Dramatic bodycam footage released by the Oklahoma City Police Department shows the moments when officers lifted up a mattress to uncover a hiding fugitive armed with a loaded weapon.
The footage shows the officers pick up a mattress inside a travel trailer to reveal Timothy Johnson, a wanted fugitive from another state, hiding underneath.
The incident happened on November 15 around 10.25am in rural McLoud, Oklahoma, a city located southwest of Oklahoma City.
Officers exchanged gunfire with the suspect as the officers ran to take cover from the armed suspect. Johnson, 38, was eventually killed by police.
Officers from the Oklahoma City Police Department lifted up a mattress inside a trailer home on November 15 to find a wanted fugitive
Timothy Johnson, 38, had been hiding out in the storage unit under the mattress for an unknown period of time before officers discovered him
Just seconds before gunfire was exchanged, the officers were seen investigating the bedroom of the trailer
According to law enforcement officials, Johnson was hiding out in the trailer owned by Jennifer Garner, parked in the 14000 block of Iron Road.
‘Garner told officers there was nobody in the trailer, she then gave officers consent to search the trailer, allowing the three officers to make entry,’ said Captain Valerie Littlejohn in a video update on the shooting.
‘Sammy, this is the police department. If you are in here you need to make yourself known,’ Officer Elisa McCoy is heard saying in the footage.
McCoy, the officer whose body cam footage was released, addressed Johnson as ‘Sammy,’ an alias used by the fugitive.
The officers were initially called to the scene after being told a suspect with an out-of-state warrant was inside the home.
While looking around the trailer, the officers notice a bed to the right of the trailer’s entrance, and enter the bedroom to investigate.
Officers had searched the trailer for less than two minutes before lifting up the mattress
This is the gun used by Johnson, the suspect who was shot and killed during an exchange of gunfire with officers from the Oklahoma City Police Department
After less than two minutes of searching the trailer, two of the three officers decide to lift up the mattress, located on top of a storage unit.
Immediately after lifting up the mattress, Officer McCoy sees Johnson, who lifts up his weapon and fires at least one shot directly at the officer assisting McCoy.
McCoy yells ‘gun’ and the two officers drop the mattress on top of Johnson while running toward the trailer’s exit.
Several gunshots can be heard in the background as an officer yells out ‘gun, he’s got gun.’ The officers run to find shelter outside the trailer as McCoy calls for back up with ‘shots fired.’
This is the scene just outside central Oklahoma City, Oklahoma where a wanted fugitive was shot and killed by officer after exchanging gunfire
After shots were fired, a tactical unit was called to the scene to investigate
The tactical scene entered the trailer after the gunfire was exchanged and found the suspect deceased
Seconds later, Officer McCoy and Officer David Mauck re-enter the property and yell: ‘come out with your hands up.’
Rather than exit the bedroom, Johnson fires several additional shots at the officers, injuring Muack in the process.
Muack was struck in the face by flying debris during the gunfire. He was treated and released by medical officials.
A tactical unit that was called in later found Johnson deceased underneath the mattress.
Captain Valerie Littlejohn provided an update on the shooting in a video posted to the police department’s Facebook acccount
‘It was discovered Garner knew suspect Johnson was hiding inside the trailer when she gave consent to search. This led to officers entering the trailer, where they were ambushed by the suspect,’ Captain Littlejohn said in the video.
According to the law enforcement official, Garner was arrested on a complaint of harboring a fugitive.
Sergeant Cody Rodgers, Officer Mauck, and Officer McCoy, the three officers involved, have all been placed on administrative leave as officials conduct an investigation.
