Standoff Ends in Shooting, Man’s Death

A 57-year-old man was shot and killed by a Cherokee Nation Marshal on the night of June 8 after threatening suicide and threatening police at a standoff in Roland.

Sequoyah County Sheriff Larry Lane reported the sheriff’s office received a call at about 4 p.m. Thursday that Paul Eugene Mashburn was suicidal and had barricaded himself inside a Roland residence.

Lane continues, “When deputies and Oklahoma Highway Patrol (OHP) troopers arrived at the residence they found Paul Eugene Mashburn at the residence. As deputies approached the residence, Mashburn yelled out the window that he had guns and gasoline and he would shoot any officers that came near the house. Mashburn was also sending out text messages to family members that he had gasoline and guns, and that he had poured the gasoline on the carpet and would throw a torch on it if officers tried to enter his home. There was also an outstanding felony warrant for Mashburn for a kidnapping case in Sequoyah County. 

“Due to the threats being made and previous criminal history of Mr. Mashburn, Sheriff Lane contacted the Cherokee Nation Marshal Service and requested assistance from their SWAT team. Sequoyah County deputies and OHP troopers maintained perimeter security at the residence as well as constant communication with Mr. Mashburn until the SWAT team arrived at about 7 p.m. After the SWAT team arrived, their negotiator communicated with Mr. Mashburn for several hours, trying to get him to come out of the residence. Mr. Mashburn began breaking out windows and threatening officers. He then started a fire inside the residence and continued breaking out windows, and eventually opened a window on the east side of the house, yelled again and pointed a pistol out the window at officers.

“At that time, a sniper with the SWAT team fired one shot, which killed Mr. Mashburn.

“The Roland Fire Department then moved in and put the fire out before the home was completely destroyed.

“Mr. Mashburn was a convicted sex offender and had previous criminal history of robbery, domestic violence and sexual battery.”

Lane said, “I would like to recognize and thank Deputy Christian Goode for staying calm and truly trying to end the standoff peacefully by staying in constant communication with Mr. Mashburn for several hours. This was a very stressful situation for everyone involved, and unfortunately this ended with a man losing his life.”

Lane continued, “I would also like to thank the Roland Fire Department for standing by at the scene for several hours and being quick to spring into action when the time came. These firemen deployed quickly and got the fire suppressed before the home was totally burned. The Cherokee Marshals, OHP troopers and Sequoyah County deputies provided security for the firemen while they worked to get the fire out.”

Sally Maxwell, Senior News Director

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