TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – A police chief in Oklahoma says the fatal shooting of a hammer-wielding man was “necessary.”
Tahlequah police on Friday released a video of the Aug. 12 shooting death of 49-year-old Dominic Rollice of Park Hill by Lt. Brandon Vick and Officer Josh Girdner.
On the video, officers repeatedly tell Rollice to drop the hammer he’s holding and each time he says no. Rollice then moved his arm backward with the hammer in his hand and police open fire.
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Tahlequah Police Chief Nate King said the move indicated a possible intent to attack. King said the officers’ reaction was “necessary, not just justified.”
The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation is investigating the shooting and will provide a report to the district attorney, who will decide whether the shooting was justified.