Tulsa Road Rage Shooting Leaves Man Dead Outside Arby’s
Tulsa Road Rage Shooting Leaves One Dead, Woman Injured Outside Arby’s
A 46-year-old man is dead and a woman is recovering from a gunshot wound after Tulsa police say a road rage confrontation escalated into gunfire outside an Arby’s restaurant Tuesday afternoon.
The Tulsa road rage shooting happened shortly after 4:30 p.m. September 15 near Admiral Boulevard and Sheridan Road. Police identified the man killed as Michael Williams and arrested 20-year-old Dezmin Day shortly after the shooting. Day was booked on complaints of second-degree murder and assault with a deadly weapon.
Investigators say surveillance video captured much of the confrontation, including Day’s SUV blocking Williams’ vehicle in the restaurant parking lot before Williams got out and approached him. Police say Williams was unarmed.
Tulsa Road Rage Shooting Began With Confrontation Between Drivers
According to investigators, Day told detectives the encounter began before either vehicle reached the Arby’s parking lot.
Day reportedly told police that Williams had been tailgating his SUV and honking at him and alleged that Williams stopped in the roadway at one point and spit toward him. Those statements represent Day’s account of what happened before the shooting and have not been established in court.
Police say surveillance footage later showed Day pulling his SUV into the Arby’s parking lot and blocking Williams’ vehicle while it was parked in a space.
Williams then got out of his vehicle and approached Day. Investigators say the surveillance video showed Williams was not armed.
Day told detectives he believed Williams intended to physically assault him. Police allege Day pulled a firearm and shot Williams multiple times.
When Williams’ 31-year-old female passenger got out of the vehicle, investigators say Day fired additional rounds, striking her once.
The investigation is being handled by the Tulsa Police Department, which maintains the city’s homicide investigations and other public safety operations.
Officers arriving at the restaurant found both victims suffering from gunshot wounds.
Michael Williams Dies After Shooting Outside Tulsa Arby’s
Police and emergency crews responded to the Arby’s near Admiral and Sheridan at approximately 4:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Both Williams and the woman were transported for emergency medical treatment.
Michael Williams, 46, died from his injuries. Police say the female passenger was shot once and is expected to recover.
Day allegedly left the restaurant parking lot immediately after the shooting, but witnesses were able to provide officers with information about his vehicle.
Police located Day driving a short time later and took him into custody.
Investigators searching the SUV reported finding a pistol beneath the driver’s seat. Authorities are examining that weapon as part of the homicide investigation.
Surveillance footage from the restaurant is expected to be significant evidence because police say it captured Day blocking Williams’ vehicle and Williams approaching the SUV before shots were fired.
The department’s Tulsa Police Records Division maintains police reports and other investigative records and processes public records requests under the Oklahoma Open Records Act.
The investigation will include the surveillance footage, physical evidence, witness accounts and statements made to detectives following Day’s arrest.
Dezmin Day Arrested as Homicide Case Moves Forward
Day was arrested on complaints of second-degree murder and assault with a deadly weapon, according to Tulsa police.
A criminal complaint made at the time of arrest is not the same as a conviction, and formal charges can change as prosecutors review evidence. Day is presumed innocent unless and until convicted.
The case now moves from the initial police investigation into the criminal justice process, where prosecutors will determine what charges to pursue based on the evidence collected by detectives.
The Tulsa Police offender information system provides access to county jail, municipal jail and warrant resources as criminal cases move through the local court system.
Police say the confrontation developed from an alleged dispute between two drivers into a shooting within a matter of minutes.
Investigators will also have to evaluate Day’s statement that he feared Williams was going to assault him against the surveillance video, witness accounts and other evidence collected at the scene.
For police, the video provides an important timeline. Authorities say it shows Day pulling into the parking lot and blocking Williams’ vehicle before the unarmed Williams approached him and was shot multiple times. Williams’ passenger was then struck by additional gunfire.
The Tulsa road rage shooting left Williams dead, a 31-year-old woman wounded and Day in custody as detectives and prosecutors continue reviewing the circumstances surrounding the deadly encounter.
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