By: Jennifer Pierce
OKLAHOMA CITY -
Five Oklahoma City police officers found themselves on the other side of the law this week. Oklahoma County District Attorney David Prater charged them with manslaughter on Wednesday in connection to the shooting death of 15-year-old Stavian Rodriguez.
Just like anyone charged with a crime the officers have to be processed through the Oklahoma County Detention Center.
The Oklahoma County DA told News 9 arrest warrants were issued for Officers Bethany Sears, Jared Barton, Corey Adams, Jonathan Skuta and Brad Pemberton.
While all the officers have been part of one or more officer-involved shootings in the past, they never faced criminal charges.
Six inmates have died inside the Oklahoma County Jail since mid-December. The most recent death, Parker Stevens, was found unresponsive in his cell Wednesday.Last month, Brad Lane was allegedly killed by his cellmate. Lane’s girlfriend, Crystal Oldham, said jail shouldn t be a death sentence, especially for someone like Lane, who was in jail for a nonviolent offense. She and his family are now demanding accountability and justice.“No family should go through this. It s rough. It tears everything apart. Everything you had planned. Everything that you thought your future was going to be. It s all gone, Oldham said. For Oldham, it s memories like this she cherishes most. Her boyfriend Lane and her 1 1/2-year-old daughter were bonding as father and daughter. “They just had this connection,” Oldham said.Lane was arrested on stolen vehicle and drug charges. He was allegedly beaten to death by his cellmate at the Oklahoma County Detention Center in January. “He didn t deser
By: Hunter McKee
OKLAHOMA CITY -
Jesus Rubio was later caught and placed back into custody, but this is now the third inmate to escape since July.
About 6:30 a.m. Wednesday, 11 detainees were being transported to the Oklahoma Department of Corrections, Greg Williams with the detention center said.
“They drive their vehicle into this alley port, and that’s where they get out of their vehicles and enter the jail,” said Williams.
That s when Rubio was able to escape. Williams said Rubio he walked through a garage door which was left open. He admits this was a procedural issue.
“We have briefed this situation this morning, and I have begun working with my staff to identify any weaknesses of what we might have,” said Williams.
By: Jennifer Pierce
VALLEY BROOK, Okla. -
The City of Valley Brook is once again accused of illegal policing. The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law claimed in a lawsuit filed in Oklahoma County last week the city has been maintaining a modern-day debtors’ prison.
The one-mile city of Valley Brook, mostly know for strip clubs, is now getting another reputation.
“We see the police department stopping people for minor traffic offenses,” said Tianna Mays, lawsuit attorney. “And then using that as an opportunity to search these people’s car without any type of warrant.”
Mays is part of a national group of attorneys investigating debtors prisons in Oklahoma and Arkansas.
By: Erica Rankin
OKLAHOMA CITY -
Oklahoma City police said a woman had her wedding ring stolen and pawned by a person she hired to be a caretaker.
Police said sadly this is a situation they see time and time again where someone takes advantage of people who are vulnerable.
“Just like any line of work there’s people that get in the line of work for the wrong reasons and this was a case of that,” said MSgt. Gary Knight with the Oklahoma City Police Department.
Police arrested 26-year-old Vinia Monique Foster-Duncan after she allegedly stole and pawned off a wedding ring.