Shot 17 Times, An Arizona Lawman Shares Story With Tulsa County Deputies

By Ashli Sims, The News On 6

TULSA, OK -- He was shot 17 times and lived to tell the story.  He was in Tulsa on Wednesday night so other law enforcement officers can learn from the shoot-out that almost took his life.

It was 2:30 in the morning.  Sgt. Glen Powe's SWAT team was serving a warrant on a man suspected of running drugs and guns.  They went for the door and rushed forward.  But, the breach failed.

They had to rip the door off before Sgt. Glen Powe could enter.  The second he hit the door shots rang out.  There were 47 fully-automatic rounds.

"I felt the pain before I actually heard the gunfire, but I knew almost instantly that this wasn't going to end very well," said Maricopa County Sheriff's Sgt. Glen Powe.

Powe was shot 17 times.  He was hit all over his body from his chest, shoulder, back and leg.  His left hand was severely mangled.

His squad was able to pull him out and they took the suspect down.  He says it could have happened to anyone.

"Anywhere. The guy that shot me was 60 years of age. This can happen in any jurisdiction on any high risk operation," said Maricopa County (Arizona) Sheriff's Sgt. Glen Powe.

After a month in the hospital and 40 operations over two years, Sgt. Powe is showing the gritty video and sharing his story.

"It was gut wrenching and I certainly admire these guys' courage in being able to talk about this openly and honestly," said Tulsa County Sheriff's Chief Deputy Tim Albin.

Tulsa County Sheriff's Office Chief Deputy Tim Albin says Powe's story carries an important message.

"Don't confuse being good with being lucky. It's important to understand that in any point in time these things can go bad. And so, you need to plan for that and train for that and be ready for it," said Tulsa County Sheriff's Chief Deputy Tim Albin.

Powe and his team went through their tactical plan, preparation, and crime scene photos with law enforcement officers in Tulsa.  They also shared what they did right and almost more importantly what they did wrong.

"That's why we feel like it's important for us to come here and be extremely honest with people. And, we talk honestly about the mistakes that were made that night so that they don't duplicate those mistakes," said Maricopa County (Arizona) Sheriff's Sgt. Glen Powe.

Sgt. Powe and his team have the third largest sheriff's department in the country.  The shootout was caught on camera because they were working with a British film crew for a series on Court TV.