Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Deputy Thomas 'Walker' LeMay Killed in Welfare-Check Ambush in Oklahoma

State investigators report no ongoing threat to the public.

Overview

  • Officers answering a welfare check near Wister were fired on Sunday around 11 a.m., triggering hours of gunfire before a suspect surrendered near 4 p.m.
  • A LeFlore County deputy died at the scene and a Wister police officer was taken to a hospital in stable condition, according to state investigators.
  • Authorities identified the suspect as 36-year-old Edgar Lara, who was treated for minor injuries and booked into the LeFlore County Jail as formal charges are prepared.
  • The sheriff’s office named the fallen deputy as Thomas “Walker” LeMay and invited tributes, placing his patrol vehicle on the LeFlore County courthouse lawn.
  • OSBI says no one else is at large and is leading the review of motive and potential charges after a response that included the sheriff’s office, Wister police, and the U.S. Forest Service.