What started as a Sunday afternoon gunfire report turned into a tense standoff on the edge of Oklahoma City, as police tried for hours to coax a barricaded man into surrendering after he allegedly shot at a vehicle.
Officers surrounded a building in the 14000 block of Iron Road, a property that carries a McLoud mailing address but sits inside Oklahoma City limits. They set up a perimeter as negotiators went to work and tactical units staged nearby in case things took a turn for the worse.
According to KOCO, the standoff began around 1:20 p.m. Sunday after a call that someone had shot at a vehicle and then barricaded inside the building. Police responded by closing nearby roads and maintaining a heavy presence while negotiators repeatedly tried to reach the person inside.
Armored support on site
A Lenco BearCat armored vehicle was brought in to give officers protected access to the area and to help with any evacuations that might be needed. The Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office notes that the BearCat is typically used in hostage, barricade and other high-risk operations to shield both first responders and civilians while tactical and negotiation teams do their work.
Negotiators trying to de-escalate
Trained crisis negotiators on scene focused on slowing everything down, listening and trying to build enough rapport to talk the suspect out peacefully instead of forcing an entry. The FBI’s Law Enforcement Bulletin has outlined how, over decades, coordinated training between negotiators and tactical teams has helped resolve many barricade situations without further violence…