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A wrongful death lawsuit has been filed against the City of Bartlesville and two its officers on behalf of the family of Thomas Gay. The suit was filed in a federal court in Tulsa on Monday by the estate of Thomas Gay.

Just over one year ago, on June 1, 2019, Gay was shot and killed. Police responded to the 1300 block of Madison Boulevard in Bartlesville after a report from Gay’s father that he was “on something”, acting very paranoid and combative. Officers deployed a taser on Gay but could not get him to comply. Officers then shot him in the leg and chest. A police report stated the officer believed Gay was holding a weapon. Police captain Jay Hastings explained the incident in June 2019.

District Attorney Kevin Buchanan released a report in July 2019, six weeks after the incident that cleared the two BPD officers of any wrongdoing. Buchanan said in the statement, “there is no reason to doubt the events occurred as both officers and the father described leading up to the moment Gay was shot.”