Man refusing to drop knife is shot by Tulsa police officer

A man who was armed with a large knife and was threatening police was shot by a Tulsa police officer.

We're told that police were called about 9 p.m. Thursday by a woman who was afraid that her ex-husband was on his way to assault her at her home located near 2700 South 116th East Place.

The suspect arrived as officers were there.

Tulsa Police Captain Wendell Franklin tells us that "officers continued to challenge him (to drop the knife). He wouldn't obey any command after that. He would not drop the knife."

Franklin said that officers kept backing away from the advancing suspect, up to an intersection in the street.

"They felt they had given him enough space, given him enough time (but) he did not comply with them. One of the two officers fired at least three times and struck the suspect twice. He was actually still combative at that point when they took him into custody." 

He was hospitalized and is expected to recover from the shooting, then the suspect will be charged with assault with a deadly weapon for his actions against the two officers.

Franklin says the officers were not injured in the altercation.

"They are currently going to be placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation."

The woman told police that the suspect had done this before while he was armed with a gun.

"He had been harrassing her for some time and came over tonight and actually called her and told her that he was coming over," Franklin said.