Ex-Oklahoma cop’s rape conviction symbol of national problem

Citty fired him before trial. “And he was like, ‘This is, you know, better than the county, ‘” she testified. Among the other charges he was convicted of were forcible oral sodomy, sexual battery and second-degree rape. The jury acquitted him on another 18 counts. And Sandra Bland’s family has yet to find justice for what these monsters in blue uniforms did to this woman. She was able to race home in time to see it on TV. According to a recent Associated Press investigation, “sexual misconduct by officers has largely escaped widespread notice due to a patchwork of laws, piecemeal reporting and victims frequently reluctant to come forward because of their vulnerabilities”.

The mother said she believes the type of police crime brought to light by the Holtzclaw case “isn’t just a problem in Oklahoma – it’s a problem for the nation”.

Grace Franklin, a co-founder of OKC Artists for Justice, says they are “pleased with the 18 counts that we received, we are not pleased with the 18 counts we did not receive”.

When asked why she did not tell the police, she said, “What is the good of telling on the police?” And then, demands varying from having the women expose themselves to sex acts, with understanding they wouldn’t be punished “if you play by my rules”.

Gross, who regularly writes about “homicidal police violence” perpetrated against Black women, such as Tanisha Anderson, Yvette Smith, Aiyana Stanley-Jones, Rekia Boyd and Natasha McKenna adds: “For so long Black women have been victims of a politicized protection that has excluded Black women from protection, while in turn subjecting them to the harshest criminal justice outcomes”.

Also often in the courtroom were pastors and activists from the communities where the women live.

On Thursday, former Oklahoma City police officer Daniel Holtzclaw was found guilty of 18 of the 36 charges against him involving eight of the thirteen women who have accused him of sexual assault.

Among those accusers was the woman who launched the police investigation into Holtzclaw.

Holtzclaw was convicted of assaults on eight victims, including a grandmother in her 50s and a 17 year old. In an attempt to undermine his victims’ credibility, his attorney, Scott Adams, questioned Holtzclaws’ accusers on their marijuana use, drinking, thefts and suspended driver’s licenses.

Meanwhile, it should be noted that there has been silence from women’s groups throughout this trial, and no rallying to the defense of these women who were victimized by a violent cop and a coldblooded, cold-hearted system. Conviction on the charges comes with the possibility of a life sentence.

Holtzclaw’s formal sentencing has been scheduled for January 21.

The jury recommended 263 years in prison for Holtzclaw.

On Thursday, his 29th birthday, Holtzclaw rocked back and forth in his chair and sobbed as the judge read out the verdict.

Franklin co-founded Oklahoma City Artists For Justice to help support Holtzclaw’s victims and organize rallies.

Holtzclaw’s youngest accuser was 17 at the time of the attack.

Protesters gathered on the steps of the courthouse this week, carrying signs emblazoned with “Black Women Matter”.

Numerous women had arrest records or histories of drug abuse.

The AP’s finding is undoubtedly an undercount of the problem of sexual abuse in law enforcement.

His father – a police officer in Enid, about 100 miles northwest of Oklahoma City – his mother and sister were in the courtroom as the verdict was read. Judge Timothy Henderson ordered the jury sequestered in a hotel room, and they’ll reconvene at 9:30 a.m. Thursday.