Video shows man shooting at police during chase in Oklahoma
(NewsNation) — Police in Oklahoma have released body camera footage of a vehicle chase that began when a man opened fire on deputies serving eviction papers, leaving one officer dead and another wounded last month.
The video released by the Oklahoma City Police Department shows the chaotic moments after Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office deputies Bobby Swartz and Mark Johns were shot at while were serving eviction papers at a house in Oklahoma City. The suspect, Benjamin Plank, 35, also fired at a third deputy that day, police have said.
Swartz was killed and Johns was wounded during the shootout at the home, from which Plank fled in a pickup truck hauling a boat.
The bodycam video shows more than a dozen squad cars chasing Plank down the highway. At one point, a deputy clips the back of the boat in an attempt to disable the truck.
Plank opened fire during the chase, hitting a squad car multiple times, the video shows.
He eventually came to a stop at the entrance of Tinker Air Force Base and exited the truck with his hands in the air. In the video, multiple deputies run up to Plank, deploy their Tasers, and take him to the ground to arrest him.
Sheriff Tommie Johnson previously spoke to NewsNation, commending officers for their efforts.
“Officers did their job, they maintained their level head, professionalism and respect during this traumatic situation,” he said.
Police found multiple firearms inside the truck, along with hundreds of rounds of ammunition.
Plank has been charged with first-degree murder, shooting with intent to kill, assault with a deadly weapon and shooting from a vehicle.
Oklahoma City Police Chief Wade Gourley said during a news conference in the days after the shooting that police believe Plank planned to kill any officers that came to his house that day.