Officers fatally shoot SUV passenger in Oklahoma City

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Two sheriff’s deputies and an Oklahoma City police officer opened fire on an SUV passenger during a traffic stop, killing him, after they say the man pointed a gun at them early Wednesday, authorities said.

The 30-year-old man was in the back seat of an SUV that was stopped at about 1:30 a.m. for a traffic violation by two Cleveland County sheriff’s deputies when an Oklahoma City police officer stopped to offer assistance, police Capt. Larry Withrow told The Associated Press by phone. One of the deputies saw the man holding a gun, he said.

“He actually began pointing the gun at one of the deputies and all three officers opened fire,” Withrow said.

The man, whose name was not immediately released, died at the scene.

Withrow declined to speculate as to why he would point a gun at the deputies and officer. He said the man was white, but he didn’t give the races of the deputies or officer, who were put on leave pending the outcome of the investigation into the shooting, which is standard practice.

The Oklahoma City police officer was identified as Sgt. Julian Barrie, a 6-year veteran. The deputies were identified as Colten Harris, a 6-year veteran of law enforcement who has been with Cleveland County for a year, and Jordan Norris, who has been on the force for a month.

There were two other people in the SUV — a 25-year-old driver and a 16-year-old in the front passenger seat. Neither they, the deputies nor the officer were injured, Withrow said. He said he didn’t know how many shots were fired or how many struck the man who died.