301.519.9237 exdirector@nesaus.org

8.27.19 – KFOR – OKLAHOMA CITY

In the chaos of late-night storms Monday, police were called to a house on an alarm check and shot at a man who turned out to be the homeowner.

It happened around 10:30 p.m. at the 3400 block of NW 25th Street. The storm knocked out the power, and officers said it caused a home alarm to go off.

“When officers arrived, they went up to the front door, knocked on the door, somebody from inside approached the front door with a gun in his hand,” said Oklahoma City Police Capt. Bo Mathews. “The officer stepped back and started shooting at this individual.”

That’s not exactly how the homeowner, Mike Williams, said he remembers it.

Williams said he was sitting in his darkened living room with his gun at hand, ready to protect his home from unwanted intruders.

While he was sitting there, he said a flash of lightning suddenly lit up an officer from behind.

“It went from nobody on my porch to somebody on my porch and within the silhouette, I could completely see a gun,” Williams said. “I didn’t hear him declare who he was. If he did, I didn’t hear it.”

Williams says he gave a warning and saw a flashlight cross the room. That’s when the shooting started.

“I made a split-second decision not to discharge my gun because I didn’t have any background, couldn’t see where my bullets would go, and I could not identify my target 100%,” Williams said.

He retreated to the back of his house, and called 911, uninjured. When he couldn’t reach the officers on his front lawn that way, he called his neighbor across the street who handed an officer his phone. Then Williams came out once he was told he would be safe.

By Tuesday afternoon, Williams still hadn’t slept and continues to clean up the mess left at his home, but he said he holds no ill will.

“I’ve got nothing bad to say about the officer, the Oklahoma City Police Department,” Williams said. “They’re doing a very tough job.”

In fact, he said he feels compelled to apologize for his part in the confusion.

Now, he hopes this will be a learning moment moving forward for other situations like this.

“He was here to try and make sure my house was secure, and trying to help me,” Williams said. “So there’s no way I can sit here and fault him. He just made a quick decision in the dark. He didn’t know who I was.”

The two officers have been put on paid administrative leave.