Recently, Brady Henderson, legal director of the Oklahoma ACLU, gave a much-needed lecture on the “do’s and don’ts” of law enforcement interaction with the Daily Oklahoman’s Jonathan Sutton.
In the article, Mr. Henderson went over a series of common scenarios, such as getting pulled over, being asked to exit your vehicle to answer questions in a police car, and filming interactions with the police.
The article was published by the NewsOK.com on October 13, 2014 and can be found here.
This subject matter is so important, especially given the recent events in our state and here locally in Oklahoma City. There was the news of Oklahoma City Police Department officer Daniel Daniel Holtzclaw, 27, who was arrested and charged with 26 felony counts. Officer Holtzclaw allegedly prowled the streets of OKC’s eastside and would prey upon women who were poor, on drugs, and in desperate situations. Officer Holtzclaw would then use the power of his badge to intimidate women into having various sexual relations. It is believed that many victims may still be out there and are afraid to come forward.
The Daily Oklahoman explained two other recent abominations of law enforcement:
Former Tulsa County sheriff’s deputy Gerald Knuckolls was recently released from jail following accusations of sexual assault in September. Knuckolls is accused of assaulting two women, one in his patrol car and another in a house, while on duty. He told investigators the incident in September was not the first time he had exposed himself to women while on duty, records show.
And in Creek County, former Oklahoma Highway Patrol trooper Eric Roberts is accused of raping two women on separate occasions in his patrol vehicle.
These are the types of stories and cases that outrage me. Abuse of power is something our country was founded against. If you believe you have been wronged by the government, are a victim of sexual assault or police brutality, contact Oklahoma Civil Rights lawyer, Travis Charles Smith. Our Civil Rights lawsuits are always on a contingency fee basis: We do not charge the client anything unless we win and we finance all litigation expenses!all the litigation expenses!