An argument between two men at a Tulsa apartment complex escalated into gunfire Monday, leaving one man shot in the thigh and the suspected shooter in police custody claiming self-defense. The victim is expected to survive, according to police.
Tulsa police officers were called to East Central Village Apartments near Admiral Road and Garnett Road on Monday, according to News On 6. Investigators said two men got into an argument inside an apartment that continued once they moved outside, and one of the men fired a gun twice, striking the other man in the thigh.
Officers Applied a Tourniquet Before EMS Arrived
Responding officers applied a tourniquet to the wounded man before EMSA took him to a hospital, per the same report. He is expected to survive the injury. The suspected shooter was taken into police custody and told officers he acted in self-defense, according to police.
The investigation into the shooting remains ongoing, and no further details about what led to the argument have been released.
Oklahoma's Self-Defense Law in Context
Any self-defense claim in Oklahoma is weighed against state statute. Under Oklahoma Statutes, 21 O.S. § 1289.25, a person who is not engaged in unlawful activity and is attacked somewhere they have a right to be has no duty to retreat and may use force, including deadly force, if they reasonably believe it is necessary to prevent death, great bodily harm, or a forcible felony. The same statute states that law enforcement may investigate such a claim but cannot arrest someone for using defensive force unless it determines there is probable cause the force was unlawful. Those provisions describe the general legal standard and are not a determination about this particular case.
Other Shootings Reported at Tulsa Apartment Complexes
This is not the first violent incident reported at East Central Village Apartments. A separate report described a shooting there that left one person injured, with the victim shot five times — three times in the arm and twice in the legs, per a prior News On 6 account. Another report detailed a man in critical condition after a shooting at Village East Apartments near 21st and Garnett, which police said stemmed from an argument between three people.
