News

Cops Inadvertently Shoot 3 Children in the Face & Head While Pursuing Robbery Suspect

NewsPublished May 6, 2019
By Kaitlin Stanford
Oklahoma police investigate the pick-up truck moments after the shooting.WFLA

A tragic scene unfolded in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, after police allegedly fired at a robbery suspect in a pickup truck -- and accidentally shot three young children in the process. WFLA reports that the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI) said the injuries were not life-threatening, though an interview with the children's mother seems to indicate their conditions are critical.

The incident happened on April 26, after police pulled over a suspect in an April 11 armed robbery of a Pizza Hut in Hugo, Oklahoma.

The suspect was 21-year-old William Devaughn Smith, who was riding in the pickup with Olivia Hill and her four children when two police officers reportedly approached the vehicle. 

Moments later, gunfire broke out.

In the process, three of the four children riding in the car were wounded, along with Smith.

The children, who are 5, 4, and 1, were taken to a Tulsa, Oklahoma, hospital, where they continue to be treated for their wounds. Smith was taken to a hospital just over the Texas state line, and later booked in a Texas jail on charges related to the robbery.

But many of the details surrounding what happened -- and why -- are still being investigated.

“What happened between the contact with him and when police fired, we’re still trying to put that together,” said Brook Arbeitman, a spokeswoman for the OSBI. “The OSBI is still investigating whether he fired at police and whether he was armed.”

The KFLA report, however, did shed some light on how the altercation may have occurred. It's alleged that Smith threw the pickup truck in reverse in an effort to get away from police, and he hit one officer and nearly hit another. It's believed shots broke out when at least one officer surrounding the vehicle began to fear being killed.

Meanwhile, the children remain in the hospital, and their mother is understandably sick with worry.

As Hill told KXII-TV, their injuries are far from minor.

“My 4-year-old daughter was shot in the head, and she has a bullet in her brain, and my 5-year-old has a skull fracture,” Hill said. “My 1-year-old baby has gunshot wounds on her face. My 2-year-old wasn’t touched with any bullets.”

Although those injuries are heartbreaking just to hear, it's almost impossible to imagine witnessing them happening to three of your children, all within mere seconds.

"I mean, my children, for crying out loud," Hill said, her voice breaking. "Four innocent little children!"

Hill did not elaborate further about the incident to reporters, and as of now, her relationship with Smith is not fully known.

According to a post on the OSBI Facebook page, an investigation into the shooting is ongoing, but a report will be released soon once more is known, including how many police officers were involved. In the meantime, the two police officers involved in the shooting have been put on paid administrative leave, notes KXII-TV.

As for the original robbery Smith is wanted in, he remains in custody. TIME reports that according to witnesses, a man entered the back entrance of the Pizza Hut restaurant and "pressed an object to an employee’s back and demanded money" -- which the worker handed over before the robber left.

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