Deputy Hayes was involved in multiple incidents of excessive force in December 2019, where he used an electronic control device (ECD) on inmates without justification. Inmates Banks, Owen, and Berry testified that Hayes used the ECD on them, with Mayberry, a supervisor, allegedly encouraging the actions over the intercom. These incidents led to a lawsuit […]
Lonnie Hunter, the former jail administrator, was accused of encouraging female inmates to expose themselves by offering cigarettes in exchange. He allegedly shook boxes of cigarettes at inmates to prompt them to flash their breasts. These actions were part of a broader pattern of sexual misconduct within the jail. ([libertarianinstitute.org](https://libertarianinstitute.org/everything-will/the-rape-of-delaware-county-oklahoma/?utm_source=openai)) ## Officer Forum Links: – […]
Bill Sanders, a part-time transport deputy with no formal training, was implicated in multiple sexual assaults of female inmates during transports in 2008. He would take inmates to ‘appointments’ without reporting mileage and time, during which he assaulted them and forced them to perform sex acts. Sanders died of natural causes in November 2008, just […]
Former Sheriff Mike Burgess was convicted in 2009 of 13 felony counts, including five counts of second-degree rape, three counts of bribery by a public official, two counts of forcible sodomy, and one count each of kidnapping, sexual battery, and engaging in a pattern of criminal offenses. He was sentenced to 79 years in prison. […]
In October 2018, Officer Don Caffey delivered a knee strike to the face of handcuffed pretrial detainee Jesse Wise, who was seated on the ground and posed no immediate threat. This incident was captured on surveillance video. Following an investigation, Undersheriff Joe Thompson recommended Caffey’s immediate termination and a separate criminal investigation. Caffey resigned from […]
On August 4, 2022, former detention officer Kevin Warren Buttler was arrested for second-degree rape after a female inmate reported that Buttler entered her cell to deliver lunch, exposed himself, and motioned for her to perform a sexual act. The incident was witnessed by the inmate’s cellmate. Buttler was questioned by OSBI Special Agents and […]
In 2019, Sheriff Leon Apple was sued for deliberate indifference to the medical needs of detainee Nico Collins, who died by suicide in custody. The lawsuit alleged failure to provide proper medical care and fostering a culture that tolerated policy violations. The court denied the motion to dismiss the § 1983 claim, allowing the case […]
Former Deputy Sheriff Ben Westley Milner was convicted on September 24, 2009, of violating the civil rights of three individuals. On October 31, 2005, he physically abused a truck driver following a traffic stop. On October 18, 2007, he assaulted two inmates at the Choctaw County Jail with a large axe handle. Milner was also […]
On August 6, 2021, Sheriff Jason Chennault was named as a defendant in the federal civil rights case Graff, et al v. Aberdeen Enterprises II, Inc., et al. The lawsuit alleges deprivation of rights and misconduct, including violations under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 and 18 U.S.C. § 1964(c) (RICO). The case involves claims of organized […]
In November 2015, inmate Michael Manos, who had bipolar disorder and high blood pressure, died in custody under circumstances similar to previous deaths. After refusing medication and food, he was moved to a medical cell, where he experienced severe mental health episodes. Jail staff called an ambulance, but EMTs determined he was faking his illness […]