Body camera video released in Broken Arrow police shooting near BA Expressway

The U.S. Attorney’s Office has cleared a Broken Arrow police officer who shot a man during a traffic stop earlier this month, saying the officer’s use of lethal force was justified.

Broken Arrow police released body camera video Wednesday from a traffic stop earlier this month where an officer shot suspect Sonny DeMille, who was armed with a gun.

POLICE RESPONSE

After DeMille was shot, the video shows the officer removing the gun on the ground next to DeMille.

Broken Arrow Police Chief Lance Arnold says the officer did everything by the book in this situation.

"We obviously do a lot of training,” said Arnold. “Just indoctrinating into the level of stress that can be involved in being an incident like that. What you saw, from Officer Berry's actions, is the way that we would hope that all of our officers are responding and it's certainly the way we train."

Arnold says what the video doesn’t show is that during the fight, DeMille pointed his gun at the officer.

"Mr. DeMille is actively trying to point the weapon up over his right shoulder at our officer,” said Arnold. “That very much is part of the decision-making process, so as soon as DeMille is able to break free from Officer Berry's grasp, then clearly Officer Berry realized there was an immediate threat to his life."

The U.S. Attorney’s Office handled the case because the officer involved is tribal.

DEMILLE’S HISTORY

Court records show DeMille had been released from prison a year and a half ago after serving 10 years of a 15-year sentence in Rogers County.

He had an additional 10 years of probation after his release and prosecutors were trying to revoke his probation just weeks before the shooting, because DeMille was breaking the rules of his probation.

DeMille’s daughter lives in Utah and says this situation isn’t out of character for him.

"It wasn't a shocker, and we were scared because he had been on the run for the past month, so we were worried about him coming to Utah because he had a gun, he had a truck, and he had reached out to my mom on Facebook,” said Tierney DeMille.

DeMille’s daughter now has this message.

"He made his own choices, he made his own bed, and now he's laying in it,” said DeMille. “People know right from wrong."

NEXT STEPS

DeMille survived the shooting but remains in the hospital.

The Tulsa County District Attorney’s Office will decide what charges to file against DeMille.

The incident happened on Aug. 3 near the Broken Arrow Expressway and Aspen. Police identified the man as Sonny DeMille. The video shows DeMille reaching into his pocket before Officer Dakota Berry fires several shots, striking DeMille four times. After the shooting, the officer can be seen picking up a gun next to Demille.

Investigators said DeMille survived the shooting and remains hospitalized. The department said the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office reviewed the case and determined Berry was justified in using lethal force.

Court records show DeMille is a registered sex offender who was convicted of first-degree rape in Rogers County in 2012.

Broken Arrow police said the case has now been forwarded to the Tulsa County District Attorney’s Office for review.

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