Wagoner County DA Clears Wagoner Police Officers In Deadly Shooting

Russell Hulstine, NewsOn6.com

WAGONER, Oklahoma -- Two officers involved in the shooting of a man with a knife in the parking lot of McDonalds Restaurant in Wagoner on August 16, 2011 were justified according to the Wagoner County District Attorney.

In news release, DA Brian Kuester said the use of deadly force was justified in the shooting death of 58-year-old Charles Hundley of Coweta.

Wagoner Police say Hundley went into the McDonald's restaurant and started causing a scene.  Someone inside called for help and when police arrived, the man was outside in the parking lot.

8/17/2011 Related Story: Police Officer Shoots, Kills Coweta Man At Wagoner McDonald's

Kuester says Hundley approached officers Jamie Powell and Kevin Higginbottom with a knife.

"Oklahoma law says that police officers are justified in using deadly force when in the performance of his legal duty, he reasonably believes the use of deadly force is necessary to protect himself or others from the infliction of serious bodily harm," Brian Kuester said. "The evidence shows that these officers had every reason to believe that had they not used deadly force when they did, Charles W. Hundley would have caused one or both of them serious bodily harm."

The two officers were placed on routine suspension following the shooting.