TULSA, Okla. — A man is dead following an officer-involved shooting in north Tulsa Tuesday morning after a reported crash and domestic-related incident that escalated into a police confrontation.
According to the Tulsa Police Department, officers were called to a reported injury collision at 36th Street North and North Hartford Avenue around 7:22 a.m. Investigators said the suspect was inside a Nissan Frontier pickup truck when he allegedly shot at his girlfriend while she was driving.
Police said the driver panicked, causing the truck to veer on and off the roadway before crashing into a Ford F-150 at the intersection. The collision caused the F-150 to flip and roll onto its side, officials said. The driver and passenger of the F-150 suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
After the crash, authorities said the suspect exited the Nissan and told his girlfriend, “I’m not going back to prison,” before fleeing the scene. Police said he then ran toward the driver of the Ford F-150 while pointing a gun.
TPD said the suspect fled into the area behind Walt Whitman Elementary School, prompting the school to be placed on lockdown as officers searched for him.
Officers later located the suspect in a nearby pond and commanded him to come out. Police said the man made a threatening action, leading officers to open fire.
Emergency crews arrived and pulled the suspect from the pond, where he was found suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The suspect has since been identified as Mitchell Folsom, 50, according to police.
The incident remains under investigation, and authorities said they are still searching the pond for the firearm. The officers directly involved have been placed on administrative leave, and once the investigation is complete, the findings will be turned over to the District Attorney’s Office to determine whether the shooting was justified.
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