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Truck driver shot by truck stop security guard in stable condition: OKC police

The truck driver shot by a security guard at an Oklahoma City truckstop Friday is in stable condition, as information about the incident comes out slowly.

Sgt. Megan Morgan of the Oklahoma City Police Department said the driver, whose name is not being released, is still in the hospital and is listed in stable condition. His hometown is unknown, but Morgan said his truck and the business the truck is registered under are listed as being in Wichita Falls, Texas.

Reports that the driver grabbed the gun of the security guard, whose name also has not been released, are unconfirmed, Morgan said in an email to FreightWaves.

“I am not sure if the truck driver grabbed the security guard’s gun,” she wrote. “The only information we have so far is that the driver was allegedly parked in a reserved spot, and upon being confronted by security an altercation ensued which led up to the truck driver being shot.”


A colleague of Morgan’s, Sgt. Brad Gilmore, was quoted in a local news report last week as saying that “during [the] altercation, the guard discharged his firearm because he felt like he had to defend himself.”

The police department has not charged anyone at this point but is continuing to investigate, according to Morgan. “The case will be presented to the Oklahoma County District Attorney’s Office, and they will ultimately determine which charges (if any) are appropriate in the case,” Morgan wrote. “At that point they will determine whether charges will be filed or not.”

77 Comments

  1. Giovanni Socci

    Back in the days of Idle air,I remember that you could only use the Idle air spots if you bought time and you were using the services,BUT if you dared to park and not buy time nor use any of the services,close the curtains and they will leave you alone,Pilot s policy at the time was to let the drivers rest,and they told IAir to let them.
    Now there is so much corporate greed,squeezing the last dollar out of the driver,TA and Petro are the worst,they are thieves on the side of the highway.
    I hope some day they go out of bussines…what a happy day tgat will be.

  2. Noble1 suggests SMART truck drivers should UNITE & collectively cut out the middlemen from picking truck driver pockets ! UNITE , CONQUER , & PROSPER ! IMHO

    UPDATE !

    Quote :
    February 19 2020

    New details emerge in TA truckstop shooting of trucker parked in reserved parking spot
    We are starting to learn through eye witness accounts what may have really happened at the West Oklahoma City TA Service Station early Saturday morning, when a trucker was shot by a security guard hired by the truckstop to protect it and its visitors.

    According to eyewitness reports a driver was parked in a reserved parking spot when a 5’8”, 180 lbs security guard in a tan pickup truck approached the white Volvo and flatbed trailer with Texas apportioned plates. According to the eyewitness report, the guard knocked on the truck and woke the 42-year old driver up telling him he needed to move as he was in a reserve parking spot and had not paid to park there. 

    According to the eyewitness report combined with a heavy redacted incident report obtained by Freight Broker Live, the driver of the semi climbed back into his truck but did not move it. The 45-year old security guard reportedly “laid on his vehicle’s horn” until the truck driver got out of his truck. A physical fight began between the security guard and the truck driver resulted in the guard drawing his .40 Caliber Glock 22 and firing at the driver, who was “shot once as he attempted to continue striking the armed security guard,” the incident report shows. 

    Freight Broker Live attempted to identify the security guard’s employer with the Oklahoma City Police Department, however according to Sgt. Brad Gilmore the case is still under investigation and has yet to be presented to the District Attorney’s office to determine whether charges will be filed against the security guard or the driver, and because of this names and other details will not be released until the investigation is complete. 

    In a statement to Freight Broker Live, a spokesperson with TA stated, “TA is aware of last week’s distressing incident involving a truck driver and a security guard at TA’s travel center on South Council Road in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. TA is cooperating fully with the Oklahoma City Police, as is the third-party security company. Our thoughts are with the truck driver and we wish him a quick and full recovery.”

    As of the latest update, the truck driver is in “good condition” and “expected to survive” according to police. 
    Armed security guards in Oklahoma are required to attend 72 hours of training including a 20 hours if on-range instruction and exercises along with a proficiency exam, background check and a letter of employment or proof of a surety bond to become licensed. 

    This truckstop has 175 total parking spaces, although it is unknown how many of these spaces are held as “reserved” parking for paying truckers. The  parking spots retail for $15.00 each night.

    To be clear, this truck driver was reportedly shot over $15 dispute that escalated.”
    End quote .

    REQUOTE :
    “To be clear, this truck driver was reportedly shot over $15 dispute that escalated.”

    NO ! The truck driver was shot due to physically ATTACKING(assault & battery) the security guard to a point where the security guard felt threatened enough to pull out his fire arm and discharge one bullet into the assailant in self defense !

    The truck driver CHOSE to assault a guard carrying a gun rather than remove his truck from a parking spot he had no right parking in when asked to remove it ! That’s the point !

    IMHO …..

    1. Jim

      A security guard is just that. They aren’t police, in fact in most cases they are wannabe cops that are to stupid or unstable to pass a civil service exam, or the background checks. This whole “reserved” parking scheme is a shakedown. Electronic logs became mandatory, and the truck stops saw a way to squeeze more money out of drivers. In areas where truck stops are scarce, these truck stops will “reserve” more than half of the parking lot. If I’m buying $500-$600 worth of fuel, I shouldn’t have to worry about getting shaken down for another $15-20 bucks to park, and to put an armed person that is stupid enough to shoot someone over a parking spot out there is asinine. If the driver refused to move, the rental cop should have called the real police, not escalated the situation. It’s pretty clear that the guard was playing the role, and when someone finally stood up to him, he pissed his pants, and started throwing shots. Regardless if he gets charged or not, I hope the driver is successful in suing T.A. For millions of dollars.

      1. Noble1 suggests SMART truck drivers should UNITE & collectively cut out the middlemen from picking truck driver pockets ! UNITE , CONQUER , & YOU'LL PROSPER ! IMHO

        No matter how we may feel about the injustices in this industry , according to the update that I posted on this thread the truck driver is in the wrong .

        When using a truck stop facility we need to abide by their rules or forfeit using their services .

        If a truck stop charges for parking on their private property , then you must abide by that rule and pay for such a service . Same goes for if they offer parking reservations . If a parking spot is reserved for someone else than yourself then you have no permission to park in that spot .

        If a truck stop hires a security guard to ensure rules are followed and or to stop and prevent crimes from being committed , users of that truck stop must abide by that security guard enforcing truck stop rules .

        You don’t “attack” a truck stop security guard when asked by the security guard to abide by truck stop rules at a truck stop .

        Could this have been handled differently ? Absolutely but this is besides the point . The point is the security guard was physically attacked by the truck driver according to witnesses . That’s why the truck driver was shot in self defense by the security guard .

        Had the truck driver simply removed his truck from the reserved spot that was not reserved for him when the guard asked him to do so , this unfortunate incident would not have occurred . Prior to , the trucker shouldn’t have parked in that spot to begin with .

        As much as I would like to take the truck drivers side in this case , I cannot due to the truck driver committing a wrong that escalated to the point where he attacked a security guard physically and due to his unlawful and unethical act ended up getting shot in self defense in the process .

        We must be held accountable for our decisions that lead toour chosen behaviors .

        Until proven otherwise , from my perspective the truck driver in this incident is wrong and guilty on all accounts . However, I repeat , I still believe that the security guard should be trained to handle such situations differently and prevent potential similar escalation in the future .

        In my humble opinion ………..

        1. Not as dumb

          se·cu·ri·ty guard
          /səˈkyo͝orədē ɡärd/
          noun
          a person employed to protect a building against intruders or damage.
          WTF is wrong with you he is NOT judge & jury
          why blow the horn
          why bring it to the next level
          he should have called a REAL police officer
          what if it was the driver is the next spot over that did pay 16 bucks
          then is not ok to shoot him when he comes out to bitch !!!
          again something is wrong with you / you type and spell great but your a DUMB ASS
          AND everything i have send you post proves IT JACKASS

      2. Giovanni Socci

        👍👍👍 EXACTLY!!!!,I remember when Petro or TA was indeed my home away from home,now I avoid them like the plague,expensive fuel,expensive parking and expensive food.
        My wish to them is not of health and prosperity…it will take time,but they will break,AND that will be a happy day.

    2. Giovanni Socci

      No matter how you choose to sugar coat it,the driver was shot over a $15 00 dispute,plain and simple,the fight came later when Barny Fife chose to take the issue to another level.
      1) when armed,do not,DO NOT engage in fistfights,bc the end will not be pretty,THAT S why this idiot guard was supposed to be armed,to avoid fistfights,too bad no one told the sonofabitch to use the gun inmediatly and subdue the driver.
      2) If you are armed and you choose to engage in a physical fight,AND you use the gun when you are losing such fight,then you deserve all the shit that s coming to you.
      Let s face it:drivers’ lives are unimportant,our lives are worth 15.00 or less to the Petro/TA corporation.
      Such corporation should be put out of bussines,their policy is going to ruin us all.

  3. TyAnna LeJeune

    I think it’s a Damn shame that it led to a fellow driver getting shot. I pray for his/her well being. I’m a long haul lady driver and I was taught many years ago” if u are sleepy go to bed”. A human life has no monetary value. But if you’ve never done what a truck driver does on a daily basis, u need to get yourself educated. Learn at least ONE thing every day. To All My Fellow Drivers”TAKE CARE CUZ I CARE”… BE SAFE. This is from L’il Bit.

  4. Doc

    Zack

    Nope. Not true. Many of you need to spend a little more time with your FMCSA handbook. You can use Personal Conveyance for anything not related to work for the carrier. I’ve driven home 200 miles off the clock. It did at one time, but it also matters not any longer if you are loaded or if it takes you closer to your next load. As long as it’s not for commercial proposes, it’s legal. Now your carrier Matt prevent you from using this, but that’s on them.

    Here’s some info:
    https://cms8.fmcsa.dot.gov/regulations/hours-service/personal-conveyance

  5. Ammo Dog

    Some of you all are dumber than dog crap. First learn how to write an understandable sentence. Next thing both of them were in the wrong, the truck driver for not moving and the security guard for escalating the situation.
    Yes I have park in a reserved spot without paying but if I’m asked to move I move the damn truck. Apparently some of you do not know the rules of HOS. If told by an authority figure, in this case the security guard, you can use PC and move the truck. Now if you do not know what PC is then you need to find the hell out.
    For the idiot that said the driver stole the parking spot, what did he do, dig up the lot and take it with him? If I think I will be late getting to a Pilot, Love’s or TA I’ll use the app and reserve a spot. It’s called planning your trip. Plan your trip and stop trying to run the clock to the last minute and you might be able to get one of the free spots.

    1. Jim Bauman

      I’m the one that said “stole.” TA pays wholesale price for all of its property, including parking spaces. Nothing is free. If TA says Reserved spots cost $16, but someone parks in Reserved without paying; that is theft. What if you reserved a spot, because you knew you wouldn’t arrive until 4AM…… but there was no spot for you, because someone parked in Reserved without actually reserving/ paying? You’d be mad at TA. TA cant have people parking in Reserved that dont actually pay for reserved. Its no diffrent than stealing a carton of cigarettes. That space is worth money per night; its not free.

      1. Jerry

        Some of these bastards think they can do anything they want I retired 2 years ago and never had a problem finding a place to to park you have to plan need to shoot more of these bastards

        1. Stephen Webster

          Some truck drivers park at fuel islands for 30 minutes and in reserved parking with out paying. I have seen security tell people to leave warehouses with no hours. That is the problem security does not care if a driver has hours or not . One truck stop in Canada charges $35 cd per night if are not pepaid and you are in the spot after 1800 hours they tie a boat rope to a 3000 lb cement block and it is $120 cd to unlock the rope in the morning. Their security quart is armed pepper spray and a long flash light of police grade. No need to shoot the driver. The problem is the poor hours of service rules and no overtime pay . This resulted in trucking companies pushing truck drivers. The pay model and truck driver treatment is why young people are not interested in driving truck. P S I have been at Queens park since Jan 24 protesting treatment of sick homeless and sick truck drivers in Canada.

          1. Stephen Webster

            I have a good driving record no accident my fault in 10 years. I am considered a very kind caring person. I am working with 2 nonprofits groups to push for better treatment by insurance companies that are delaying claims in Ontario Canada.

    2. Jim Bauman

      You’re the dummy. Space is worth money; just like food is. TA pays literally millions per year $ for its truck stop land, including parking spaces. If TA wants to charge to park in space that IT owns; they can. If someone illegally parks for free; this blocks TA from being able to sell the space. Worse, if someone pre-paid and reserved the spot; they will be very upset if there is no spot due to someone else stealing that space. Parking space is a commodity just like shoes, cigarettes, food. Stealing any of these is theft, including space to park. You think TA isn’t paying for all that land? You think everyone that parks for free buys enough at TA for TA to recoup its real estate costs? If I owned TA, zero spots free. But I’d also then be able to sell stuff cheaper. This would be much smarter strategy.

      1. Larry

        What a bunch of dumbasses do you honestly think parking in the reserve spot is worth getting shot over seriously a man damn near lost his life over a parking spot And you’re siding with an overzealous super cop wanna be security guard with a gun! Maybe if he would’ve used a little common sense and try to D escalate the situation and call the real police neither one of them would be in the news right now!

    3. Stephen Webster

      Many truck based out of Ontario Canada the truck does not have the option of P C. It depends on the companies insurance provider. I agree that the truck driver should have left but that is no reason to shoot. I told the D O T at the Matt’s truck show in Kentucky last year about 2 of the truck drivers getting beat up when they parked in a bad area of Florida after running out of hours. We are seeing many truck drivers with feet fungus and sugar problems because 2 years of E logs and it is showing up. I was robbed before E logs came in and security called the police 3 times and finally took a check for 12 dollars for parking. ( P S happened 17 years ago).

    4. Doc

      A voice of reason. Thank you! Too many of these guys spend their whole day crying about everything that is stopping them from doing better. Of course, they’re doing that at the counter in the restaurant, or on the cb from their sleeper.

    5. Matthew

      True dat! I have parked off I-75, ex201 by dreaded Atlanta Georgia. Security has told me “All our reserves are already paid for. You have to move, you cannot park there.” But nobody was in the spots? Pissed me off but I moved.

    6. Giovanni Socci

      You are not very bright,are you? I mean pay the misley $15.00 for the reserved spot and go to sleep.
      For all your sanctimony of “Plan your trip and blah,blah,blah” You don t do much planning yourself,do you? I mean stealing a reserved spot is not planning.
      Idiot took a mirror to look at his reflection,and it was your face he saw…omg !! what a moron.

Comments are closed.

John Kingston

John has an almost 40-year career covering commodities, most of the time at S&P Global Platts. He created the Dated Brent benchmark, now the world’s most important crude oil marker. He was Director of Oil, Director of News, the editor in chief of Platts Oilgram News and the “talking head” for Platts on numerous media outlets, including CNBC, Fox Business and Canada’s BNN. He covered metals before joining Platts and then spent a year running Platts’ metals business as well. He was awarded the International Association of Energy Economics Award for Excellence in Written Journalism in 2015. In 2010, he won two Corporate Achievement Awards from McGraw-Hill, an extremely rare accomplishment, one for steering coverage of the BP Deepwater Horizon disaster and the other for the launch of a public affairs television show, Platts Energy Week.