Broken Arrow Police Officer 'legally justified' in deadly 2024 shooting of man with machete

Broken Arrow Police said the Tulsa County District Attorney has ruled that the officer who shot and killed an armed man in November 2024 was legally justified and will not be charged.

Tuesday, May 6th 2025, 3:05 pm

By: Drake Johnson

TULSA, Okla. -

Broken Arrow Police said the Tulsa County District Attorney has ruled that the officer who shot and killed an armed man in November 2024 was legally justified and will not be charged.

Officials said the man was threatening someone with a machete. BAPD released body camera video of the shooting on Monday.

It shows officers responding to a home near 101st and Elm where Samuel Flanagan, 46, was having a mental health crisis.

The video shows two children and a woman were at the home and came outside once officers arrived.

It shows Flanagan coming outside with a machete and a meat cleaver, making threats and refusing to listen to officers who tried to get him to surrender.

The video then shows the officer shooting Flanagan once in the chest.

Authorities said Flanagan had meth in his system.

Original story: Man Dies In Shooting Involving Broken Arrow Police

Drake Johnson

Drake Johnson is a Digital Content Producer at Griffin Media. He joined the team in July 2021 after graduating from the University of Oklahoma with a degree in journalism. Drake is a longtime Oklahoman, growing up in Owasso and graduating from OHS in 2016. When not covering the news, he enjoys watching the Sooners and OKC Thunder, plus spending time with family and friends in the state and traveling across the country.