State Sen. Regina Goodwin verbally spars with officer during traffic stop, cited for running stop sign

State Sen. Regina Goodwin (D-Tulsa) had a recent run-in with the law after a Tulsa County sheriff's deputy observed her rolling through two stop signs in downtown Tulsa. What could have been a routine, brief encounter and a warning turned into almost a half hour of verbally sparring with the officer and refusing fifteen requests to hand over her driver's license.

One thing led to another, and Tulsa mayor Monroe Nichols and City Councilor Laura Bellis showed up at the scene (not the type of assistance Joe Citizen gets, I'm sure), which ended in Goodwin being briefly handcuffed and ticketed. NonDoc has a good synopsis of the traffic stop here, along with bodycam footage. As NonDoc pointed out, this is the third legislator-and-law-enforcement encounter in the past two-and-a-half years that left significant egg on the overly-entitled and self-important legislators' faces.

Goodwin was elected to the State Senate in November, after serving nine years in the State House. The Tulsa County GOP is calling on her to apologize for her inexcusable behavior:

Oklahoma man with Irish mob ties sentenced for orchestrating murder from prison

Oklahoma man with Irish mob ties sentenced for orchestrating murder from prison 

OKLAHOMA CITY (Oct. 23, 2024) – An Osage County judge today sentenced a man with ties to organized crime to life in prison for ordering the 2021 murder of a fellow Irish mob member. The Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office and several partner agencies handled the case against Zachary Millard, who had been convicted earlier this month for the slaying of Mitchell Roberts in Tulsa.  

Drummond launches Attorney General's "10 Most Wanted" campaign to capture criminals

Drummond launches Attorney General's "10 Most Wanted" campaign to capture criminals

OKLAHOMA CITY (Sept. 25, 2024) – Attorney General Gentner Drummond launched a new campaign today to help capture some of Oklahoma’s most wanted fugitives from justice.

Drummond has partnered with the U.S. Marshals Service and other federal, tribal, state, county and local law enforcement agencies to identify 10 Most Wanted fugitives and to work to hold them accountable for their actions. Individuals on the Most Wanted list pose serious threats to public safety.

“The fugitives on this list are a threat to public safety. It is critical that we work together to hold these individuals accountable for their alleged crimes,” Drummond said. “We hope to enlist the help of all Oklahomans in this campaign to get these dangerous criminals off the street.”

Gann: warrantless license plate scanner tracking is not authorized by state law

Warrantless License Plate Scanner Tracking is Not Authorized By State Law

Oklahoma City (March 18th) -- State Representative Tom Gann issued a statement today following the dramatic defeat of SB 1620 on Thursday.

"In 2016, the legislature made the unfortunate decision to authorize the use of license plate scanner technology for the purpose of insurance verification. That law limited the use of this intrusive technology to that purpose only. This year, the legislature considered House Bill 3570, which was not heard prior to the 3rd reading deadline, and Senate Bill 1620, which was defeated on Thursday by a wide margin — becoming one of the very few bills to be defeated on the Senate floor. These bills would have authorized the use of this technology for purposes other than insurance verification. As these laws have failed, it's important for the public and city councils across the state to know that: There is no specific statutory authorization for using these systems."

State Senate approves bill adding first responders to school security drills

Senate approves bill adding first responders to school security drills

OKLAHOMA CITY (March 13th) – The Senate has vote unanimously for legislation to help improve the effectiveness of school security drills in Oklahoma.  Senate Bill 169, by Sen. Todd Gollihare, would require first responders to be on scene and directly involved in at least one security drill a year.

Current state law requires all public schools to conduct at least four security drills each school year.  Additional drills may be conducted at the discretion of the district.  Gollihare, R-Kellyville, said involving the first responders, who would be part of an actual emergency, will help enhance the effectiveness of these drills.

Muskogee Police Chief Johnny Teehee: Please oppose SQ820

Muskogee Police Chief Johnny Teehee is out with an op-ed opposing State Question 820, which aims to makes recreational marijuana legal in Oklahoma. Read below:

TEEHEE: PLEASE OPPOSE SQ 820

While my day job has me serving as Chief of Police in Muskogee, I am writing today more as a father and grandfather who is also the product of a family marred by substance abuse.

Substance abuse is nothing new.

Rural and urban law enforcement figures: Pro-SQ820 campaign is misleading the public

I was just remarking to my wife earlier today how absolutely misleading the pro-820 mailer was that came in the mail today...

Sheriffs, DAs, Chiefs of Police & Narcotics Agents Agree: YES 820 Campaign is Misleading the Public

(Feb. 23rd)  A large group of Oklahomans in the law enforcement community came together today to criticize the recent mailings and television advertising of Yes on 820.

Lankford, Bice call for transparency, communication in DOJ investigation of OKCPD

Lankford, Bice Call for Transparency, Communication in DOJ Investigation of Oklahoma City, OKC Police Department

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK (Jan. 9th) – Senator James Lankford (R-OK) and Rep. Stephanie Bice (R-OK-05) sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland after the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced in November an investigation into the state of Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, and the Oklahoma City Police Department (OKCPD).

Sen. Dahm files bills to constrain intrusive federal government

Sen. Dahm files bills to constrain intrusive federal government

OKLAHOMA CITY (Dec. 12th) – In response to the growing concerns over federal violations of constitutionally-protected rights, Sen. Nathan Dahm, R-Broken Arrow, has filed numerous bills to push back and constrain the federal government within its constitutional limits.

State Senator files bill to stop use of unmarked police cars for traffic enforcement

Sen. Rogers files bill seeking to stop the use of unmarked police vehicles for traffic enforcement

OKLAHOMA CITY - After noticing an increased use of unmarked police cars for routine traffic enforcement, Sen. Cody Rogers, R-Tulsa, announced on Monday that he has filed Senate Bill 1109 calling for municipal police departments to use clearly marked vehicles.

“The concern is that these vehicles are being used for revenue generation as opposed to tools for public safety on our roads,” Rogers said. “I’ve heard from many constituents who have had encounters with law enforcement and had no way of identifying their vehicles or if they were even actual officers at all.”

'Unite Norman': supporters of mayor "still don't get it" when claiming 30,000 recall signers were tricked

“THEY STILL DON’T GET IT” – Supporters of Soon-To-Be-Recalled Mayor, City Council Say 30,000 Normanites Must Have Been “Tricked” into Signing Petitions — Nothing Could be Further from the Truth, Voters Were Very Informed as Recall Was One of the Most-Covered Stories in Norman this Summer

Mayor, City Council Supporters Suggesting that All of the People Who Signed the Petition — Women, Democrats, Independents, Republicans, People under Age 50, and People over Age 50 — Must Have Been Tricked, They Can’t Possibly Have Decided for Themselves

Continued denial from city leaders shows they still don’t get it

Norman Recall story has been the biggest political story of the summer —voters were very informed by daily Media stories, newspaper ads, doorstep visits, and social media discussions

NORMAN (August 19th)  — Supporters of the mayor and city council are suggesting that 30,000 Normanites were “tricked” into signing petitions to recall the mayor and city council — but nothing could be further from the truth.

After a contentious summer debating the Defunding of Police, the Recall story has arguably become one of the biggest news stories in Norman and that state. To suggest that the citizens in Norman didn’t know what the recall was over is just disingenuous.

It is a tactic straight out of the Democrats’ playbook — a tactic that has been used in other Recall elections, such as the Colorado Recalls, where signature gatherers there also got above & beyond the required signatures.

“This mayor and city council still don’t get it,” said Russell Smith, co-founder of Unite Norman. “Thousands of volunteers spent hundreds of hours talking with residents of Norman on their doorsteps, at least 100 local TV stories were aired on the issue, and dozens of hours were spent talking with the media, and with the public on social media.

1889 Institute: qualified immunity contributes to policing problem, must be fixed

Breaking the Unjust Shield: Fix Qualified Immunity

By Spencer Cadavero

The manner of George Floyd’s death, along with any number of other examples, is proof that the United States has a policing problem. Qualified immunity, the judicial doctrine that usually prevents police officers acting in the line of duty from being held accountable in court, undoubtedly contributes to the problem.

Qualified immunity is a legal doctrine created by the Supreme Court. It protects government officials who have violated a citizen's constitutional rights unless a “clearly established” right has been violated. To show that a right was “clearly established,” the victim must point to a previously decided case involving the same “specific context” and “particular conduct” as their current case. If he fails to do so, the offending officer is granted qualified immunity. In George Floyd's case, his family would have to point to a case where a cop suffocated someone with his knee in the street, went to trial for it, and a judge said it was bad. If no case like that exists, then Floyd's family cannot recover damages.

Attorney General Hunter Releases FAQs Surrounding the McGirt Decision

Attorney General Hunter Releases FAQs Surrounding the McGirt Decision

OKLAHOMA CITY – Attorney General Mike Hunter today released a list of detailed answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs) surrounding the McGirt decision after appearing as a panelist yesterday evening with the state’s three U.S. attorneys at the annual Association of Oklahoma Narcotic Enforcers conference.

The panel, which was virtually attended by over 1,000 law enforcement personnel, was focused on the recent McGirt ruling and how it specifically impacts law enforcement. However, the document released today addresses numerous areas of interest, such as what the decision means for property rights, the Violence Against Women Act and more. 

Attorney General Hunter said the FAQs thoroughly explains how the U.S. Supreme Court decision impacts tribal communities and Oklahomans living and working in the eastern half of the state.

OKC Council candidate on crime: "how is stealing things making Americans unsafe"?

Oklahoma City's city council election isn't until February 9th, 2021, but candidates are already lining up to run. Incumbent Ward 1 councilman James Greiner announced back in January that he would not be seeking reelection. Below is a tweet by Megan Scott, a left-wing candidate who plans to run for the seat:

Scott's tweet was a reply to a screenshot of a now-deleted post from the OKC Police Department asking for information regarding theft of "thousands of dollars of Trump merchandise from a vehicle" in Oklahoma City.

Group asks: did Norman mayor hire actor to testify before vote to defund police?

Here's the latest in the drama out of Norman, Oklahoma...

Did the Mayor Hire an Actor to Testify as a Concerned Norman Resident for the Vote to Defund the Police?

An “Actor” on the Mayor’s Payroll Was Paid $1,250 before Testifying -- Actor’s own Bio states he is a resident of Oklahoma City 

NORMAN — In a televised interview, Mayor Clark told KOCO 5 that loud agitators had been successful in swaying her and the city council inside council chambers in a dark-of-night 4a.m. vote on June 17th to strip nearly $1 million from police budgets.

According to public records, it appears now that at least one of those people who testified was an Actor — and had previously been on Mayor Clark’s payroll. Tasneem Ahmad Al-Michael is listed as an “Actor” on promotional materials from the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR).

“Taz Al-Michael,” as he is also referred to in other publications, is according to his own bio, also a “community organizer based out of Oklahoma City.” Source: NewLeadersCouncil.org

State Rep. Humphrey releases information on Officer-Involved deaths

Humphrey Releases Information on Officer-Involved Deaths

OKLAHOMA CITY – State Rep. Justin Humphrey, R-Lane, recently requested information from the Office of Criminal Justice Statistics with the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation on fatal officer-involved shootings (FOIS), arrest-related deaths (ARDs), and law enforcement officers killed and assaulted (LEOKA).

“I think it’s time Oklahomans have an honest conversation about policing, but one based on facts and data,” Humphrey said. “Only when the public has accurate information about law enforcement and the deaths that occurred while a person was being taken into custody or was in custody, and also the number of law enforcement officers that are killed and assaulted can we decide if changes are needed.”

He released the following compiled by the Statistical Analysis Center:

FOIS for 2015, 2017 and 2018 – the latest year available. Information for 2016 was not included because incidents were not verified through the necessary means listed in each report under the “methodology” section, according to the Office of Criminal Justice Statistics:

Unite Norman: we have more Recall signatures than votes that elected Norman mayor

Unite Norman Announces They’ve Surpassed in Signatures the Number of Votes that Elected Mayor Clark
Grassroots Effort Achieves More than 6,700 Signatures So Far — A Greater Number than the Votes that Put the Mayor in Office“Overwhelming support” from Normanites to recall the mayor, says founder

Norman (July 20th) — Unite Norman — the grassroots group behind the effort to recall the mayor and city council for defunding the police and not upholding the will of the people — announced today they are well on their way to getting the recall effort on the ballot.

The grassroots group shared that they have now garnered more than 6,700 signatures — that’s more voter support than Mayor Clark was actually elected with.

“The people of Norman are speaking overwhelmingly,” said Russell Smith, the founder of Unite Norman. “We’re only about a third of the way there, and certainly have more work to do, but we’re strongly encouraged by the overwhelming response of support from the voters.”

Rep. Hilbert, Sen. Leewright Work on Back the Blue Legislation

Hilbert, Leewright Work on Back the Blue Legislation

OKLAHOMA CITY – Rep. Kyle Hilbert, R-Bristow, and Sen. James Leewright, R-Bristow, today announced bills backing law enforcement by making the profession more attractive to join and stay in across Oklahoma.

In recent days, eight police officers nationwide were shot over 48 hours, resulting in two officer deaths. Two weeks ago, two Tulsa police officers were shot, resulting in the death of Tulsa Police Sgt. Craig Johnson.

The casualties combined with efforts in cities in Oklahoma and nationwide to defund police and other law enforcement offices have created a toxic environment for public safety officers, something the legislators said they hope to combat.

Unite Norman condemns anti-police group for posting home addresses of Norman police

Unite Norman Condemns Actions of Norman Facebook Page Targeting Police Officers, Doxxing Officers’ Home Addresses

Grassroots Organizers Say the Practice is Uncivil, Dangerous, Many officers’ wives, small children at home while Officers are working shifts

Norman — Unite Norman — the grassroots group behind the effort to recall the mayor and city council for defunding the police and not upholding the will of the people — condemned today a Norman group’s Facebook page for doxxing — releasing — the personal home addresses of Norman Police Department officers.

The Facebook page, “Norman Police Accountability Project,” has been releasing one-by-one the personal details, names, and street addresses of officers, drawing concern from officers and their families who are now targeted.

Norman police officers leaving force after defunding by mayor and city council

MASS EXODUS: More Norman Police Officers to Resign or Retire by Month’s End

• 7 Officers Plan to Depart by End of July (in two weeks)
• Resignations Come as 9 Officers’ Positions Are Already Scheduled to Be Cut
• PLUS: 7 More Officers Consider Leaving, Have Begun Interviewing & Testing at Other Cities
• Total of 25 Departures Would Be Nearly Three Times the Annual Average Turnover Rate 

Norman, OK (July 15th) — Seven Norman police officers are reportedly on their way out the door in two weeks, with seven more considering following, thanks to the recent Defunding of Police pushed by Mayor Breea Clark and the Norman City Council.

Reports of officers deciding to resign or retire come today as nine positions are already on the chopping block via the Mayor’s proposal. Officers preparing to depart were reported last week by KFOR TV. However, more departures have been confirmed today by the Fraternal Order of Police.

The total of now 25 officers’ positions would be nearly three times more than the annual average of departures. Norman police department reports that it usually has only about 10 departures per year normally.

“This is a real-life public safety concern for the entire community of Norman,” said Russell Smith, founder of Unite Norman, the organization whose goal is to recall the radical Mayor and the most radical members of the City Council. “As predicted, the reverberations of the Mayor’s and the City Council’s efforts to Defund the Police are already having a detrimental effect. This is the beginning of a mass exodus of frontline first responders who feel they are no longer backed by the city they serve. We must unite Norman around the support of critical frontline officers, or face the peril that more departures will bring.”

Fewer officers and defunding will likely mean longer response times for families, homeowners, and business owners in Norman, as well as less training for officers in the field.

For more information about Unite Norman, visit UniteNorman.com.