Muskogee police detail officer-involved shooting with Blair teens

Video shows girl pointed gun at officers

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The Muskogee Police Department released additional details Monday of an officer-involved shooting that resulted in the death of two Blair 17-year-olds in Oklahoma.

Farrah Rauch was killed by police and Joseph Dugan took his own life after they ran from officers who responded to an attempted carjacking and the report of a stolen vehicle Feb. 28.

The couple had run away from Blair on Feb. 25.

Muskogee Police Chief Johnny Teehee released the PowerPoint presentation first to the families, then two groups of councilmen and outreach partners before releasing it to the media.

Deputy Chief Chad Farmer played a 911 call about an attempted carjacking and a second call about the theft of a truck. A few minutes after the second call, Muskogee police officer Evan Hendricks spotted the truck pulled over to the side of the road.

The teens drove off and a high-speed pursuit began on U.S. 69 north of Muskogee just past the Arkansas River. The chase took several turns before the suspects abandoned the truck near the intersection of North 17th and Lenapah streets.

The teens then tried to run from police. Hendricks pursued Rauch, before being joined by officer B.J. Hudson. An exchange of gunfire followed.

A video included in the presentation stops short of the fatal shot that ended Rauch's life. But it did show the girl face down on the side of the road when officers asked her several times to show her hands and “drop the gun.”

Rauch eventually raised up and pointed a weapon at officers.

“I don't know if she was down because she was hit,” Farmer said. “I don't know if she was down because she was unconscious for a minute or if she was just trying to bait them to coming up there so she could shoot one of them.

“She had a shell casing next to her on the ground. We don't know if she fired during this or not, it's hard to tell on the audio and officers didn't remember.”

Dugan headed in the opposite direction and into a heavily-wooded area. He was pursued by other officers and followed by a Muskogee County Emergency Medical Service drone. Dugan eventually took his own life.

“The brush was so thick we had trouble following him, on foot or with the drone,” Farmer said. “We had a K9 unit go in and he had trouble. He's on the track, he could smell him, but he can't figure out which way to get through.”

Rauch and Dugan were each carrying handguns. Rauch had a 9mm Glock that was stolen from Dugan's father, according to police. Dugan had a 9 mm Sig Sauer, which was stolen from Kennesaw, Ga.

An AK-47 rifle and ammunition was recovered from a truck stolen the couple had stolen in Arkansas. That gun was also allegedly stolen from Dugan's father.

Also included in the presentation was a timeline of events leading up to the incident.

• Feb. 25 — Both juveniles were reported missing to the Blair Police Department by their families. They were reported to be in a 2005 Nissan Sentra that was stolen from a family member.

• Feb. 26 — According to a family member, the juveniles were stopped in Florida by an unknown police agency, but fled the scene before they could be taken into custody.

• Feb. 27 — The juveniles stole a Ford F250 in Tifton, Ga. That vehicle was recovered near the location of the stolen vehicle in Arkansas on March 3.

• Feb. 28 — Sometime midday, the juveniles stole a gray 2005 Dodge pickup in London, Ark. The vehicle was located in the 3500 block of North 24th Street by Muskogee police officers on March 1 before it was reported stolen.

The four officers involved in the incident were James Folsom, a 16-year veteran; Shawn Brown, a 15-year veteran; Hudson, an eight-year veteran; and Hendricks, who has been a police officer for four years and is in his first year with Muskogee police.

The Muskogee Police Department Investigations Division will investigate the shooting, prepare a report and submit it with all of the digital evidence to the Muskogee County District Attorney for review. He will determine whether the shooting was justified.

Reporter Ronn Rowland of the Muskogee Phoenix contributed to this article.