Mitchell Folsom Obituary, North Tulsa Shooting; Authorities Identify Man Killed in Officer-Involved Shooting
A deadly series of events unfolded Tuesday morning in north Tulsa, Oklahoma, ending in an officer-involved shooting that left 50-year-old Mitchell Folsom dead following what police describe as a domestic violence-related incident, vehicle crash, and armed confrontation with officers.
According to the Tulsa Police Department, officers were dispatched around 7:22 a.m. to the area of 36th Street North and North Hartford Avenue after reports of an injury collision involving multiple vehicles. As investigators began piecing together the events leading up to the crash, authorities said the situation originated inside a Nissan Frontier pickup truck where Folsom was allegedly involved in a violent confrontation with his girlfriend while she was driving.
Police stated that during the incident, Folsom allegedly fired a weapon at the woman inside the vehicle. Authorities believe the sudden violence caused the driver to panic, resulting in the truck swerving on and off the roadway before colliding with a Ford F-150 at the intersection. The impact was severe enough to cause the Ford pickup to overturn onto its side.
Emergency responders quickly arrived at the crash scene, where the occupants of the Ford F-150 were treated for injuries described as non-life-threatening. Officials confirmed that both the driver and passenger survived the collision, though the traumatic event left witnesses and first responders shaken.
Following the crash, investigators said Mitchell Folsom exited the Nissan Frontier and reportedly told his girlfriend, “I’m not going back to prison,” before fleeing on foot from the wreckage. Authorities stated that as he ran from the scene, he allegedly approached the driver of the overturned Ford F-150 while pointing a firearm, escalating fears among those nearby.
The incident prompted a significant law enforcement response as officers attempted to locate the armed suspect in the surrounding neighborhood. According to police, Folsom fled into an area behind Walt Whitman Elementary School, causing school officials to immediately place the campus on lockdown as a safety precaution.
Parents and community members were left alarmed as officers, patrol units, and emergency personnel flooded the area searching for the suspect. Police worked to secure the neighborhood while attempting to prevent further danger to the public, students, and school staff.
Authorities later located Folsom in a nearby pond. Officers reportedly ordered him multiple times to come out of the water peacefully. However, Tulsa Police said the suspect made what officers perceived to be a threatening movement while still armed, leading officers to open fire.
Emergency crews entered the water and removed Folsom from the pond after the shooting. He was found suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Despite emergency medical efforts at the scene, he was pronounced dead shortly afterward.
The Tulsa Police Department later formally identified the suspect as Mitchell Folsom, age 50.
As of now, investigators continue processing the scene and searching the pond area for the firearm police believe was used during the earlier domestic-related incident. Authorities have not yet released additional details regarding the exact sequence of events during the final confrontation in the water.
The officer-involved shooting remains under active investigation, which is standard protocol in incidents involving the use of deadly force by law enforcement. Additional investigative agencies are expected to review body-camera footage, witness statements, forensic evidence, and officer actions as part of the ongoing inquiry.
Meanwhile, the incident has left multiple victims, families, and members of the Tulsa community grappling with the emotional aftermath of a morning that rapidly escalated from a domestic violence situation into a fatal police confrontation.
Officials continue urging anyone with additional information or video footage connected to the incident to contact investigators as the case remains ongoing.