Police Arrest Man And Grandson In West Tulsa Shooting

Police arrested a Tulsa grandfather, his grandson and grandson's friend after a shooting inside a home on West Charles Page Boulevard.

Richard Ward reportedly shot his grandson and the teen's friend in the lower legs with a small caliber revolver Friday morning. One of the boys is 13 and the other 14, according to police.

Sergeant Justin Farley, TPD, said Ward has been the victim of several burglaries recently and suspected his grandson.

According to the arrest report, Ward told his daughter that if he caught his grandson burglarizing his home again he would shoot him.

Ward initially told police he found the two teens in a makeshift room in his garage, without his permission, while he was going to get dog food.

Police say he fired four to five times at the teens.

"It kind of shocked me. I never would have thought that he was involved in anyway cause he don't have a mean bone in his body that I've ever seen," said business associate Chris Hasley.

Hasley has been selling tools to Ward for three years.

"I have never had a problem with him, never seen him raise his voice to anyone, never seen him mad at anything," he said. "He's one of those people where he claims to be a Christian, and he acts the part."

EMSA took both teens to the hospital. Police say the injuries are not life-threatening. Both boys were pretty shaken up and transported quickly, Farley said.

We're told Ward owns an auto body shop near his home and is also a pastor.

The two teens were arrested on burglary complaints, police say.

The grandfather was also booked into jail on two complaints of assault with a dangerous weapon, after he gave detectives a story that was inconsistent with what he first said had happened.

The arrest report shows Ward told detectives he caught the boys in a camper in his backyard and brought them into the house, rather than finding them in the garage. He said a struggle ensued in that makeshift room in the garage and he fired at the teens out of fear.

"I think what we want to avoid and prevent is the immediate use of a handgun to settle a situation. 

"There were circumstances here that will come to light that this was already handled, and the police could have been called," he said.

Ward is quoted in the police report, saying, if he had wanted to kill them, he would have shot them in the head.

Ward is being held on $20,000 bond.