Tulsa police identify officers in fatal shooting
TULSA — Tulsa police have identified two officers involved in a fatal use of force after a lowspeed pursuit and standoff Monday in north Tulsa.
Officers Robert Marcum and Ben Brandt were identified on Thursday as the officers who discharged their weapons during the incident. Marcum was hired Oct. 1, 1991, and Brandt was hired Jan. 24, 2011. Both have been placed on administrative leave with pay.
Two officers shot Joseph E. Knight, 40, in the 1400 block of North Tacoma Avenue. A third officer fired a less-lethal weapon. Tulsa Police Sgt. Shane Tuell said the department does not “make a practice of identifying officers” who use less-lethal force.
Knight allegedly led police on a low-speed pursuit after fleeing from a routine traffic stop near 1400 N. Peoria Ave. at 1:22 p.m. Monday. The pursuit ended near Pine Street and Tacoma Avenue at 1:30 p.m. when the driver got out of the vehicle with a shotgun pointed at his head.
He was in a standoff with police for about an hour while behind a house before he allegedly tried to kick in the back door of the residence and shot himself in the shoulder in the process.
At this point, he dropped the shotgun. Tuell said the unidentified officer discharged his “launcher,” a shotgun that fires bean bags. The officer fired the bag to prevent Knight from picking up the shotgun. It was unsuccessful.
“It just goes to show that less-lethal isn’t always effective,” Tuell said.
Knight was walking in the side yard with the shotgun in front of him when he was shot by officers. Knight allegedly refused commands to drop the shotgun. The shooting occurred between 2:45 and 3 p.m.
Tuell said it was not immediately clear how much time elapsed between the first use of force and the lethal use of force.
Don Knight, 77, Joseph Knight’s father, told the Tulsa World he tried persuade his son to surrender to police when the standoff started.
“I tried to get him to put the gun down and quit, but it wasn’t working,” Don Knight said.
Officers eventually evacuated the home and told the family to wait up the street.
The Knight family doesn’t believe aspects of TPD’s account of the day. Lucas Knight, Joseph Knight’s 31-year-old brother, said he doubts his brother picked up the shotgun after shooting himself in the shoulder.
“If you blow your shoulder out with a 12-gauge shotgun, you’re going to drop that shotgun,” Lucas Knight said.
Lucas Knight said his brother was going through a tough time. Their sister was murdered several months ago, he said, and Joseph Knight’s girlfriend had broken up with him the day before he was killed.
Joseph Knight had four children, his brother said. He was a proficient roofer, mechanic and remodeler, and enjoyed camping and fishing.
“I love him and miss him a lot and I wish he was still here with us,” Lucas Knight said.
Police reported after the shooting that, at the time of the traffic stop, Knight had an outstanding arrest warrant in Osage County. An Osage County judge issued a bench warrant on June 16 for Knight in a 2015 case, according to court records.
Knight reportedly failed to appear for a hearing that stemmed from an alleged violation of his suspended sentence. Knight pleaded guilty in July 2015 to possession of a firearm after a former felony conviction, assault with a deadly weapon and domestic assault and battery in the presence of a minor. He was sentenced to prison for seven years with four years suspended.
Lucas Knight said about two years ago, his brother was involved in a similar standoff with U.S. Marshals. He had a handgun, but he eventually surrendered, according to his brother.
Department of Corrections officials released Knight on supervision in September 2016, after about a year in prison, according to prison records.
At the conclusion of the police department’s investigation, the case will be forwarded to the Osage County District Attorney to determine whether the shooting was justified.