Man suspected of shooting and killing LeFlore County deputy being held in Sequoyah County
By Brett Rains, Adam Roberts, DMM
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Oklahoma (KHBS, KHOG) — The man accused of killing a LeFlore County deputy on Sunday is expected to be formally charged today, the district attorney told 40/29 News..
Deputy Thomas “Walker” LeMay, 30, was the deputy killed while responding to a trespass call and welfare check.
Edgar Lara, 36, is accused of opening fire when law enforcement arrived at his home, according to the OSBI.
Lara is being held in the Sequoyah County Detention Center. When a person is accused of killing a law enforcement officer, it’s standard policy to hold a suspect outside the area it happened.
A preliminary court hearing will be held after formal charges are filed.
The district attorney says investigators will continue to interview witnesses and family members.
Wister Police Chief Andy Thompson was also hurt in the shooting. He was back home as of Tuesday afternoon.
Deadly shooting LeMay and Thompson were shot while responding to a request for a welfare check at a home along U.S. Highway 270 near Wister at about 11 a.m. Sunday, according to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation.
When Lara opened fire, law enforcement returned it, according to the OSBI. Lara barricaded himself inside the home. He surrendered at about 4 p.m. and was treated for minor injuries.
“There were no other subjects involved. Nobody else is at large. So the community is safe at this time,” McKee said earlier.
The OSBI is leading the investigation into the officer-involved shooting at the request of the sheriff’s office. Agents are processing the scene and working to determine what led to the welfare check and the shooting.
“An exact motive behind that, I don’t think we have that,” McKee said.
The agency said multiple law enforcement departments assisted in the response, including local, state, and tribal agencies.
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