Mitchell Folsom Shooting, Death Obituary: Family Mourns Tragic Loss

A man is dead following an officer-involved shooting in north Tulsa Tuesday morning, after a chain of violent events that began with a reported crash and escalated into a police confrontation involving gunfire and a multi-agency response.

According to the Tulsa Police Department, officers were dispatched around 7:22 a.m. to the area of 36th Street North and North Hartford Avenue after reports of an injury crash. Investigators say the incident began inside a Nissan Frontier pickup truck, where a man allegedly shot at his girlfriend while she was driving.

Police said the gunfire caused the driver to lose control, sending the vehicle off the roadway before it collided with a Ford F-150 at the intersection. The impact reportedly caused the F-150 to roll onto its side. Authorities confirmed that both occupants of the Ford sustained non-life-threatening injuries.

After the crash, officials say the suspect exited the Nissan and made a statement to his girlfriend, reportedly saying, “I’m not going back to prison,” before fleeing the scene on foot. Investigators further allege that during his escape, he ran toward the driver of the overturned pickup while holding a firearm.

Law enforcement said the suspect then fled into an area behind Walt Whitman Elementary School, prompting an immediate lockdown as officers searched the surrounding neighborhood. The situation quickly intensified as multiple units worked to locate him while ensuring public safety.

According to police, officers eventually found the suspect in a nearby pond. Commands were issued for him to come out of the water, but authorities say he made a threatening movement while armed, leading officers to open fire.

Emergency responders later recovered the man from the pond, where he was found suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Officials identified him as 50-year-old Mitchell Folsom.

Authorities also confirmed that the firearm has not yet been recovered and remains part of the active investigation.

The case is still under review as investigators continue to piece together the sequence of events leading from the initial shooting and crash to the final confrontation with police.