An Oklahoma City man is behind bars and facing felony murder charges after a 19-year-old girl was shot and killed. However, the suspect is not the one who pulled the trigger, killing the girl. Instead, it was an Oklahoma City police officer who shot her.
No, this isn’t a riddle. The reason the suspect has been charged for the murder is because of the Oklahoma law — Title 21 O.S. Section 701.7 — declaring that if someone is killed while a felony is being committed, the accomplices to the crime can be held criminally liable for the death with felony murder charges.
According to police, what happened is that an alleged drug deal was taking place early last month, which was witnessed by several undercover officers. The alleged drug deal was taking place between two men: the felony murder suspect and another man.
When police moved in, the second man surrendered while the felony murder suspect allegedly jumped in a car with his girlfriend, who was in the driver’s seat. Police claim that the 19-year-old girlfriend then tried to get away, striking an officer who was in the car’s path.
The officer who was hit then opened fire, killing the 19-year-old girl.
As you probably have guessed, many people who have been charged with felony murder didn’t “pull the trigger” or even have the intention of committing murder. But because of the other serious crimes that were allegedly committed, they face an extremely serious punishment.
These are some of the most controversial criminal cases that exist, especially when the defendant is a young adult. That’s why felony murders cases must be handled with great care and by a seasoned criminal defense lawyer.
Source: KFOR, “OKC police officer kills teen following alleged drug deal,” Jesse Wells, Sept. 4, 2014
