Midwest City man receives probation in shooting incident
Midwest City police investigate a shooting in August 2021 near the intersection of E. Reno Ave. and S. Air Depot Blvd. PHOTO BY JEFF HARRISON
By Jeff Harrison
Managing Editor
A Midwest City man was sentenced to seven years of probation after he pleaded guilty to firing guns while walking down a busy city street in 2021.
Taylor Slaughter, 33, pleaded guilty to one count of engaging in reckless conduct while in possession of a firearm, and one count of discharging a firearm in public place, in Oklahoma County District Court on May 17. Both are misdemeanor charges.
In exchange for Slaughter’s guilty plea, county prosecutors agreed to a deferred sentence. Slaughter will be supervised by Oklahoma Probation Services, LLC. He must also attend treatment, stay compliant with medication, and pay court costs.
A felony count of endeavoring to perform an act of violence involving or intending to involve serious bodily injury or death of another person was dismissed by a judge in January.
The incident happened about 8:28 a.m. on Aug. 27, 2021. Witnesses reported seeing a man firing guns in the air while walking along N. Air Depot Blvd. towards E. Reno Ave.
Police say they tried to get Slaughter to drop the gun, but he refused and continued to fire shots. When Slaughter appeared to run out of ammo, an officer tried to use a taser on him, but it didn’t work. Slaughter then pulled out a handgun and started firing again as he walked towards a Valero gas station.
As Slaughter approached the store, an officer shot him in the leg, and he fell to the ground. Slaughter tried to get back up with the gun and another officer shot him.
Officers were cleared in the shooting by former DA David Prater.
Slaughter was charged in September 2021 with two counts and held on $250,000 bond.
A third count of discharging a firearm in a public place was added in June 2022. The court ordered that Slaughter be bound over for jury trial that was set for Dec. 5, 2022.
In November 2022, Slaughter’s attorneys filed a motion to quash the felony count of endeavoring to perform an act of violence due to insufficient evidence. The attorney argued that Slaughter never pointed a gun at an officer or another person, nor fired at anyone, according to court records. The attorney also argued that the officer could not prove that Slaughter was reaching for a weapon while he was on the ground.
In January 2023, Judge Kathryn Savage sustained the motion to quash, and prosecutors announced their intent to appeal the decision.
The prosecutor’s appeal was denied after it was submitted late. The appeal was filed on May 4, two days after the May 2 deadline, according to court documents.
