Oklahoma City Police have disclosed the details of a tense standoff on Labor Day, which escalated into an officer-involved shooting, as OKC FOX reported, officers responded to a situation near S Shields Boulevard and Southeast 41st Street after reports of a man later identified as Mario Cruz firing shots at an individual, these events leading to a failed negotiation in both English and Spanish and a long standoff with the police's Tactical Unit.
As KFOR described Cruz was involved in a three-hour standoff with police earlier this month where Joe Fitzgerald a neighbor witnessed the precipitating events, stating "I was coming across the street and I heard the gunshot and split second after that, I heard it hit the street and ricochet up, you know, sound like somebody throwing a rock in the street", this incident causing alarm in the neighborhood. The standoff,eventually led to the release of body camera footage capturing officers urging Cruz to exit his residence peacefully, "We need you to come outside with your hands in the air. We can’t leave until we talk to you. Come outside with your hands in the air," can be heard in the footage.
Amid the stressful cascade of events, Cruz barricaded himself inside his home and eventually made his way into the attic, where he created an opening in a wall to aim a firearm at officers which was corroborated by News9, that shared a statement from Capt. Valerie Littlejohn of the Oklahoma City Police Department, "Once Cruz was able to open up part of the wall, he pointed his firearm at offices multiple times from an elevated position". The confrontation concluded with Cruz being shot by an officer after he jumped down and confronted them while still armed.
Despite the violent confrontation and the prior threats to neighbors's safety, Cruz survived the incident and is currently hospitalized, Capt. Littlejohn also disclosed that after Cruz was shot, "After being shot at, one of the officers deployed a 40 millimeter less lethal round striking Cruz in the body,", this action led to Cruz ultimately discarding his weapon and allowing for his apprehension, according to News9. Cruz is expected to face charges following his recovery, while the involved officer has been placed on routine administrative leave as part of the ongoing investigation.
