TULSA, Okla. — A man accused in a shooting at a Tulsa convenience store died after trying to get away from police late Wednesday night.
The Tulsa Police Department released a statement Thursday explaining what happened after officers responded to the initial robbery call and after officers caught up to the people suspected in the shooting.
Officers responded to the initial call of an armed robbery at the 2-Go Food Mart near Pine and North Yale around 8:30 p.m. Police arrived to find a person had been shot and two people responsible for the robbery and shooting left before officers arrived.
Minutes later, police tried to stop the driver on Pine near Highway 11 and chased them west of Tulsa International Airport to a dead-end street near East Xyler Street and North 69th East Avenue where the driver and another person jumped out of the car and ran in different directions. Police say 40-year-old Ramond Thompson ran behind a house, climbed a metal railing on the patio and jumped over the edge.
Police say Thompson tumbled more than 30 feet down a steep, rocky embankment into the woods. A police K9 tracked him down as he moved about 300 feet from the house, biting him on the upper arm until an officer could put him in handcuffs.
Police say they walked him out of the woods to the closest street to meet paramedics. TPD's statement says Thompson was conscious but fell a few times and had difficulty breathing.
Firefighters arrived and gave Thompson medical treatment before paramedics arrived and took him to the hospital where he died.
Investigators say their preliminary findings suggest Thompson had injuries consistent with a serious fall that likely contributed to his death. A medical examiner will determine the official cause of death.
Officers found stolen cars from the robbery, cell phones from both men and a pistol they say Thompson dropped while running. The other person is still outstanding and police say he'd likely be hurt from jumping off of the slope behind the house.
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