Fiance Of Man Killed In Officer Involved Shooting Speaks Out After D.A. Rules Shooting Justified

The fiancé of a man killed in an officer involved shooting is speaking out after the Rogers County District Attorney announced that officers were justified in their use of force.

Stephanie Perdew was engaged to Duane Preciado, an Air Force veteran who was killed in what began as a welfare check.

“Protocol needs to be changed because it’s not just one person’s life they affect. They affect many lives when they do this,” said Perdew.

Perdew says Owasso police didn’t do enough to deescalate the situation when they showed up to her home on March 21st.

6/11/2018 Related Story:  DA Finds Owasso Officers Justified In Fatal Shooting Of Veteran

Her attorney, Ronald Kaufman, agrees.

“The tone of the officers gives me a lot of concern,” he said. “They went to his home because they were concerned he was going to commit suicide and then they shot and killed him.  That in itself speaks volumes.”

District Attorney Matthew Ballard states in his decision that the officers didn’t enter his residence.

That is something Kaufman disagrees with. He claims the officers pushed the door open, which he believes is proven on body cam video.

“Anyone who watched it would think there has to be more of this,” he said.

“I still can’t get any answers,” said Perdew. “I don’t even know where he was shot at.  Nobody will talk to me.”

3/22/2018 Related Story: Owasso Man Shot By Police Suffered From PTSD, Family Says

The D.A. and Owasso Police Department say they don’t plan on making any more public comments about this case. At the time of the shooting, they released the following statement:

“The Owasso Police Department is saddened by the necessity to take a life. In the vast majority of incidents, officers are able to de-escalate a situation or use or use lesser means of force to resolve an issue. In this instance, Preciado gave the officers no choice but to defend their lives and the lives of innocent citizens in the neighborhood. After Preciado threatened to shoot the officers, they retreated to safety. Preciado left his home armed with two loaded firearms while stating his intent to kill the officers. Preciado refused to drop the guns and instead pointed the guns at the officers, forcing them to shoot.

“Mr. Preciado spent many years in defense of our country. His life should be honored for this service and not tarnished by the choices he made on this day. The Owasso Police Department wants to extend its gratitude to the citizens of Owasso for their show of support for our officers and the empathy expressed for the Preciado Family.”

The two police officers are back on duty.