In the winter of 2021, the life of 29-year-old VanAllen Dewayne Parson was cut short in a violent encounter at a local bar in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. On the evening of December 13th, Parson was at the Kickstand Saloon where an argument erupted, escalating into a fatal shooting that would also claim the life of another man, 41-year-old Austin Standeford. Parson, who was a patron at the bar, and Standeford, who was working at the establishment, were both shot following the altercation.
One of the men was pronounced dead on the way to the hospital, while the other succumbed to his injuries upon arrival.
The investigation into the double homicide quickly pointed to one suspect, 51-year-old Gregory Lonnell Rogers of Tulsa. Following the shooting, Rogers had reportedly sought medical attention for a gunshot wound to his forearm at a Tulsa hospital but left before receiving treatment. The day after the incident, Rogers turned himself in to the Tulsa County Sheriff's Office. He was subsequently arrested and charged with two counts of first-degree murder.
The legal proceedings that followed painted a picture of the events that transpired inside the Kickstand Saloon. According to testimony, the conflict began when Rogers engaged in an inappropriate interaction with a woman at the bar, prompting Standeford to intervene. Witnesses stated that Rogers then announced he was armed. Parson, who was reportedly assisting with security, attempted to help de-escalate the situation and remove Rogers from the premises. It was during this attempt that Rogers produced a handgun and opened fire.
During his trial, Rogers claimed that he acted in self-defense, stating that he was attacked and on the ground when the gun discharged. The prosecution argued that Rogers had come to the bar looking for trouble and that his actions constituted murder. After a week-long trial and five hours of deliberation, a Washington County jury acquitted Gregory Rogers of first-degree murder and the lesser charge of first-degree manslaughter. However, he was found guilty of carrying a firearm into a place where alcohol is served.
