An Oklahoma man was taken into custody Monday, accused of shooting two deputies, killing one, and opening fire on authorities during a highway chase, officials said.
The gunfire erupted after Oklahoma County sheriff’s deputies tried serving eviction papers at a home southwest of Oklahoma City, Sheriff Tommie Johnson told reporters.
A suspect, who hasn't been publicly identified, went from the front door to the back door, Johnson said, and “that’s when the shooting began."
When one of the deputies was struck, the other tried to help him, Johnson said. He was also shot.
The deputies were rushed to the hospital, Johnson said, tearfully.
“Law enforcement is a tight community,” he said. “They were screaming across the state for my guys.”
The sheriff's office said in a statement later that one of the deputies had died. The other was stable.
Authorities identified the fatally wounded officer as Sgt. Bobby Swartz.
After the shooting, the suspect fled on Interstates 35 and 40, NBC affiliate KFOR of Oklahoma City reported. Aerial video showed the suspect driving a pickup towing a small powerboat.
"During the pursuit, the suspect was firing rounds at the officers, and we had officers returning fire at the suspect,” Oklahoma City Police Capt. Valerie Littlejohn told reporters, according to KFOR.
Littlejohn said the man was armed with a rifle.
The suspect was taken into custody without incident roughly 10 miles away, at the entrance to Tinker Air Force Base, Johnson said. Aerial video from KFOR showed officers placing a shirtless, handcuffed man into the back of an SUV.
Littlejohn said it wasn't clear why the suspect drove to the base.
Citing court documents, KFOR reported that a judge had approved an eviction request for the home where the shooting occurred within the last week.
The homeowner claimed a relative owed $1,500 in back rent, according to the station.
Additional details about the shooting or the eviction weren't immediately available.
