Police in Oklahoma say that a shootout in Pottawatomie County on Jan. 23 was related to the attempted robbery of a drug dealer. Two men have been taken into custody in connection with an incident that was captured by a home security camera. The footage appears to show a man in a white sedan shooting an assault-style weapon at a dark-colored sedan. The alleged shooter’s girlfriend has also been charged. Police claim that she procured drugs for her boyfriend by stealing them from her employer.
According to court documents, the driver of the dark sedan planned to assault the alleged shooter and steal his supply of drugs. The video footage suggests that this scheme did not meet with success. Police have taken eight people into custody in connection with the incident and are searching for three others. The rifle seen in the video recording has not been recovered by law enforcement according to media reports. The alleged shooter is said to have told police that he sold the weapon.
The man reportedly seen in the white sedan has been charged with shooting a firearm with the intent to cause death and a raft of narcotics counts. The man behind the wheel of the dark-colored sedan is being held at the Pottawatomie County Detention Center on an attempted robbery with a deadly weapon charge. The alleged shooter’s girlfriend faces conspiracy and drug possession charges.
Criminal penalties are generally far more severe when firearms are used, which is one of the reasons why experienced criminal defense attorneys may advise individuals accused of committing such a crime to ask for an attorney and then remain silent. Answering police questions candidly will rarely lead to more lenient treatment, and it might make the job of securing a favorable plea agreement far more difficult for attorneys.
