Joshua Luke Stand, 35, was shot and killed on June 16, 2014, on a rural Nowata County road near Delaware, Oklahoma. The medical examiner ruled cause of death multiple gunshot wounds and manner homicide, noting acute methamphetamine intoxication. Stand sustained eight gunshot wounds, including two in his back and one in his buttock.

Oklahoma Highway Patrol Trooper Jerrod Martin encountered Stand barefoot and shirtless; dashcam footage shows Martin shouting for Stand to stop and drop a knife. Witness statements conflict with that account: one witness said they did not see a knife as Stand ran, and another watching through binoculars said Stand was standing across the street and not charging when shots were fired. The District Attorney for Washington and Nowata counties, Kevin Buchanan, declined to file criminal charges, finding the shooting justified, and Trooper Martin returned to duty.

Stand’s family emphasized his long history of mental illness and argued the Highway Patrol had other options. In 2016 the estate sued in federal court alleging excessive deadly force; the case later settled for $175,000 with no admission of fault.