Oklahoma City Cop Accused Of Murdering Suicidal Man

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK — Oklahoma City police Sgt. Keith Sweeney was charged on Tuesday with second-degree murder in the killing of Dustin Pigeon, a suicidal man who had doused himself in lighter fluid and tried to set himself on fire. District Attorney David Prater filed the charge and listed an alternative charge of first-degree manslaughter in the Nov. 15 shooting death of Pigeon, 29. An affidavit by a police investigator said Pigeon wasn't armed and wasn't a threat to responding officers when Sweeney shot him.

Court documents didn't list an attorney for Sweeney, who was taken into custody late Tuesday morning.

The investigation into the shooting was conducted the same way as any other investigation, said police Capt. Bo Mathews.

"We made sure we talked to all witnesses, to the officer and got his statement," Mathews said. "It's no different from any other crime we work ... this just happened to involve a police officer."

Sweeney and another officer responded to a call about a suicidal person. They found Pigeon trying to ignite himself with lighter fluid and a lighter in a courtyard surrounded by homes, police said. The other officer shot Pigeon with a bean bag, to no effect, before Sweeney fatally shot him, police said.

Pigeon's parents didn't immediately reply to calls and emails seeking comment. Pigeon's mother, Aronda Pigeon, told The Oklahoman that she was "shocked" when she found out the officer would be charged with second-degree murder.

"The officer is guilty and I want justice for my son," she told the newspaper.

Handling encounters between officers and the mentally distressed has quickly become a top priority among many law enforcement agencies because of the reality that "people who are mentally ill get killed by officers and officers get killed by the mentally ill," said Johnny Nhan, associate professor of criminal justice at Texas Christian University.

Nhan said some agencies, like the Fort Worth police department, are creating special task forces of specially trained officers, detectives and other professionals, such as counselors, who are embedded in those teams.

"It shows you the level of concern (departments have)," he said.

By KEN MILLER and JUSTIN JUOZAPAVICIUS, Associated Press

Photo credit: Oklahoma County Sheriff's Office via AP