Published: January 07, 2009 10:01 pm      

Woodward police officer, suspect shot Wednesday

A Woodward Police officer is recovering after being shot in the line of duty by a female suspect, who was also injured in an exchange of gunfire, Wednesday morning.

As of Wednesday afternoon, Cpl. Travis Munson was listed in good condition at Woodward Regional Hospital where he was receiving treatment for injuries sustained in the shooting, according to Jessica Brown, public information director for the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation.

The suspect, who has been identified as Lyndell Sutton, 55, was airlifted to OU Medical Center, where she was receiving treatment for multiple gun shot wounds, Brown said.  

“She’s (Sutton) listed in stable condition with injuries to the head, shoulder and leg,” the OSBI spokeswoman said, noting that the head injury was minor.

Munson was shot as he was responding to a public welfare check request in the 3400 block of Quail Drive around 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, Brown said.

According to Woodward City/County Emergency Manager Matt Lehenbauer, the police had been called out to check on the welfare of a woman staying in her vehicle in the area.

As Munson approached the vehicle, Brown said Sutton jumped from the vehicle and opened fire with a medium caliber handgun.

The suspect fired once at Munson hitting him in the abdomen and then fired multiple shots at other officers who were also responding to the scene, the OSBI spokeswoman said, adding that no other officers were hit or injured.  No motive has yet been determined in the shooting, she said.

The officers then returned fire, injuring the suspect in the exchange, she said, noting that “five officers were involved in the shooting,” excluding Munson.

The OSBI is investigating whether the officers were justified in firing upon Sutton, Brown said.

In addition to interviewing the officers involved and reviewing witness statements from nearby residents, she said OSBI agents are also “retrieving bullets or bullet fragments from fences and any other structures in the area.”

Until all this evidence is collected and analyzed, Brown said there is no way to determine exactly how many shots were fired by the officers or by the suspect.

OSBI agents continued to collect evidence and investigate the scene into the evening.  Portions of 34th Street and Quail Drive around the crime scene also remained blockaded throughout the evening.

Vest saved officers life

Munson was wearing a protective vest at the time of the shooting and the bullet was lodged in the vest, Lehenbauer said.

“In my opinion, if it wasn’t for the vest, the officer wouldn’t have made it,” he said.

Lehenbauer said the Woodward Police Department is “real fortunate” that it receives community support from various agencies and from city leadership which allows the department to provide protective gear to most of the officers.

“Some departments don’t provide the vests because of the expense,” he said.

The emergency manager also noted that the citizens of Woodward are fortunate to have “a well-trained police department.”

For example, he said while the state requires police officers to qualify only once a year in firearms use, Woodward Police officers qualify four times a year.

“It’s something our Police Chief Harvey Rutherford has always been adamant about,” Lehenbauer said.

In order to pass those quarterly qualifications, he said the officers participate in several training sessions throughout the year, including training on how to make those “split-second” decisions about whether to open fire on a suspect or not.

This training really comes in handy in situations like those faced by Woodward officers Wednesday morning, Lehenbauer said, noting that proper training can prove almost as invaluable as protective vests in those situations.

“We train enough to be fairly instinctive,” he said, and the training provides “a level of physical and mental preparedness” so that when on the scene, “law enforcement officers don’t think about other things, the training just takes over.”

“We have one of the best police forces in the state,” Woodward Mayor Bill Fanning said, noting that Wednesday’s incident will probably make Woodward citizens “now realize that they’re not paid enough.”

First officer shot since 1980s

“It’s been some time that we’ve had this happen,” Lehenbauer said.

The last time an officer was shot in Woodward was in 1985 when Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics Agent Bill Stewart was killed during a drug bust and Woodward Police Officer Mark Chumley was wounded.

“This is small town Oklahoma; things like this should never happen in Woodward, but we’re not immune,” Fanning said.

“Our officers do put their lives on the line,” Lehenbauer said, addingthat citizens don’t always realize the dangers area law enforcement officers face “each and every day.”

In his 13 years as a law enforcement officer in Woodward, Lehenbauer said he has been involved in two other incidents where suspects fired shots at officers.

“It’s a terrifying experience,” he said.

When in that situation, Lehenbauer said there is concern about not only your personal welfare, but also about the public welfare as well as the welfare of the officers working beside you.

“It’s always difficult when we see another officer go down,” he said, noting that because of their close working relationships within the police department, “everyone of us is friends, we’re like family.”

After the shooting, many of Munson’s fellow officers’ thoughts were with their wounded brother as were the thoughts and well wishes of others throughout the community.

Fanning expressed hopes that Munson will have “a speedy recovery.”

“He’s a good young man; and we’re really proud of him and the way they all handled the situation,” he said.