Oklahoma Trooper Fatally Shoots Pastor; Alleges He Attacked During High Water Rescue; Wife Disputes Police Version
An Oklahoma state trooper fatally shot a man, identified as an assistant pastor of a church, after being allegedly attacked while trying to get him and his brother out of high water that was quickly rising. The pastor's wife disputes the police version of the incident.
Capt. Paul Timmons of Oklahoma Highway Patrol confirmed Saturday evening that Tulsa resident Nehemiah Fischer was killed in the area of Hectorville Road and Bixby Road after a scuffle with two troopers on Friday night, according to Tulsa World.
Fischer was an assistant pastor at Faith Bible Church in Tulsa, according to The Guardian.
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His brother, Brandon Fischer, was in the Okmulgee County jail Saturday on charges of assaulting an officer and public intoxication.
"The water was already fairly deep, and it was starting to rise pretty quickly and it was running pretty rapidly across the road," Timmons was quoted as saying. "They were concerned these guys would be swept away."
Seven people have reportedly died in Oklahoma due to severe weather.
"They would not have gone after the trooper … they would not do that on their own volition," the pastor's wife, Laura, told FOX23.
Timmons added that a gun was found at the scene that allegedly belonged to the 35-year-old man who was killed, but it was not clear whether it had been fired, according to The Associated Press.
"He's not the kind of guy that's going to pull a gun on anybody," Mike Haesloop, who was Fischer's high school basketball coach, was quoted as saying. "He's more one that's going to pray for you."
Haesloop added: "I've known Nehemiah for years. Never known him to drink, never known him to do anything [wrong]. I don't get it. None of this is making any sense. When I got the news that he was shot and killed … You just shake your head and go: 'What is going on, did God run out of good bodies up there?' Because he's the last one you'd think that would be in this kind of trouble."
Neither trooper was injured or had been placed on leave as of Saturday. However, they're likely to be placed on leave soon, Timmons said.
The troopers' names were not disclosed as of Saturday.
The troopers were responding to a stranded motorist call, and the brothers had two vehicles, according to reports. The troopers insisted that the brothers quickly came out of the high water for their safety, but that somehow led to a fight.
"For whatever reason, and this is where it gets a little cloudy, (the men) approached the troopers," Timmons said. "Shots were fired."
The two men were apparently angry that they were asked to come toward the troopers leaving their vehicles behind.
The shooting is under investigation, and more details are awaited.
