Okla. police release dramatic video of deadly shootout with fugitive
OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma Highway Patrol release dashcam and aerial footage Tuesday showing a car chase and deadly gun battle with a man suspected in a series of violent crimes across the state.
Troopers shot and killed 38-year-old Michael Vance on Sunday near Leedey, 130 miles northwest of Oklahoma City. The videos show Vance’s vehicle as it’s pursued by police, shots ringing out, sending troopers scrambling as Vance speeds through a roadblock around 9:55 p.m.
As one trooper gained ground on Vance, aerial footage shows rounds peppering the ground and striking the vehicles, while the two exchanged fire. Footage from inside the trooper’s vehicle show him firing an M4 rifle while driving.
Vance eventually got out of the pickup truck he was driving, allowing it to roll backward toward police as he used crouched behind, firing shots at troopers from an AK-47 that police say was given to him by one of three people charged with aiding his flight from the law.
Guided by the overhead helicopter, five troopers returned fire, striking and killing the suspect.
Vance was suspected in a string of violent crimes across the state, including the killing of two relatives and the shooting of three law enforcement officers. He was the subject of a weeklong manhunt. Authorities believe Vance had been camping in a remote area near the western Oklahoma town of Hammon.
At a press conference on Tuesday, Oklahoma Department of Public Safety Commissioner Michael C. Thompson called Vance “a violent guy.”
“He was a violent criminal with no regard for public safety. No regard for public life.” Thompson said.
Tim Estes, the police chief in Wellston, Oklahoma, where two officers were injured in a gunfight with Vance on Oct. 23, said both officers are expected to recover, though one will require months of rehabilitation.