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Paper seeks troopers' records

Daniel Martin
 
By MANNY GAMALLO World Staff Writer
Published: 10/8/2009  9:57 PM
Last Modified: 10/8/2009  9:57 PM

OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma Highway Patrol has yet to release reports dealing with a weekend arrest in Holdenville that led to two state troopers’ being placed on paid administrative leave.

The Tulsa World made a formal request Monday under the Oklahoma Open Records Act to the OHP for the release of the troopers’ incident reports and a copy of the complaint filed against them.

Also requested were the videotapes taken from the dashboard cameras on the troopers’ cars.

Troopers Tommy Allen and Daniel Martin were put on leave pending an internal affairs probe into the arrest of Kristopher Douglas, 28, of Holdenville.

Douglas was charged Monday in Hughes County with obstructing an officer, a misdemeanor.

In July, the Highway Patrol suspended Martin for five days as a result of a highly publicized scuffle he had in May with a Creek Nation paramedic in Okfuskee County.

During Saturday’s arrest, Martin was the backup officer for Allen during the stop of a motorist who reportedly ran a stop sign.

The traffic stop occurred in front of Jerry Ford’s home, and he witnessed Douglas’ arrest.

Ford said Douglas, who lives across the way from him, was not involved in the traffic stop and that Douglas was merely trying to walk to Ford’s house to help him install drywall, although troopers would not let Douglas pass and kept insisting that he stand by the street.

Then, Ford said, Allen grabbed Douglas’ arm and put him in a chokehold, while Martin used a baton on Douglas’ back.

Douglas has filed a complaint against

the troopers.

The incident reports being sought by the Tulsa World would help explain the troopers’ side of the story.

Police incident reports typically are public information, even without citing the state’s Open Records Act.

In Martin’s case involving the paramedic, the OHP released his incident report to the Tulsa World without an open records request.

On Wednesday, OHP Capt. Chris West said the reports might be released Thursday.

On Thursday afternoon, West said he would try to send them to the World by the end of the business day, but that never happened.

Regarding the dashboard camera videotapes, West said the media would receive copies whenever Highway Patrol investigators are through with them.

He said he didn’t know when that would be.

By MANNY GAMALLO World Staff Writer

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Reader comments for this story have been moved to the most updated version of the story, now under the headline "Trooper files not forthcoming," which was published on 10/9/2009. So far, 26 comments have been made.
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