David Warner ’Rocky’ Eales was a 49-year-old Oklahoma Highway Patrol trooper and U.S. Marine Corps veteran when he was killed serving a no-knock warrant at a rural Sequoyah County residence. The shooting occurred on September 24, 1999, during a joint operation with the district attorney’s drug task force. Officers were ambushed as they arrived; a single .223-caliber round penetrated the patrol vehicle and struck Eales above the side panels of his protective vest. He died at the scene. Trooper John M. ’Buddy’ Hamilton suffered non-fatal wounds, and a suspect was also wounded during the return fire.

The shooter was identified as 38-year-old Kenny Barrett, who and his son were taken into custody after the shootout. Barrett’s first trial in October 2002 ended in a mistrial; a subsequent trial produced a manslaughter conviction and a 20-year state sentence. Does anyone have additional details about the operation that night or memories of Trooper Eales’ service?