Adrian Brown was a 34-year-old Black man and a father of one living in Oklahoma City. His life was cut short during a violent encounter on a Tuesday evening in the summer of 2021.
On August 17, 2021, just before 11 p.m., police were called to the American Cannabis dispensary at 6600 S. Western Avenue for a report of a shooting. When officers arrived, they found Adrian Brown in the business parking lot with gunshot wounds.
Paramedics rushed him to a local hospital, but he succumbed to his injuries. The Oklahoma City Police Department classified his death as the city’s 59th homicide of the year.
Investigators determined that Brown had gone to the parking lot to meet with another man. According to an arrest warrant, the meeting was for an exchange of marijuana for money when 29-year-old Ryan Boyd allegedly pulled out a gun and tried to rob Brown. Police said Brown also drew his own gun, and the two men began shooting at each other. Another police account stated that Boyd shot at Brown several times. Witnesses in the area heard a series of rapid gunshots, and bullets struck both Brown and a nearby business. Boyd fled the scene after the shooting.
Police began their investigation by reviewing surveillance footage and speaking with witnesses who had been in the parking lot but left after the gunfire erupted. The investigation progressed quickly, and authorities identified a suspect within hours.
Less than 24 hours after the shooting, on the evening of August 18, 2021, police arrested Ryan Boyd. He was taken into custody and booked into the Oklahoma County Detention Center on a murder charge in connection with Adrian Brown’s death. According to reports from August 2021, Boyd was being held without bond.
