Judge rules Tulsa man can’t use “stand your ground” in shooting case

Judge says man can not use stand your ground law in server shooting case
By: Ryan Love and Josh Gammon
Updated: September 23, 2019 - 6:20 PM

TULSA, Okla. — A man accused of shooting a process server and making threats will go to trial.

Tulsa police seized firearms and thousands of rounds of ammunition while serving a search warrant at the home of Christopher Barnett on July 25 the day after they say he shot a process server.

The initial incident happened July 24 around 9 p.m. at the home near East 102nd Street and Memorial.

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Police say a process server knocked on the door at the home. Officers say Barnett received legal papers and shot at the process server while he walked away from the house.

Officers surrounded the house, getting Barnett and another person inside to come out. Police arrested Barnett, who now faces charges of shooting with intent to kill. He was later released on bond.

The process server was taken to the hospital and is expected to be OK.

Barnett reached out to the FOX23 newsroom to dispute what police told FOX23. He provided the following statement:

"The events that unfolded at our home on July 24, 2019 around 9pm were very scary.  A man coming to our home, screaming at us, trying to break into our home, then he pulls a gun on us.  I am very Thankful to be alive and I count my blessings every minute.  I would be dead if I had not taken quick action.  It is tragic that I had to use a gun to defend myself, my home and my family and I have no regrets.  I was frivolously charged by the Tulsa Police Department with Shooting with Intent to Kill which is a felony.  I had to post a $75,000.00 bond and this has made me realize how broken our bond system is, how broken our police department is, and how broken our judicial system is.  I'm stepping up to do something about it.  I'm officially entering the race for US Senate and challenging Jim Inhoffe.  Its time to have someone in our US Senate who not only supports the 1st amendment and the 2nd amendment, but isn't afraid to stand their ground and exercise both it it comes to it.  We are home owners and we are not facing eviction.  The number of police cars that showed up at our home was over 50, yet a shooting in east Tulsa only had 4.  Why were we treated different?  We are the victims, not the so called process server.  We called the police for help and we were ordered to come outside, hands up, handcuffed and taken away.  We are home owners.  We are the victims.  The Tulsa Police have a lot of work to do." - Christopher Barnett

However, police returned to Barnett’s home Thursday night to serve a search warrant in response to threats they said were made against the University of Tulsa and multiple judges.

Barnett was not home at the time police served the search warrant. He was arrested later that night in connection with threatening a violent act.

Barnett was later charged with assault with a deadly weapon.

He is being held in Tulsa County Jail without bond after pleading not guilty to both charges. On Jan. 3, a judge ruled that Barnett will not be able to use the “stand your ground" argument in this case. He goes to trial in June.

Barnett's attorney released the following surveillance video of the shooting after the arraignment:

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