Tulsa Police Release Surveillance Video Of Fatal Shooting

<p>Tulsa Police released surveillance video of a fatal shooting that happened Friday morning.</p>

Friday, June 9th 2017, 9:17 pm

By: News On 6


Tulsa Police released surveillance video of a fatal shooting that happened Friday morning.

Investigators say the man was armed with two large knives and refused to listen to officer’s commands.

Reports indicate the sheriff’s department tried at least four times to serve a judge-ordered civil mental health pickup of 29-year-old Joshua Barre for more than a week.

The report says each attempt was unsuccessful and got increasingly hostile, leading to Friday’s shooting.

The report says the first attempted to pick up Barre was June 1st. It says he was armed with a hammer and yelled threats to deputies. Deputies said Barre was inside his home and not posing a threat, so they left.

On June 5th, the report says a neighbor told deputies that Barre was scaring her children. They were unable to find him that day.

June 7th, deputies again found Barre along in his home. According to the report, Barre threatened to kill the officers. They left the scene.

That all led to Friday when sheriff’s deputies requested help from Tulsa police officers after a neighbor saw Barre armed with two knives.

6/9/2017 Related Story: Deputies, Police Officer Shoot, Kill Man At Tulsa Convenience Store

Police also received several phone calls saying something similar.

“Two huge butcher knives in his hands,” the 911 caller says.

Barre was going to the Super Stop on MLK and 46th Street North around 10:00 a.m.  Video shows two men inside the building when Barre opens the door with two knives clenched in his hand.

Police fired, saying they were concerned for the safety of the men inside.

Law enforcement from different agencies swarmed the Super Stop gas station.

Tulsa Police Officer Leland Ashley said sheriff's deputies followed Barre to the store from where he was staying after trying to do another mental health pickup.

"They engage with the individual, who produced two knives. They followed him down to this location," he said.

Within minutes of the shooting, more than 200 people gathered outside the scene.

6/9/2017 Related Story: Crowd Gathers At Scene Of Fatal Tulsa Law Enforcement Shooting

"Let the investigation run its course before you jump to any conclusion," Ashley said. "A lot of people are screaming, yelling."

Some people threw rocks and swore at police.

6/9/2017 Related Story: Community Leaders, TPD Officer Try To Ease Tension After Fatal Shooting

Ashley said they are looking through video to understand what happened.

State Representative Regina Goodwin said Barre's death makes her worried about training and how police are handling mental health calls.

"I'm concerned about the application of that training," she said.

Noting that the incident began for mental health issues, wondering if there is a better way to handle such calls moving forward.

"Where it does not end in the death of someone who had mental problems," Goodwin said.

The names of the officers involved in the shooting have not been released.

Deputies serving in TCSO's Mental Health Unit do have specialized mental health training.

News On 6 has chosen to freeze the video before you see the man shot and fall to the ground.

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