Family Accuses Wilburton Police Officer of Murder

Tuesday, August 10th 1999, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

Wilburton police officer Tom Mosley shot and killed Wayne Houston after pulling Houston over for speeding on July 31st. The News on Six went to Wilburton in Latimer County on Monday to talk with the fathers of the victim and the man accused.

Protestors are still picketing for justice and have been doing it for four days. They believe a police officer murdered Wayne Houston and they're asking anyone who agrees with them to honk their car horns in support. "These are people that know we're right, know I'm right," said Bud Houston, father of the man who was shot. If we weren't, they wouldn't be honking or driving past here. They'd be looking the other way. These people know we're right."

Protestors say Houston's face had bruises, which leads them to believe someone beat him. They say he had bruises around his wrists, which makes them believe he was handcuffed before he was shot. The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation says Wayne Houston was handcuffed, but it was after he was shot, not before. When Houston ran through a wooded area, he stumbled twice, which allowed Wilburton police officer Tom Mosley to pepper spray him. According to police reports, that's when Houston picked up a brick and threatened to throw it at the officer. The officer shot him twice, in the chest and the stomach. He said the suspect was still a threat and that's when he handcuffed Houston.

Mosley's father says his son is not a murderer. "The guy wasn't dead. My son said, 'I'll take you out of here, I'll carry you out. But I have to handcuff you"', said Bill Mosley, the police officer's father. "Because if Tom put him over his shoulder, his hands would've been right by his gun. He's no fool and he's cautious. Tom approached him and he started kicking, that's when he handcuffed him," he continued. Mosley says people have called and threatened to kill his son and entire family. He says his son faced an awful choice, but made the only decision he could. "I hate it that it happened, but I'd rather it be somebody outside the law that was shot than my son," said Mosley.

Bud Houston wishes his son wasn't the one that was shot. He says his son's offenses, which included speeding, driving with a suspended license and smoking marijuana, weren't worth dying for and he wants the officer punished. "We want criminal charges filed because it was murder, out and out murder," said Houston. Houston also told the News on Six if that doesn't work, they'll try to get a grand jury investigation.

Kreb's mayor said the city's police department fired officer Mosley about 18 months ago, but wouldn't say why. The OSBI hopes to have its investigation done Tuesday except for the toxicology results on the victim, which could take 12 weeks.