OSBI Identifies Man Shot And Killed By Bartlesville Police

The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation has identified the man shot and killed by a Bartlesville Police officer Wednesday night.

Police say William Cole, 36, assaulted a woman and an officer before the officer shot him. Neighbors describe Cole as “strong” and “violent.”

Police say the incident started and ended at a house at Edgewood Avenue near Frank Phillips Boulevard, but neighbors say, at one point, Cole moved down the street to hide from police.

Neighbor Joshua Carey said what happened Wednesday is not the first dangerous situation he's witnessed from his next-door neighbors.

"Just violent instances that I've seen just here in the last two years that they've lived here," he said.

Bartlesville police searched for Cole while responding to a domestic assault and battery call at the house but police didn't find him at first.

10/26/2016 Related Story: Bartlesville Police, OSBI Investigating Fatal Officer-Involved Shooting

Neighbors said Cole hid inside a house down the street, and when he started walking back, Carey and his girlfriend decided to take action.

"I told her to run in the house, grab the phone and call 911," Carey said.

When police got to the street for the second time, they say a woman came out of the house and Cole followed her, rushing through the door and tackling her to the ground.

Carey said, "I did have a feeling that something bad was gonna happen, just the way he looked and his facial features and how he was walking. He had a plan and he was gonna do something."

Officers used a Taser on Cole but said it didn’t stop him.

Bartlesville police said Cole punched an officer in the face, who then shot at Cole several times.

Cole died at a hospital.

Neighbors said the woman is recovering from head and back injuries at a Tulsa hospital.

"We've all been contacting each other and talking about what we can do for her and what we can do to help keep an eye on the rest of the neighborhood," Carey said.

The OSBI said it will not identify the officer who shot Cole unless he is arrested or charges are filed.

He is on paid administrative leave.

The district attorney will determine if the shooting is justified.