(FROM THE TULSA WORLD)
Behavior at crime scene denounced
Witnesses to the shooting walked over the victim’s body and yelled at first-responders.
By JARREL WADE World Staff Writer
Published: 3/2/2010 2:28 AM
Last Modified: 3/2/2010 4:42 AM
The actions of a crowd that hindered officials’ efforts to investigate and help a shooting victim early Sunday were “unacceptable,” an EMSA spokeswoman said Monday.
Valentino Verner, 27, was shot several times outside the Chicken Hut, 1500 E. Apache St., just before 3 a.m.
He died from his injuries.
About 100 patrons were at the late-night, walk-up restaurant, and some were walking over the man’s body to get their food, EMSA spokeswoman Tina Wells said.
“It’s very upsetting,” Wells said Monday. “It’s just absolutely unacceptable.”
EMSA paramedics were impeded while attending to the patient and had to rush the patient away from the area for his protection and theirs, Wells said.
Paramedics were at the scene for only seven minutes before they had to leave, she said.
“There were many irate bystanders yelling at the (EMSA) crew, Tulsa police and Tulsa firefighters,” Wells said.
Police Capt. Karen Tipler said Sunday that many of the patrons witnessed the shooting but were uncooperative with authorities.
She said witnesses were aggressive and angry toward the police when they tried to help Verner.
Verner was taken to St. John Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead, Tipler said.
No suspects have been arrested in connection with the homicide, and police have said they don’t know a motive for the shooting.
The killing was the city’s ninth homicide of the year.
An interesting side-note. I know the owners of the place, as me and an associate of mine had contracted to design a remodel on another building that they owned. Right after paying us the retainer, my ever-cautious associate cashed the check at the bank it was drawn on, just in case one of “her people” decided to put a stop payment on it. My associate knew “her people” a bit to well, as that is exactly what they tried to do – and then sued my associate for cashing the check before they could!
