Friday, August 25th 2023, 3:44 pm
*UPDATE*
The Owasso teacher accused of shooting and killing her spouse is now charged with first-degree murder.
Prosecutors charged Essence Fields in connection to Kamare Fields' death.
Essence Fields is next due in court in October.
An Owasso 4th-grade teacher is in jail, accused of shooting and killing her domestic partner.
Owasso Police say the couple had been fighting Sunday morning, then they say Essence Fields shot and killed Atia Fields. Police say the suspect, Essence Fields, is the one who called 911 and said on the phone, "My wife hit me, and I shot her."
Police say they found Atia Fields on the floor with a gunshot wound when they arrived at the couple's home.
They say the suspect and a 10-year-old boy were also in the house.
“She is the one who called 911. As far as I can tell, there was really nothing odd about it at the moment. She did what she did, then called 911 and got rescue help there as quickly as she could,” said Lieutenant Nick Boatman with Owasso Police.
The victim was taken to the hospital and later died. According to the arrest report, Essence told investigators the couple had been fighting and arguing, and during the argument, Essence grabbed her gun.
She told police she saw the victim reach for something, so Essence shot her. She told police the victim owned a black pistol, so she thought the victim was grabbing for a gun. Police say they did find a black gun under the bed, but it was unloaded.
"Unfortunately, domestics are a part of the police way of life, we deal with it every single day, every community has it, no one is immune. Deaths from domestics are rare in Owasso, but so are murders. So, we are dealing with it as best we can, trying to figure out what happened,” said Boatman.
Owasso Public Schools released the following statement to News On 6: "Late last night, Owasso Public Schools was made aware of a legal situation involving one of its teachers that has resulted in their removal from the classroom. The district will have additional counselors available to students and staff members should they need support as we navigate the situation. Due to the ongoing police investigation, we are unable to comment further."
The district says the suspect was just starting her second year of teaching for the district, and her students will now have a substitute teacher until the district finds a replacement.
Records show the victim filed a protective order against Essence back in 2020, but it was later dismissed.
Essence is now in jail for second-degree murder.
This is a developing story. Refresh this page for updates.
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