OKC Police Identify Suspect Shot, Killed By Officer Following Chase

Oklahoma City police have identified a suspect who was shot and killed by an officer, after he led police on a chase and then stabbed a police dog Sunday night.

According to police, at about 8:44 p.m. Sunday, officers responded to the report of a burglary in the area of 7233 S. Air Depot. The caller provided police with descriptions of the suspect and his vehicle.

8/25/2014 Related Story: Metro Chase Ends In Deadly Officer-Involved Shooting

When officers arrived, police said the suspect, later identified as 22-year-old Mark A. Salazar of Blue Mound, Texas, fled the scene in his car. That’s when the pursuit began.

Salazar led officers on a pursuit that eventually traveled southbound on I-35, where Oklahoma Highway Patrol troopers joined in near Main Street in Norman. An OHP trooper performed a tactical vehicle intervention (TVI) maneuver and ended the pursuit.

The suspect vehicle came to rest in a ditch along the west side of SB I-35 just north of Goldsby. However, police said Salazar fled on foot, jumped over a fence, and ran southbound along the service road.

Sgt. Ryan Stark, who was involved in the chase, released his K-9 partner Kye. Kye was able to apprehend Salazar behind a business in the area. When Sgt. Stark arrived, police said Salazar was actively stabbing Kye with a knife. 

According to police, Sgt. Stark tried to separate Salazar from Kye before he shot at Salazar, killing him.

Kye was rushed to an emergency vet where he underwent surgery for multiple stab wounds. He was transported to a facility in Oklahoma City for additional surgery the next morning. However, he died after suffering from a heart attack Monday afternoon.

Kye is a 3-year-old Belgian German Sheppard that has been with the Oklahoma City police department for about two years. Sgt. Stark, a 13-year veteran of the force, has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.

The funeral service for Kye will be held at 11 a.m. on Thursday, August 28 at First Southern Baptist Church, located at 6400 S. Sooner Road. The services will be conducted with full police honors, and will be open to the public, according to police.