A fatal officer-involved shooting that occurred in Lawton is currently under investigation by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI), sources confirm. On the evening of September 23, Lawton Police officers were executing a felony arrest warrant at a home located near Northwest Lake Avenue and Northwest 14th Street when the incident took place, resulting in the death of 34-year-old Terralyn Whalin.
As reported by KFOR, officers arrived at approximately 6:00 p.m., and upon arriving at the scene, they made contact with Whalin who was observed to be in possession of a gun. Despite instructions to drop the weapon, Whalin refused, leading to the shooting. No other injuries have been reported, and the OSBI has been requested to oversee the unfolding investigation.
Further details from OKC FOX add that after the commands to drop her gun were not complied with, the officers were then involved in a shooting. The specifics of the altercation and what precisely led to the use of lethal force have not been made clear at this time.
According to a statement by OSBI Information Officer Hunter McKee obtained by SWOKNews, "Whalin was armed with a firearm" at the time of the incident. After failing to obey commands to drop the weapon, the fatal shooting occurred. This incident adds to a number of officer-involved shootings that are under scrutiny. Lifesaving measures were administered to Whalin, but sadly, she was pronounced dead at the scene.
The Lawton Police Department hasn't released more details about the shooting. However, they have confirmed that the OSBI is leading the investigation to provide a full account of what happened that evening.
