Police Officer Accidentally Shoots Bystander At Lawton Club

The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation is looking into an officer-involved shooting that sent an innocent bystander to the hospital.

Around 1:45 a.m. Sunday, Lawton police officers heard a gunshot coming from the parking lot outside the Gate 4 Recovery Room, a nightclub located at 2705 N.W. Sheridan. About 300 people had gathered in the parking lot.

Officers saw a man they believed fired the shot. They approached him and ordered him to drop his weapon. The officer who fired his gun said the man raised his weapon and pointed it toward a group of people.

The officer told OSBI agents he fired one round, but it missed the man holding the gun. The officer's bullet hit a parked car next to the armed man, traveled through several windows, and hit 24-year-old Jerry Ann Short in the chest.

An ambulance rushed Short to a nearby hospital where she was treated and released. The suspect with the gun ran from the scene and hasn't been caught.

OSBI agents are collecting evidence and speaking with witnesses. Once the investigation is complete, they will give a report to the district attorney. The DA will determine if the shooting was justified.