Officer Fatally Shoots Man During Altercation Involving Others

Thursday, July 5th 2007, 6:41 pm

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ A man whom police were trying to question about reports of vandalism in the neighborhood was fatally shot Thursday after an altercation involving two officers and several bystanders, authorities said.

Officers had responded to a vandalism complaint before 2 p.m. at the MacArthur Apartments on N.W. 10th Street, said Sgt. Paco Balderrama. When they made contact with the man, they detained him after he gave what officers called false information.

The officers had placed the man in a police cruiser and were trying to handcuff him when he ran away, Balderrama said.

``It's believed that five to eight individuals _ family members or friends of the suspect _ got into the fight,'' Balderrama said. ``One of the officers unholstered his weapon and fired, killing him at the scene.''

The identities of the man and the two police officers involved weren't immediately released. The officers are on routine paid administrative leave, Balderrama said.

Several individuals who were either involved in the scuffle or were identified as witnesses were taken into custody, Balderrama said.