TULSA, OK — A multi-agency investigation is currently underway in North Tulsa following a series of violent incidents on Tuesday morning that culminated in a fatal officer-involved shooting. The Tulsa Police Department has identified the deceased as 50-year-old Mitchell Folsom, who was pronounced dead at the scene following a confrontation with law enforcement near a local elementary school.
The sequence of events began at approximately 7:22 a.m. near the intersection of 36th Street North and North Hartford Avenue. According to police reports, Folsom was a passenger in a Nissan Frontier when he allegedly discharged a firearm at the female driver. The gunfire caused the driver to lose control of the vehicle, resulting in a collision with a Ford F-150. The force of the impact caused the second truck to overturn; however, authorities confirmed the occupants of the F-150 sustained only non-life-threatening injuries.
Following the crash, investigators state that Folsom fled the vehicle on foot, reportedly stating he would not return to prison. Armed with a handgun, he retreated into a wooded area behind Walt Whitman Elementary School, necessitating an immediate lockdown of the facility. The search intensified as officers tracked Folsom to a nearby pond.
Law enforcement officials report that after Folsom entered the water, he ignored commands to surrender and made a threatening movement toward officers while still armed. In response, officers discharged their service weapons. Folsom was recovered from the water with multiple gunshot wounds and was declared deceased by emergency responders. While the suspect was observed with a weapon during the pursuit, police noted that the firearm has not yet been recovered. The investigation remains active as authorities piece together the timeline from the initial domestic discharge to the final tactical engagement.
