The new prosecutor for Oklahoma’s largest county, District Attorney Vicki Behenna, announced on Friday that criminal charges against seven Oklahoma police officers involved in three separate fatal shootings from 2020 have been dropped. The charges were dismissed with prejudice, meaning they cannot be refiled, permanently ending the criminal proceedings against the officers involved.
District Attorney Vicki Behenna, announced on Friday that criminal charges against seven Oklahoma police officers involved in three separate fatal shootings from 2020 have been dropped. (Photo: AP News – Sean Murphy)
7 Oklahoma Police Officers Cleared in Fatal 2020 Shootings
Behenna, who succeeded her fellow Democrat David Prater as the district attorney, explained that she took a thorough approach to reviewing the evidence in each case of the Oklahoma police officers.
She even hired a use-of-force expert to assist in the examination. After investing hundreds of hours in scrutinizing the incidents, Behenna stated that, under Oklahoma law, the shootings were deemed justified.
According to Associated Press, the charges of the seven Oklahoma police officers were dismissed with prejudice, meaning they cannot be refiled, permanently ending the criminal proceedings against the officers involved.
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Dropped Cases of Oklahoma Police Officers
According to Yahoo, criminal charges against Oklahoma police officers are relatively rare. However, the previous district attorney, David Prater, secured criminal convictions against officers in the past, including the cases of Del City police Capt. Randy Harrison in 2013 and Oklahoma City police sergeant Keith Sweeney in 2019.
The most high-profile case that was dropped involved five Oklahoma City officers charged with first-degree manslaughter in the shooting death of Stavian Rodriguez. The incident occurred on November 23, 2020, when Oklahoma police officers responded to reports of an attempted armed robbery at a convenience store.
Bethany Sears, Jared Barton, Corey Adams, John Skuta, and Brad Pemberton were the Oklahoma police officers initially charged in the Rodriguez shooting.
All five have been on paid administrative leave since the incident. Stavian Rodriguez’s mother, Cameo Holland, expressed her intention to advocate for changes in the law to facilitate the criminal charging of police officers.
In another case from Oklahoma City, Sgt. Clifford Holman faced first-degree manslaughter charges in the shooting death of 60-year-old Bennie Edward. According to a police affidavit by homicide detective Bryn Carter, Oklahoma police officer Holman, who is white, responded to a call of a Black man harassing customers at a business in north Oklahoma City. Holman encountered Edwards, who was holding a knife and refused officers’ commands to drop it, leading to the fatal shooting.
The third case involved Village officer Chance Avery, who faced second-degree murder charges in the July 2020 shooting death of Christopher Pool. The shooting occurred when Avery was called to Pool’s home by his wife, who was retrieving personal belongings. Pool ran inside carrying a bat and was shot by Avery after refusing to drop it, as per the police’s account.
Attorney Gary James, representing Avery and Adams (one of the Oklahoma police officers charged in the Rodriguez shooting), expressed his jubilation over Behenna’s decision, asserting that the officers were acting in self-defense.
Since the fatal shootings, Oklahoma City Police Chief Wade Gourley has implemented significant changes within the department, including the creation of a training unit focused on de-escalation strategies and the provision of additional less-lethal equipment and crisis-intervention training to officers.
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