Accused killer dies in county car crash
Kingfisher County had nothing to do with the beginning of a major crime on Wednesday.
But the drawn-out incident that resulted in the deaths of two people and a high-speed pursuit did end here.
Hours after allegedly shooting and killing his supervisor at a Hobby Lobby warehouse in south Oklahoma City, Domonique Thompson, 32, was pronounced dead at the scene after crashing his vehicle on State Highway 33 near N2960 Road.
According to police reports, Thompson rolled his vehicle off Highway 33 at about 7:45 p.m., ending a high-speed pursuit that began at a gas station near Interstate 35 and State Highway 51.
Thompson was suspected in the shooting death of Douglas Smith, 69.
An Oklahoma City Police Department news release stated Thompson shot Smith just before 4:50 p.m. after a “work related argument” in the warehouse in the 3700 block of South Council Road.
The release said eyewitnesses told officers Thompson left the scene in a red Dodge vehicle.
Authorities say they located the vehicle at the gas station about 7:15 p.m., but he sped away when they attempted to converge on him.
The resulting pursuit that included multiple agencies began south down I-35 and then through Logan County.
Authorities say the pursuit saw speeds of more than 100 miles per hour.
After crashing, police say Thompson was unresponsive to their commands to leave the vehicle.
Still, multiple agencies worked to surround the vehicle awaiting the arrival of an Oklahoma Highway Patrol Tactical team.
Among the agencies aiding the OKCPD along with the OHP were police officers from Cashion, Crescent and Guthrie as well as Kingfisher County and Logan County sheriff’s deputies.
“We appreciate the support of additional agencies as we all dealt with a dangerous situation in our county,” said Kingfisher County Sheriff Dennis Banther.
“The OHP tactical team did an outstanding job in approaching the vehicle and determining the fate of the driver.”
Thompson was pronounced dead at the scene once removed from the vehicle.
The medical examiner has yet to determine his cause of death.
“I’m proud of my staff for maintaining professionalism in the face of adversity as this scenario unfolded,” Banther added. “No one could lower their guard until his fate was determined.”
OKCPD is investigating both the investigation and the pursuit, according to reports.