Deputies on leave in wake of shooting death

Kim Poindexter, Tahlequah Daily Press, Okla.
·1 min read

Jun. 25—Two Cherokee County sheriff's deputies are on administrative leave while an investigation into last week's shooting death of a Fort Smith, Arkansas, man plays out.

Sheriff Jason Chennault on Friday morning, June 25, identified Jarret Gray as the apparent victim of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. Chennault said Sheriff's Deputies Curtis Elkins and Kile Turley had confronted Gray after he threatened his former girlfriend.

At around 3:15 a.m. Wednesday, June 23, the deputies responded to a 911 call in the south end of the county from a woman who said her ex-boyfriend was outside her home, harassing her. The woman reported her aggressor was armed with a handgun and had told her if she called for help, he would shoot any law enforcement officers who showed up.

Chennault said that shortly after Elkins and Turley arrived, the suspect began shooting at them. When Elkins returned fire, Gray fled the area on foot. Turley did not discharge his weapon, and initial reports indicate none of the bullets from Elkins' gun struck the suspect.

After additional deputies arrived, a search was made of the area, and Gray was eventually found dead under the porch of a nearby residence. Chennault said it appears Gray crawled under the porch and then killed himself.

The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation is handling the case. Chennault said that as far as he knows, Gray doesn't have a record of trouble with area law enforcement officers.

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