Full Notification

The Altus Police Department has requested OSBI investigate a police-involved shooting that took place just after midnight. The department received a call about a gunshot fired in the 500 block of E. Elm. A witness to the incident flagged down a nearby officer and pointed out the man who allegedly fired the shot. The officer confronted the man standing in a yard at the southeast corner of Elm and Hightower. The suspect reportedly pulled a gun from his waistband. The officer pulled his duty weapon and fired. A back-up officer who was already on scene also fired at the suspect. Bruce Puente, 22, was struck by a bullet at least one time. The Altus resident was flown to an Oklahoma City hospital for treatment.

The OSBI will not release the officers’ names, as they are the subjects of the investigation. Agents will compile a comprehensive report of the incident and deliver a copy to the district attorney. The district attorney will determine if the shooting was justified.