Man Arrested After Shootout With OKC Police Following Eviction Attempt

A man at the center of a shootout with Oklahoma City Police is released from the hospital and booked into jail.

A formal warrant for the arrest of Mario Cruz was filed Wednesday. In it, investigators claim he shot at multiple officers — aiming at them nearly a dozen times. 

A month ago, chaos erupted in a southeast Oklahoma City neighborhood where police say a landlord attempted to evict Mario Cruz.              

“He texted the landlord telling her he wanted to kill everybody in the house,” said concerned neighbor Josh Townsend. 

Police say Cruz pointed a gun at his landlord and triggered a police response.

After Cruz refused to exit the home as a precaution neighbors were temporarily evacuated.

“Probably one of the scariest things in my life,” said Townsend. 

Additional officers were called.

“At that time our tactical team was activated,” said Oklahoma City Police Cpt. Valerie Littlejohn. 

As day stretched into night, police say Cruz emerged from a hole he made through an attic wall and pointed a gun at officers.

“While in this position he began shooting at the officer,” said Littlejohn.        

An affidavit says seven officers were “exposed without cover,” and that one was hit with “shrapnel from the gunshots.”

Police infrared drone cameras show Cruz was hit with a nonlethal round and then fired again.

After jumping out of the house with the gun still in his hand, Cruz ignored police commands and was shot. 

“Sucks that he got shot, but I mean he should have just come out,” said Townsend. 

According to the affidavit, Cruz was armed with a gun reported stolen from a Lawton home in 2022.

Cruz remains jailed on a string of complaints including two counts of shooting with intent to kill.

An officer is also on routine leave.