Watch Armed Suspect Struck by 2 Vehicles while Fleeing Okla. Police
What to know
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Oklahoma police linked a 34-year-old suspect to multiple shootings and carjackings last month that left several victims dead or wounded across multiple apartment complexes.
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An automated license plate reader and air support helped track the suspect after he fled a traffic stop and drove erratically, leading to a foot pursuit.
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The armed suspect was struck by two vehicles he tried carjacking before he was fatally shot by Oklahoma City police.
Oklahoma police stopped an armed suspect accused in a series of shootings carjackings after he was struck twice by vehicles he appeared to be trying to carjack last month.
The incident began at about 4 a.m. Nov. 22 when Moore police received a report of a shooting at an apartment complex, KOCO-TV reports. At the scene, a woman was found dead, and a man was found with a gunshot wound.
Police then received a call at another apartment complex. When officers arrived, they found an unresponsive man who had suffered a medical emergency in the parking lot.
According to police, the man was rushed to the hospital, where he died. It was later discovered that his vehicle had been stolen, and Oklahoma City police had located it at the scene of a carjacking.
The suspect—later identified as Deante Hawthorne, 34—was accused of abandoning the vehicle and carjacking another. He then allegedly fatally shot another person just before 12:30 p.m.
An automated license plate reader eventually spotted the stolen vehicle, and officers responded to the scene.
Police tried to stop Hawthorne, but he fled, kicking off a pursuit. An air unit followed Hawthorne, who drove erratically off the road and into oncoming traffic.
The vehicle chase ended when Hawthorne got out of the stolen car and began fleeing on foot.
Still armed, Hawthorne tried to carjack a vehicle on the interstate. But an SUV ran him down and knocked his gun out of his hand after Hawthorne stood in front of its path.
Hawthorne was able to get back on his feet and retrieve his gun, but he was grazed by another vehicle. Finally, police shot the still-armed Hawthorne.
The suspect was rushed to the hospital, where he died.
The shooting is under investigation.