The stun gun did not work because only one of the prongs hit Sanchez, Citty said, adding that, in training, officers working in pairs are taught to first use a stun gun, but the second officer provides cover with a gun in case the stun gun doesn’t work.
Mathews said Sanchez received medical attention after he was shot, but was pronounced dead at the scene.
Sanchez’s neighbor, Julio Rayos, 37, told ABC News that Sanchez would “always” carry the pipe with him, mainly to shoo away the stray dogs that would roam the Shields-Davis neighborhood, south of downtown Oklahoma City.
Rayos, who said he has lived in the neighborhood for 13 years, described Sanchez as a “real good guy” whom “everybody knew.”
“He didn’t deserve to die like that,” Rayos said.
The officers on the scene had not yet been issued body cameras, Citty said, adding that he hopes to have every officer outfitted with one by the end of October.
Barnes, the officer who used the gun, is on paid administrative leave while the shooting is investigated, Mathews said.
Barnes is a sergeant and has been with the department for at least five years, Citty said. Police have interviewed the lieutenant who deployed the stun gun, but Barnes has not yet been interviewed because he wants his attorney to be present.
Sanchez’s father, who had allegedly been the driver of the green truck in the accident, confirmed after the shooting that his son was deaf, Mathews said. The son was not involved in the accident, he said.
Sanchez’s father will likely face misdemeanor charges for the accident, which Citty described as fairly serious. The vehicle that Sanchez’s father allegedly hit rolled over, and the victim inside that car suffered minor injuries.
Sanchez’s father did not have a driver’s license, which is allegedly why he fled, Citty said.