Oklahoma officer gets 10 years in fatal shooting of unarmed man

An Oklahoma City police officer was sentenced this week to 10 years in prison after he was convicted of second-degree murder for killing an unarmed, suicidal man. 

Oklahoma County District Judge Natalie Mai agreed with a jury’s recommendation of a 10-year sentence for Keith Sweeney, 34, according to The Oklahoman. 

The newspaper quoted Mai as telling Sweeney that he should not be treated differently because he is an officer and veteran of the Navy.  

“You should and will be held to a higher standard,” she said. 

Sweeney killed Dustin Pigeon in November 2017, shooting him three times after Pigeon called to threaten suicide. 

Officers approached Pigeon, who threatened to set himself on fire, and tried to deescalate things, the newspaper reported. 

Sweeney then reportedly approached Pigeon, gun drawn. Another officer later fired one bean bag round, hitting Pigeon’s hip, while Sweeney shot five times, hitting Pigeon with three bullets, according to The Oklahoman. 

Before the sentencing, Sweeney told Pigeon’s family that he had believed their son to be armed. 

“I truly believe with every fiber of my being in that moment that Mr. Pigeon had a knife,” he was quoted as saying. 

Members of Pigeon’s family reportedly said they hoped the 10-year sentence would act as a deterrent for other officers.