In the spring of 2014, the life of Deandre Lloyd Starks, a 27-year-old Black man, came to a sudden and violent end in Tulsa, Oklahoma. On the evening of March 25th, members of the Tulsa Police Department were executing a narcotics search warrant at a residence on East Young Street. As officers entered the home, the scene quickly turned chaotic. Several individuals were inside, and police reported that they were not immediately compliant with commands to show their hands.
In a bedroom
separate from the initial point of entry, officers confronted Starks. According to the police account, Starks made movements that were perceived as a threat. In response, Sergeant Mark Wollmershauser Jr. fired a single shot, striking Starks. Though he was transported to a local hospital, his injuries proved fatal. A search of the residence and of Starks's person yielded what police described as a substantial amount of illegal drugs, though no firearm was recovered from the scene.
The aftermath of the shooting saw Sergeant Wollmershauser placed on paid administrative leave, a standard procedure in officer-involved shootings. The incident was investigated by a Deadly Force Review Board, which ultimately determined that the sergeant's actions fell within the department's policy. While several other people present in the house at the time of the raid were taken in for questioning, no immediate arrests were made in direct connection to the events that led to Starks's death.
Seeking accountability for their loss, the family of Deandre Lloyd Starks, including his mother and wife, initiated legal action. They filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against both Sergeant Wollmershauser and the City of Tulsa. The lawsuit alleged that the use of force was excessive and that Wollmershauser's actions were intentional and malicious. The family sought $75,000 in damages, contending that the city was responsible for the training that resulted in the fatal encounter.
