Oklahoma City druggist faces charge in shooting
Prosecutors claim final gunshots to teen robbery suspect crossed the line
Published: May 28, 2009
An Oklahoma County pharmacist went from hero to murder suspect in the span of seconds during a May 19 robbery attempt, prosecutors said.
SOURCE: OKLAHOMA COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE ILLUSTRATION BY TODD PENDLETON, THE OKLAHOMAN
Multimedia
Videoview all videos
Pharmacist faces murder charge
May 27An Oklahoma City pharmacist was charged today with first-degree...
Reliable Discount Pharmacy surveillance video
May 27View surveillance footage of a would-be Oklahoma City pharmacy...
DA Prater on pharmacy shooting case
May 27Excerpts from Oklahoma County DA David Prater's presser and...
Photoview all photos
More Info
Documents
Read the affidavit of probable cause
Reaction
No backlash, DA warns
Prosecutors warned against any threats or violence toward murder suspect Jerome Ersland or his employer, Reliable Discount Pharmacy. Oklahoma County District Attorney David Prater asked the community to allow the justice system to handle Ersland’s case. Ersland, who was charged Wednesday with first-degree murder in the May 19 shooting death of robbery suspect Antwun Parker, has said he had been assailed by allegations of racism after the shooting. Ersland is white and Parker was black. "Acts of vigilantism will be dealt with swiftly and severely,” Prater said.
Read the affidavit of probable cause
Reaction
NewsOK Related Articles
Self-defense claimed
Ersland has maintained he acted in self-defense when he shot Parker to foil the robbery attempt.
He said two men wearing ski masks threatened him and two other employees when they burst into the pharmacy demanding cash and drugs.
Ersland, who had back surgery about six weeks earlier, could not flee like the two women working with him, so he reached for the semiautomatic pistol in his pocket, he said when he recounted the incident for The Oklahoman last week.
Ersland shot one of the robbers in the head, then grabbed a second gun to pursue the other robber.
The injured teen was trying to get up, Ersland said, so he emptied his gun into the would-be robber’s chest.
The other robber and getaway driver drove away before Ersland could reach them, he said.
Second man sought
Authorities contend the evidence does not support Ersland’s version of events. Ersland told The Oklahoman his left arm was grazed by a bullet, but Prater said there is no evidence anyone but Ersland fired a gun.
Oklahoma City police still are searching for the man seen wielding a gun in the surveillance video.
Emanuel Mitchell, the alleged getaway driver, is in custody on a stolen vehicle complaint. Prater said he likely will be charged in the robbery.
He said anyone involved in the robbery will not face murder charges in Parker’s death because he died as a result of Ersland’s actions, not the robbery.
Editor's note: In the section titled "Second man sought" Emanuel Mitchell was incorrectly identified as Emanuel Davis.
Prev
