Witness To NW OKC Officer-Involved Shooting Speaks Out

Police confirmed two officers are on routine administrative leave while they investigate a deadly officer-involved shooting that happened following a brief chase in northwest Oklahoma City overnight.

Police said the shooting happened near NW 22nd St. and Villa Ave. and say the officers opened fire on a car that was heading straight for them.

Police have identified the driver of that car as Glenn C. Lewis, 37, of Oklahoma City. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

According to police, shortly after midnight Lewis led police on a short pursuit in the area and even let a passenger out of his car who was arrested nearby. But police say it was when Lewis drove down a dead end street at NW 27th Street and Youngs Blvd. that things escalated quickly.

Both police and witnesses say Lewis made a U-turn and almost ran over the officers who had blocked him in. Witnesses say they heard officers yelling at the car to stop before they fired their weapons. 

2/25/2015 Related Story: OKC Police: Suspect Shot, Killed After Attempting To Hit Officers With Car

“They discharged their weapons in order to protect themselves,” said OKC Police Capt. Paco Balderamma. “Because they felt their lives were threatened and that was the outcome.”

Michael Denney lives along the street where the confrontation and shooting took place. And it was his car that the driver slammed into after being shot by police.

"He turned to the left and then accelerated right at the cop and then past him,” said Denney. "I believe the police officers were doing the right thing."

News 9 checked and Lewis is a felon with a long criminal record. Police say he also had an outstanding warrant out for drug possession. But police say officers did not know that when they tried to pull him over.

Daylight revealed the trail of damage left behind. Both shattered glass and tire tracks marked the spot where the pursuit and shooting took place. You can see the path the car driven by Lewis took, right before it crashed into Denney's car which was parked on the other side of the street.

"Hit the front panel and the door and a little bit of the back panel but not much," said Denney.

Denney is just thankful nobody else got hurt.