The Oklahoma Highway Patrol Bomb Squad was one of many agencies that assisted in the negotiation attempts with a Spiro man who had himself barricaded in his home near Sunset Corner Saturday afternoon.
PDN photo/Jenny Huggins

By Jenny Huggins
News Reporter

What began as a welfare check in rural Spiro Saturday afternoon ended tragically for Franklin O. Edwards, 59, who held police off for nearly six hours before taking his own life.
LeFlore County Sheriff Deputy Joshua Cranfield and Spiro Police Officer Theo Capes went to Edwards’ home at the request of a friend.
Cranfield and Capes arrived at the home on Highline Road in Spiro and attempted to talk with Edwards.
A friend had called law enforcement stating that he had been receiving “unusual” text messages from Edwards.  
The  original call to the Sheriff’s office came in at 12:36 p.m. on Saturday, with the event lasting after 9 p.m. that evening.  
When the deputy and officer arrived Edwards was in a camper trailer behind the main house.
When they went to the door Edwards would not come out and then fired five rounds through the glass in the door.  The officers retreated and called for help.  
Agencies responding to the call were: Howe, Wister, Shady Point, Panama, Bokoshe, Arkoma,  Pocola, and Spiro Police Departments all sent at least one unit to the scene along with the U.S. Forestry Department and LeFlore County EMS.
When LeFlore County Undersheriff Donnie Edwards arrived at the scene he ordered an evacuation of all the nearby houses.
The Oklahoma Highway Patrol was notified as well as the OHP Tactical Team. Numerous attempts were made by negotiators with OHP to Edwards to come out, but he refused, firing more shots from within the camper.
A total of 14 empty casings were found inside the camper.
After additional negotiation attempts failed the Tactical Team fired OC Spray (pepper spray) canisters into the camper in an attempt to force Edwards out.  
Edwards eventually left his camper and went to a small shed behind the camper at 6:40 p.m. where he shot himself in the chest with a 45 semi-automatic handgun.
“I regret the man lost his life” stated LeFlore County Sheriff Bruce Curnutt “but I am thankful the the deputy and the Spiro officer were not hurt. These situations are never easy. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family.”