In the small town of Sayre, Oklahoma, a tense encounter between a local man and law enforcement unfolded, ending in the tragic death of Larry Dale Plaster. On March 27, 2014, the 43-year-old White male found himself confronted by two Sayre police officers who had arrived at his residence to serve felony warrants. The warrants were for failure to pay child support and for a previous incident of attempting to elude the police while under the influence.
What began as an attempt to serve
legal documents quickly escalated. Plaster resisted arrest and fled the scene, prompting the officers to give chase. As the pursuit continued, the Sayre officers called for backup, and a Beckham County Sheriff's deputy joined the effort to apprehend him. The situation came to a head in a direct confrontation between the deputy and Plaster. During this altercation, it was reported that Plaster attacked the deputy, striking him multiple times with an ax.
In response to the alleged attack, the deputy discharged his firearm several times, with at least one of the rounds fatally striking Plaster. Prior to the shooting, officers had attempted to subdue him with tasers, but these efforts were reportedly ineffective. The deputy involved in the shooting received medical treatment for his injuries and was subsequently released from the hospital.
Following the fatal incident, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation was called in to conduct a thorough investigation into the shooting. The purpose of the OSBI's involvement was to gather evidence and independently determine the sequence of events that led to Plaster's death. Their findings were to be presented to the district attorney, who would then make the final determination on whether the deputy's use of deadly force was justified under the law. No information has been made publicly available regarding any arrests or the ultimate conclusions of the investigation.
