Bratcher’s business grew medical marijuana, and May 27 was the second night in a row that Hardwick had shown up, the report said.
Oklahoma City CBS affiliate KWTV
reported that the defendant himself called the police after the shooting.
“[Hardwick] was trying to break in when the business owner, who was inside the business at the time, apparently opened fire with a handgun, striking and killing the man who was breaking in,” Oklahoma City Police Department Master Sgt.
Gary Knight told NBC affiliate KFOR.
Bratcher’s business license had lapsed. His wife told Yahoo! News that officials ordered him to make “nearly $100,000 worth of renovations” to his medical marijuana facility — so he wasn’t able to obtain the necessary paperwork to continue operations. That lapse would prove to be fateful.
“It was about 480 plants, which comes out to approximately $1,500,000 of marijuana,” Knight
told KFOR. “Ultimately, he ended up being booked in to the Oklahoma County Jail on unlawful cultivation of marijuana.”
The charge is a felony.
Prosecutors filed second-degree murder charges shortly thereafter. When Bratcher didn’t accept a plea deal, his family
told Yahoo! News that the prosecutor upped the charges again — this time to first-degree murder.
Oklahoma County
court records currently indicate that Bratcher is currently charged with first-degree murder,
second-degree murder, the unlawful cultivation of marijuana, possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute, possession of an offensive weapon while committing a felony.
A hearing to consider a bond reduction is scheduled for June 14. A trial is scheduled for October 11.