Tulsa man shot by police after running amuck and stabbing BJ’s Brewhouse Manager

(Pictured: Cody Hovorka, arrest photo. Image credit: Tulsa Police Department)

Convicted felon Cody Hovorka, 32, has been identified as the suspect arrested in the stabbing at BJ’s Brewhouse and the Officer-involved shooting nearby on Thursday afternoon near Woodland Hills mall in Tulsa.

Background:  On January 9 just after 1 p.m., Tulsa PD officers were called to the BJ’s Brewhouse on 71st street near Woodland Hills Mall for a stabbing. The incident started when the 32-year-old entered the restaurant and started to create a disturbance. He was yelling and threatening customers and employees at the front of the store.

In an attempt to calm things down, the General Manager at BJ’s spoke with the man and tried to coerce him to leave. The situation escalated very quickly; and the suspect pulled out a knife and stabbed the manager. When the manager put his hands up in a defensive manner, the suspect stabbed him in the hand.

The manager yelled for staff and patrons to run to the back of the store to get away from all potential danger while he himself was rushed into the kitchen to tend to his wounds.

After chasing others around in the restaurant for a brief time, the still-agitated Hovorka left the store. Patrons and staff barricaded the doors and attempted to lock them to keep the man with the knife from re-entering the restaurant.

Still though, Hovorka was banging on the door and trying to break in through a window.

When officers arrived, Hovorka had already fled the scene and had walked toward nearby businesses and hotels located to the east of the mall.  Police caught up with him on foot.  Ignoring commands from Officers, Hovorka tried to get into the hotels; fortunately, he was unable to gain any access.

He then took off toward Woodland Hills Mall wielding his knife. Multiple attempts were made to stop him by utilizing a taser, but none of the attempts on the part of police were successful.

Given Hovorka’s tendency for violence and as he was showing intent to do harm to innocent people, one Officer used his duty pistol and fired upon Hovorka, striking him. He went to the ground and was taken into custody.

Both the BJ’s General Manager and Hovorka were transported to the hospital and both are expected to recover from their injuries.  The officer involved in the shooting has been placed on administrative leave per departmental protocol.

After being treated at the hospital, Cody Hovorka was booked into the Tulsa County Jail on charges of:

• Assault & Battery with a Dangerous Weapon AFCF (After Former Conviction of a Felony), and,

• Resisting Arrest.

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(Source: Tulsa Police Department)

Posted by Richard Webster, Ace News Today
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