Three Oklahoma law enforcement officers fatally shot a black man while trying to pick him up for a mental health issue on Saturday, triggering a protest on a city street that prompted dozens of officers in riot gear showing force.
Tulsa county sheriff’s deputies were attempting to pick up 29-year-old Joshua Barre near his house, but the man walked away and to a nearby convenience store instead, Tulsa police spokesman Leland Ashley said.
Two deputies and a Tulsa police officer opened fire before Barre could enter the store when they discovered that he was carrying two knives and became concerned about the safety of the people who were inside the business, Ashley said.
The deputies who fired the shots are white and the police officer is black. All three have been put on routine administrative leave. It’s not clear how many times Barre was struck.
