate prosecutors to fight even harder to put criminals in prison.

"We're prosecuting cold killers. I understand that, but I'm not going to live in fear," Harris said.

We also spoke with Tulsa County Judge James Caputo. He's in charge of the criminal division and said, just last week, he spoke with the sheriff's office about providing a protection training class for judges.