The Oklahoma Highway Patrol has identified a Tulsa man who died late Friday after being shot by an OHP trooper who said he was attacked during a call southeast of Liberty.
OHP Capt. Paul Timmons confirmed Saturday evening that Nehemiah Fischer was killed in a reported scuffle with troopers. His brother, Brandon Fischer, was booked into the Okmulgee County jail on complaints of assaulting an officer and public intoxication.
Timmons said the shooting occurred in the area of Hectorville Road and Bixby Road, and that authorities had received a report of a stranded vehicle on Bixby Road around 9:20 p.m. Friday.
Troopers arrived to find Nehemiah and Brandon Fischer, who appeared to be pushing a vehicle that had stalled due to flooding, Timmons said.
“The water was already fairly deep, and it was starting to rise pretty quickly and it was running pretty rapidly across the road,” he said. “They were concerned these guys would be swept away.”
A trooper on the scene told the brothers to get to higher ground, and a physical confrontation occurred soon after, Timmons said.
“For whatever reason, and this is where it gets a little cloudy, (the men) approached the troopers,” he said. “Shots were fired.”
Timmons said a weapon was recovered from one of the suspects, but it wasn’t immediately known which man had the weapon or whether shots were fired at the troopers, the Associated Press reported.
It wasn’t clear Saturday whether one or both troopers at the scene fired at the men, but Nehemiah Fischer was struck and died at the scene.
Timmons said Brandon Fischer was uninjured.
Authorities did not describe what kind of altercation may have occurred between them and the troopers.
Both troopers are expected to be placed on leave while OHP investigates the incident, Timmons said, adding that investigators will attempt to talk to Brandon Fischer.
Neither trooper was injured, Timmons said.
