Seven-year-old girl begged her dad not to shoot her in a tense standoff with police

A seven-year-old girl can be heard begging for her life as her dad used her as a bargaining chip with police in newly released police tapes. 

In audio released by the Sheriff’s Office, Charles Alexander, 43, is heard yelling toward police on the scene that he is armed while calmly telling his daughter Oaklynn that she would be ‘going to heaven’. She responds: ‘I don’t want to go to heaven today.’ 

Oaklynn had been kidnapped by her dad, a non-custodial parent, from her grandmother’s house in Jefferson County on November 11 after he tried and failed to swoop her from school. 

Once the alarm was raised, an Amber Alert was swiftly issued for Oaklynn with Charles’ vehicle description as the Brunswick Division of Police launched a manhunt to get her back to her mom.

His car was eventually caught at a traffic stop but Charles attempted to flee, prompting officers to chase him south of Interstate 71. 

Charles’ tires were deflated using stop sticks which forced him to come to a halt in a parking lot in nearby Medina township. 

It was then that an ugly showdown ensued with audio acquired by WKYC shedding light on the tense moment. 

In the clip, Charles is heard threatening to kill his daughter and himself during several panicked conversations on the phone with police. 

‘I will shoot us both, stand back!,’ he screams while the child is heard begging, ‘please don’t’ in the background. 

While holding the gun, Charles also demanded: ‘I wanna talk to her mother. If you’re listening, Ashley, you should’ve called.’

As Oaklynn asks him questions him, her dad says they ‘both are going to heaven.’ 

‘How do you know we’re going to heaven?’ the young girl inquires.

‘We’ll both go,’ he is heard replying calmly.

‘I am going to heaven?’ Oaklynn asks before realizing what it means and yells, ‘No!’

When she starts choking up, Charles assures her in a bizarre tone: ‘Cause you’re a good person.’

‘I don’t want to go to heaven today,’ she is heard pleading. 

‘I didn’t want it to happen either, I just wanted to talk to your mother,’ Charles is heard responding flatly. 

At this point, an officer interrupts and tells the Charles: ‘Stay here. I know you didn’t want to hurt [your daughter] and you didn’t want it to be like this.

‘Let’s not do anything we can’t undo,’ the woman on the phone calmly tells him.

As cops try to negotiate with him, the child is heard repeatedly asking about ‘going to heaven.’

At one point, she cries out in panic: ‘I don’t want to go to heaven today!’

‘I’m not going to die,’ she repeatedly says in the background.

Another officer is also heard empathizing with Charles and saying: ‘Just keep talking to her if you don’t want her to be scared.

‘Let’s not do anything that is going to make it even more unfair to her, cause you love her, I know you do.’ 

It later revealed that while Charles was speaking to the police, multiple shots were fired by officers on the scene and he was killed.

Oaklynn was safely returned to her family after officers shot and killed him in a parking lot the same night.

After her safe recovery, a friend who goes by J Potter launched a GoFundMe for mother Ashley Matthews and a traumatized Oaklynn. 

‘As many of you may know, Oaklyn recently went through a life changing experience that will continue to effect her in the years to come. We have created this fund for anyone asking themselves “What can I do to help?”. 

‘The monies collected will go towards caring for Oaklyn during her mother’s time off from work, mental health expenses and any additional costs for her future. 

‘Oaklyn and her family would like to thank you all from the bottom of their hearts,’ the description read.

As of now, the crowdfunding page has raised $7,612 out of its $10,000 goal.