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Thread: David Anthony Ware - Oklahoma Death Row

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    David Anthony Ware - Oklahoma Death Row









    Suspect captured after 2 Tulsa police officers shot, critically wounded


    By Ashley Ellis
    KTUL News

    UPDATE: Tulsa Police Chief Wendell Franklin asked Monday afternoon for community support as two of his officers fight for their lives – shot in the line of duty during an overnight traffic stop.

    “I’m imploring you, I’m asking (you), to pray,” Franklin said. “And I’m also asking for each and every one of you to take steps to support first responders, support your law enforcement, support all of those doing the jobs that you don’t want to do.”

    The officers who were shot and critically wounded were identified as Sgt. Craig Johnson and Officer Aurash Zarkeshan.

    Johnson has been part of the department since 2005 and was assigned to the Mingo Valley Division as a graveyard supervisor.

    Zarkeshan was a new officer, just completing his training last month.

    “He was out on patrol on his own for less than six weeks,” the chief said.

    Franklin said the shooting suspect, David Ware, got away with the help of an accomplice, who was found and arrested in Broken Arrow. That man has been identified as 29-year-old Matt Hall.

    “This hits home, and it hits home pretty hard for us in law enforcement,” the chief said.

    He pleaded for compassion and unity from the community.

    “I stand before you today, with two officers that are fighting for their lives. We need this community to come together,” Franklin said. “It’s not just Tulsa. As a nation. Because we won’t have what we have without the presence of law enforcement. Law enforcement is ingrained in this culture and has to be.”

    UPDATE: An arrest affidavit released by the District Attorney's Office provides new details of the events that led up to the shooting of two Tulsa police officers.

    According to the affidavit, 32-year-old David Ware was pulled over around 3:20 a.m. near 21st and Memorial in a 2007 Chevy Cobalt with expired paper tags.

    The officers' body camera videos reveal Ware argued with police when they told him they would have to tow the vehicle. Ware refused to get out of the car and began arguing with the two officers, saying they were violating his rights.

    The argument with Ware escalated, lasting approximately three minutes before one officer attempted to tase him, but Ware tore out the taser prongs and continued arguing. The officer again attempted to deescalate the situation by using pepper spray on Ware, but he continued to refuse to get out of the car, according to the affidavit.

    Both officers then tried to pull Ware from the vehicle, but he fought them and grabbed a gun from under his seat before firing on the two officers. Ware shot at each officer several times, according to the arrest affidavit.

    After both officers were down, Ware stepped out of the vehicle and stood over one of them and fired three more shots. He then fled the scene and got into a red Jeep SUV.

    The Police Department said one of the officers is unlikely to survive, and the other is "unstable," according to the affidavit.

    https://ktul.com/news/local/2-police...-in-east-tulsa
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

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    Tulsa officer shot during traffic stop has died, police announce

    Mayor quotes Bible to honor fallen officer

    By Nick Givas
    Fox News

    A police officer and father of two from Tulsa, Okla. has succumbed to his wounds after being shot early Monday morning during a routine traffic stop, authorities said.

    The department announced Sgt. Craig Johnson’s death on Tuesday afternoon, Fox 25 reported. Johnson is survived by his wife, two young children and his parents.

    “He also leaves behind a bunch of brothers and sisters," Tulsa Police Chief Wendell Franklin said, referring to Johnson's fellow officers.

    Officer Aurash Zarkeshan, who was also shot during the incident, had reportedly been out on patrol for less than six weeks. His wounds have not become fatal.

    Police arrested the suspect and identified him as David Anthony Ware, 32. His alleged accomplice, Matt Hall, 29, was also taken into custody.

    “I want to thank the Johnson family for sharing Sgt. Craig Johnson with us, for allowing him to be a part of our department, and for allowing him to serve this community,” the chief added.

    Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum, a Republican, championed Johnson as a hero and quoted scripture to honor his self-sacrifice.

    "In this moment of terrible loss for our city, I can’t help but think of John Chapter 15, Verse 13. 'No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friend.' Sgt. Craig Johnson lost his life protecting the lives of every Tulsan," Bynum said.

    Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt released a statement following Johnson's passing according to Fox 25 and said, "My heart breaks for the family of Sergeant Craig Johnson and his fellow officers with the Tulsa Police Department. I ask Oklahomans to join the First Lady and me in continuing to pray for his family as well as for his fellow officers.

    "My hope is that Sgt. Johnson is forever remembered for the heroism, courage and bravery he displayed while protecting Tulsa for 15 years," he continued. "We will also continue to pray for a full recovery for Officer Aurash Zarkeshan, who was injured in the same senseless act of violence. Our law enforcement officers need the support of their community now more than ever, and I encourage Oklahomans to find ways to show their support for those who keep them protected.”

    Body camera footage showed Ware arguing with the police after he was pulled over for expired paper tags, KTUL reported. Ware refused to exit the vehicle after he was informed that the car would likely be towed.

    The encounter escalated from there before one of the officers tried to tase Ware. He was able to pull out the taser prongs, however, and continued to be belligerent. One of the officers then used pepper spray to subdue him, but Ware remained defiant.

    After the officers tried to forcibly remove him from the car, he retrieved a gun from under his seat and began firing at them. Both men were shot several times, according to the arrest affidavit.

    Ware finally stepped out of the vehicle and fired three more shots as he stood over the wounded policemen.

    https://www.foxnews.com/us/tulsa-off...olice-announce
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

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    Man accused of driving suspect away after shooting 2 Tulsa police officers attempts suicide in jail

    By KJRH Digital News

    TULSA, Okla. — A man charged in the shooting death of a Tulsa police officer and the shooting of another officer attempted to kill himself while in jail.

    Records show Matthew Hall attempted suicide in his cell around July 7. Law enforcement provided treatment until an ambulance arrived and he was taken to the hospital and returned to jail after being checked out.

    Hall is charged as an accessory to a felony and accessory to murder for the shooting death of Tulsa police Sgt. Craig Johnson and the shooting of Officer Aurash Zarkeshan.

    David Ware is charged with first degree murder and shooting with intent to kill. Police say Hall picked Ware up after the shooting and drove him to another location.

    https://www.kjrh.com/news/local-news...uicide-in-jail
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

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    Tulsa police officer killing: Suspect's 14-year history of run-ins with local police began with assault on very same officer

    By Andrea Eger and Samantha Vicent
    Tulsa World

    A look into the lengthy history of arrests and criminal charges filed by local law enforcement against the suspect in the killing of Tulsa Police Sgt. Craig Johnson reveals one striking coincidence.

    The two had come face to face before.

    David Anthony Ware’s first arrest as an adult came 14 years ago, on July 13, 2006. Johnson was the arresting officer.

    “On above date and time at above location, I encountered the suspect,” reads the arrest and booking report in Johnson’s handwriting. “After suspect was in custody, suspect spit on this officer four times.”

    Back in 2006, Ware was 18, about to turn 19 the following month, when police were called to a southeast Tulsa apartment complex. There they reportedly found an intoxicated Ware with a staggering gait, slurred speech and bloodshot eyes, openly urinating in a parking lot.

    But what began as a run-of-the-mill late-night public intoxication call took a turn when Ware became “extremely belligerent” and Johnson and his backup officer opted to call for a special prisoner transport van rather than take Ware to jail in one of their patrol cars.

    The backup officer wrote that as they waited, Ware kicked at and threatened to harm Johnson, spitting on the officer at least four times.

    “Officer Johnson told the subject that if he continued to spit on him and kick at him, that he would use pepper spray. Officer Johnson warned the subject of this at least three times before he sprayed him,” the backup officer wrote in his report, which the Tulsa World obtained through sources.

    “After being sprayed, the subject continued to kick at Officer Johnson and tried to get up. The subject also continued to threaten violent acts upon Officer Johnson saying that he was going to kill Officer Johnson.”

    Making decisions on prosecutions

    Public court records reveal that in the 14 years before Ware’s arrest in the June 29 fatal shooting of Johnson, who was 45, and the shooting of Tulsa Police Officer Aurash Zarkeshan, 26, Ware was charged by Tulsa County prosecutors in 10 other cases.

    Seven of those cases involved allegations of felony offenses, and three were filed as misdemeanors, but Tulsa County District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler acknowledges that many didn’t stick.

    “Oftentimes, cases that come to the District Attorney’s Office present themselves with facts and circumstances that would justify the filing of a criminal charge. As those cases move through the criminal process, there are many instances in which prosecutors have to determine: Can they actually put that case on in front of a judge or jury and have a reasonable expectation of conviction?” Kunzweiler told the Tulsa World on Tuesday.

    “Sometimes those cases are dependent on the availability of witnesses or supporting evidence. Prosecutors have to try to make the best decision they can with the information available to them at the time. It’s not a perfect system.”

    Numerous arrests, fewer convictions

    According to court records, Ware admitted to not complying with the probation and community service conditions of a deferred sentence he initially received in the 2006 case.

    After his felony conviction in a 2008 second-degree burglary case, Ware’s 2006 deferred sentence also became a felony conviction for one count of prisoner placing bodily fluids on a government employee.

    An Oklahoma Department of Corrections spokeswoman said Ware was incarcerated from March 2, 2009, to Oct. 26, 2010, on those two convictions.

    And a Department of Corrections report contained in public court records says Ware’s first contact with the legal system occurred when he was 15, when he received a juvenile court referral in a 2003 malicious mischief case. In 2005, he received a juvenile court referral for violating curfew and possession of cannabis.

    During his adult life, Ware has been arrested and had charges filed but ultimately dismissed in Tulsa County District Court related to allegations of harboring a fugitive from justice, knowingly concealing stolen property, unauthorized use of a vehicle, and domestic assault and battery.

    His misdemeanor conviction record includes drug-related offenses in 2014, concealing a weapon and larceny from a retailer in 2015, larceny again in 2016, and possession of drug paraphernalia and burglary tools in 2017.

    Other public court records show that he entered pleas to charges of public intoxication in Tulsa’s municipal court and in Tulsa County District Court in 2006 and 2008.

    Handling case in ‘an objective fashion’

    Ware, now 32, is being held in the Tulsa County jail on one count of murder, one count of shooting with intent to kill and one count of possession of a firearm after a felony conviction.

    Also charged is Matthew Nicholas Hall, 29, whom prosecutors allege was the driver of a getaway car Ware used to flee the scene of Johnson’s and Zarkeshan’s shootings. Hall is charged with being an accessory to murder and a separate count of being an accessory to a felony.

    Asked whether any additional charges could come of the investigation into the handgun that Ware, a convicted felon, is now charged with using in the shootings, Assistant District Attorney Kevin Gray said he doesn’t yet know.

    “The DA’s Office anticipates receiving reports from the Tulsa Police Department in the next day or so,” Gray said, “and any additional decisions that need to be made about additional charges will be made after we receive it.”

    Prosecutors and Tulsa police on Tuesday both declined to comment on any more specifics in the case, including whether Ware might have recognized Johnson as the officer who arrested him in 2006.

    Kunzweiler said his task at hand is to treat the pending case against Ware “in an objective fashion.”

    “These are emotional cases, and my job is to separate the facts from the emotion and approach the case in an objective fashion, as I would with any case,” Kunzweiler said. “He (Ware) enjoys the presumption of innocence like all people who are charged with crimes.

    “We are prepared to put this case in front of a judge or a jury and let them make the determination about what the outcome ought to be."

    https://www.tulsaworld.com/news/loca...37e61bb.html#1
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

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    More Charges Filed Against Suspected Shooter Of Tulsa Police Officers

    By newson6.com

    TULSA, Okla. - Prosecutors filed more charges against the man suspected of shooting two Tulsa Police officers, killing one of them.

    In addition to murder, shooting with intent to kill and possession of a gun as a felon, David Ware is also charged with obstructing an officer and unlawful possession of a controlled drug with intent to distribute.

    Investigators said Ware shot and killed Sgt. Craig Johnson and shot officer Aurash Zarkeshan during a traffic stop.

    https://www.newson6.com/story/5f0cdf...lice-officers-
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

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    Defense wants video released that shows officers being shot during traffic stop

    A judge will reconsider his decision to temporarily block release of video showing the shooting of two Tulsa Police officers after a defense attorney alleged the footage would contradict claims police made.

    David Anthony Ware, 32, had a not-guilty plea entered on his behalf Thursday morning for four charges, including first-degree murder and shooting with intent to kill, related to the June 29 shooting of Sgt. Craig Johnson and Officer Aurash Zarkeshan. Johnson, 45, died at a Tulsa hospital June 30. Police on Wednesday escorted Zarkeshan's transport to an out-of-state rehabilitation facility.

    In court Thursday morning, defense attorney Kevin Adams said the Tulsa County District Attorney's Office "freely admits their intention" to seek the death penalty against Ware. He said that is part of why he was frustrated to learn a prosecutor received a judge's approval July 6 to prevent release of video footage of the shooting for at least six months, as Special Judge David Guten made the ruling before Adams' appointment on July 14 and before he could respond in court.

    Another issue, Adams said, is that he's received information the footage could refute statements a Tulsa Police detective wrote in an affidavit about Ware reportedly standing over Johnson while shooting him.

    "I don't approve of what Mr. Ware did, but let me tell you what, if Mr. Ware was not charged with killing a police officer, we would not be having this discussion," Adams said. He later told reporters, "Even if you hate Mr. Ware, OK; you ought to, for the rest of us and for the sake of our system, want the process by which the state of Oklahoma is asking to kill him to be completely and totally fair."

    Guten will hold a hearing on the issue Monday afternoon and wrote July 6 that the order could change or be discussed again later. He acknowledged Thursday he "made a decision" not to view the videos before ruling on the state's request, saying, "I didn't think that I needed to do that to make my determination" on the subject.

    Assistant District Attorney Kevin Gray said he would not discuss the specific comment within the affidavit about Johnson's and Ware's positions, but Adams said he based his statements partly on information he received from the state. Adams said it is important for him to see the footage for himself as he prepares Ware's defense rather than relying on the claims of police.

    Gray contended the defense should be able to see the video but said that should be due to obligations to exchange discovery, or evidence, rather than a blanket release to anyone who wants to see it.

    "If we kill the order, quite frankly, the media behind me would have authority under (the Oklahoma Open Records Act) to go next door to TPD and demand it because there would be nothing (legally) to stop them," he told Guten. Adams said, "I just can't imagine in a case like this the state of Oklahoma would sit idly by and watch this get disseminated."

    Although he said he is aware the case is "highly emotional and highly sensitive" for the community, Adams said he believes the information police put in public court documents is designed "to make Mr. Ware look as horrible as possible in the public's eye."

    Gray said the affidavit in question was not written by anyone in his office and also said Brian Martin, an attorney representing Ware's co-defendant, Matthew Hall, agreed with his request to stop the footage from going public while the case is pending. Hall is charged with being an accessory to murder and of being an accessory to shooting with intent to kill, neither of which are eligible for capital punishment.

    District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler has not yet asked for Ware to face the possibility of a death sentence, as those requests generally occur following preliminary hearings. But Gray said the death of a law enforcement officer while on duty is among the list of aggravating circumstances that can be used when asking for capital punishment.

    "That said, like any other case, we'll take a look at it," he said. "We'll evaluate it. We'll discuss it internally and then Mr. Kunzweiler will make a decision on whether to put his signature on a bill (of particulars) or not."'

    Adams, for his part, said the case against Ware will likely be about the question of whether a jury agrees the state has the right to legally execute him in what will be, in his view, an act of retribution for the killing of a police sergeant. He also accused the District Attorney's Office multiple times of "playing politics with the death penalty" and of "gamesmanship," citing past experiences he's had while presenting capital cases in Tulsa County at trial.

    "There are people in our community that are crying out for his blood," Adams said of Ware. "There are people in our community that would like to see him die. And what I would suggest and ask people to think about, with everything that's going on in our community today, with everything that's going on in the world today, do they really think that more bloodshed, OK, that more violence, OK, is going to bring us all together?

    "This is a horrible event. It's a horrible thing. And I don't approve of the acts of Mr. Ware on that morning, OK? But I also don't agree that it's gonna make anything better for the state of Oklahoma to get to kill him."

    https://tulsaworld.com/news/local/de...915947c.html#1
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    Tulsa judge denies motion to release body camera video of officer shooting

    By Sara Whaley
    Fox 23 News

    TULSA, Okla. — A Tulsa county judge maintained his decision to withhold releasing body camera video of the shooting of officer Zarkeshan and Sgt. Craig Johnson during a court hearing Monday.

    The defense of the man accused in the shooting of two Tulsa police officers has filed a motion that would allow for the public release of the body camera video.

    Tulsa County judge David Guten signed an order earlier this month on the state’s motion to prevent the video release for six months, however, that was before the suspected shooter, David Anthony Ware had counsel.

    Ware is accused in the shooting that killed Tulsa Police Sgt. Craig Johnson and injured Officer Aurash Zarkeshan.

    The attorney who’s now been hired for Ware, Kevin Adams, says he wants to see the video and he wants it released to the public now.

    Prosecutors have agreed to provide the video right away to defense counsel upon a proper “discovery” request.

    As for public dissemination, the state stands by its original claim that the video is evidence and that releasing it “will materially compromise an ongoing criminal investigation and/or prosecution and will likely materially compromise the rights of both defendants to receive a fair trial.”

    Matthew Hall is also accused in the investigation. Police say Hall helped Ware leave the scene of the shooting on June 29.

    The defense argues in its motion filed Friday “the release of the video closer to Mr. Ware’s trial is more likely to ‘compromise’ Mr. Ware’s right to receive a fair trial in this matter than just releasing the video now.”

    Adams says he has reason to believe that the claim made in the affidavit alleging that Ware “stands over him and fires three more times into Sgt. Johnson “is an inaccurate description of what actually occurred.”

    Judge Guten set a hearing on the matter for Monday afternoon.

    Adams entered a plea of “not guilty” on Ware’s behalf.

    “This case isn’t going to be about who killed Sgt. Johnson,” Adams said after the formal arraignment on Friday.

    “This case is going to be about one thing, and one thing only, and that’s about if the State of Oklahoma will get to execute David Ware.”

    https://www.fox23.com/news/local/man...NQIOVBRGLD3SE/
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

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    Man accused of shooting Tulsa police officers will face murder trial after details heard in court

    A Tulsa man who is accused of shooting 2 police officers, 1 fatally, will face a jury trial on 1st-degree murder and other charges.

    But a judge said Wednesday that she agreed at least partly with a defense attorney's claims that video of the officers' June 29 encounter with the defendant doesn't match statements made in police records.

    Special Judge April Seibert found probable cause for David Anthony Ware to proceed to trial on charges of murder, shooting with intent to kill, drug possession with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm after a felony conviction in the death of Sgt. Craig Johnson and wounding of Officer Aurash Zarkeshan.

    Ware's co-defendant, Matthew Hall, waived his right to a preliminary hearing on charges of accessory to murder after the fact and accessory to shooting with intent to kill after the fact. Hall did not testify on Wednesday. Both will next appear in court on Tuesday.

    Defense attorney Kevin Adams renewed his call for the release of the videos, telling Seibert their contents significantly differ from public comments made by authorities, including Police Chief Wendell Franklin.

    Seibert watched the footage privately and kept in place a July order from another judge that withholds it from public release.

    "I don't disagree that there are some inconsistencies," Seibert said of the videos, though she did not go into detail. Franklin, Adams said, made an inaccurate comment to the media about Ware "slowly" walking away from Johnson.

    District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler said of Adams' comments: "I think that Chief Franklin certainly kind of articulated that there were some things that may have been said that were later corrected by I think (Homicide Lt. Brandon) Watkins in his report to what — how things unfolded on the video."

    In a motion last month, Assistant District Attorney Kevin Gray said Watkins asked a detective at the scene to watch and summarize the contents of Zarkeshan's patrol car video, ostensibly so the information could be included in Ware's arrest warrant.

    However, an affidavit inaccurately stated that Ware fired three shots at Johnson as he stood over him while he was injured. Watkins described the error as "likely a conflation and poor understanding" of the sequence of events from Sgt. Ben Elliott, who did not testify.

    "You got officers who are arriving on scene in the early morning hours and see two of their comrades on the ground with gunshot wounds to the head, and they're desperately trying to find the suspect," Kunzweiler said. "It's rapidly evolving. We recognize that."

    Kunzweiler downplayed the significance of the error and cautioned against placing "undue emphasis on one particular piece of evidence."

    Adams said the videos also show that Johnson and Zarkeshan breached departmental policy because Johnson, according to him, kicked Ware twice and Zarkeshan muted his body-camera audio multiple times.

    Officer Kurth Sires and Detective William McAllister testified about hearing Zarkeshan request that more units respond to the traffic stop and then hearing that 2 officers were down. McAllister said Zarkeshan sounded stressed when he made the request for backup.

    "I saw Sgt. Craig Johnson lying on his back between a patrol car and another vehicle," Sires said. "Officer Zarkeshan was on his stomach." He said he turned Zarkeshan over while another officer rendered aid to Johnson.

    Sires, who helped collect Zarkeshan's body camera for evidence, told Adams on cross-examination that "per policy, I'm not to mute my body camera" on duty.

    McAllister testified that he saw $2,400 in cash and a casino payout receipt in the passenger seat of Ware's Chevrolet Cobalt and a Taser barb on the floor mat on the driver's side. Ware's wallet was outside the car, McAllister said. Court documents state that a Taser deployment was unsuccessful.

    Detective Kyle Ohrynowicz testified about suspected drug evidence that was in a bag on the driver's seat, while Detective Matthew Farrell said items in Ware's apartment — including drugs, ammunition and cash — suggest that he was a dealer.

    Adams countered with indicators that Ware is a drug user rather than a dealer and said Ware's possession of cash does not automatically mean it was from drug transactions.

    In finding probable cause on the drug distribution charge, Seibert pointed to testimony about the quantity of drugs, a possible written accounting of transactions and the presence of scales.

    Asked to describe the behavior of drug addicts, Farrell said, "Drug addicts are typically erratic. It's their mannerisms and the way they conduct themselves. Track marks, that sort of thing.

    Adams pointed to a soda can found in the apartment and said it was clear that Ware had cut it so he could use it to consume drugs.

    Kunzweiler said out of court that he believes the case is "eligible" for seeking the death penalty and said an internal case review with top prosecutors is "in the works." He also said investigators are still gathering evidence in the case.

    "We're not going to litigate this case in front of the media. We're going to put this in front of a judge and a jury," Kunzweiler said.

    (source: Tulsa World)
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

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    Tulsa FOP reacts to judges ruling to release video evidence from David Ware shooting

    By Ethan Hutchins
    KTUL News

    TULSA, Okla. (KTUL) — The Tulsa Fraternal Order of Police in an emotional interview is reacting to a judge’s ruling today to release bodycam and dashcam footage involving the David Ware shooting.

    “I'm sure everyone in Northeastern Oklahoma will watch the end of my friends life," said Tulsa FOP Chairman Jerad Lindsey

    While a judge has ruled to release graphic video evidence in the David Ware murder case, Jerad Lindsey with the Tulsa Fraternal Order of Police says he doesn’t want to commercialize Sergeant Craig Johnson's death.

    “It’s going to be clickbait and it’s going to drive views in the media and I don’t see what's the use in this court case this video being released now, I don’t see how it helps," said Lindsey.

    All of this after weeks of arguments in court between the Tulsa County District Attorneys Office, and David Ware's attorney and his accused getaway driver Matthew Hall's attorney.

    Ware's attorney Kevin Adams says the video proves police lied about what happened.

    Specifically that Ware did not stand over Sergeant Johnson and fire three additional shots into him and walk away.

    “We’re talking the difference of standing next to somebody or Lebron James’s wingspan, both of those are standing over somebody; if you’re down on the ground and your gun’s not out and the other person intentionally shoots you, that’s standing over someone and killing them," said Lindsey.

    Tulsa County District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler spoke after the ruling echoing his previous remarks against the footage being played outside the courtroom.

    “This is too important of a case to our community and I don’t want to be contributing to anything that might cause any difficulties to the families, for local law enforcement or for the courts," said District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler.

    But despite the ruling, the footage won't be public until Monday after Tulsa police release it following a press conference.

    We expect only three videos, Johnson’s body cam and Officer Aurash Zarkeshan's body cam and dashcam.

    Footage that Lindsey says won’t fully reveal the gravity of that moment.

    “You need to see the aftermath, you need to see what his brothers and sisters went through, picking him up, trying to get him to the hospital; you need to see that too if you’re going to watch some of it, you need to watch all of it," said Lindsey.

    Monday’s press conference is scheduled for 9 a.m. Monday.

    https://ktul.com/news/local/tulsa-fo...-ware-shooting
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

  10. #10
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    Police chief releases video of officers being shot, says video should stay in courtroom

    By Cory Smith
    KTUL News


    NOTE: This story contains a roughly 6-minute, edited version of video provided by police of the traffic stop and interaction with the suspect, David Ware. NewsChannel 8 has chosen to stop the video right before Ware shoots the officers. The entire incident – from Officer Aurash Zarkeshan pulling Ware over to the shooting that severely wounded Zarkeshan and claimed the life of police Sgt. Craig Johnson – lasted about 17 minutes.

    This abbreviated, edited video should give you a good idea of what the officers encountered that night.


    WHILE THIS VIDEO DOES NOT SHOW THE SHOOTING, WE ENCOURAGE VIEWER DISCRETION.


    TULSA, Okla. (KTUL) – Before the Tulsa Police Department released video of two officers being shot, Chief Wendell Franklin urged the public to avoid watching.

    He said the public shouldn’t be able to “see the execution of a police officer.”

    “What kind of society is that?” he said.

    The video, recorded on Officer Aurash Zarkeshan's patrol car camera and body-worn cameras on Zarkeshan and Sgt. Craig Johnson, shows the suspect shoot both officers after a traffic stop in the overnight hours of June 29.

    Johnson died from his wounds.

    Zarkeshan was severely wounded.

    Franklin said this video “is the most incriminating piece of evidence that we have,” and he said it belongs in the courtroom, and not in the public’s view.
    But the judge ordered the video's release, and Franklin’s department is complying.

    Franklin also dismissed reported inconsistencies between the video and the police report.

    “Realistically, the discrepancies don't matter,” the chief said. “It doesn't matter if that suspect stood 1 foot in front of our officer, over our officer, and fired the fatal round, or if he was 6 feet or 7 feet back. Doesn't matter. Does not matter at all. Doesn't matter if he walked away or if he trotted or skipped or jogged or did cartwheels away from the scene. Doesn't matter. Two officers were gunned down.”

    Franklin said the video shows the officers gave the suspect, David Ware, dozens of commands and had exhausted their nonlethal options – a stun gun and pepper spray – in an effort to get Ware out of the car.

    He said the car had an expired tag, they needed to tow the car, and Ware was acting nervous. Franklin said the officers needed to get Ware out of the car to further their investigation.

    The video also shows the alleged accomplice’s car arriving on scene after showing Ware calling for help.
    The alleged accomplice, Matthew Hall, is accused of driving Ware away from the scene after the shooting.

    Franklin said Zarkeshan originally pulled Ware over because of a wide turn that, combined with the time of night, could indicate an intoxicated driver.

    Ware started shooting the officers 17 minutes after he was pulled over, according to the video.

    https://ktul.com/news/local/body-cam...to-be-released
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

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