Laura Brown, KXMX Staff Writer
A Muldrow couple is facing child neglect and child abuse charges.
Dakota Williams, 22, was charged with child abuse and Vanessa Hill, 30, was charged with child neglect, court records show. Williams’ bond was set at $20,000, while Hill’s was set at $10,000.
On Oct. 24 around 10 a.m., a Muldrow police officer was dispatched to the residence of Hill and Williams. A worker with the Department of Human Services who had called and asked police to assist on the call was also at the scene.
Deputies began showing Hill a video to try and determine who was harming her child, but she refused to look. Hill was asked several times to identify who was on the video but she kept silent.
On Nov. 3, Hill asked to speak with one of the deputies. She viewed a portion of the video and identified a man holding the child down as her live-in boyfriend, Williams. She said on the day the video was shot, Oct. 9, she had left the child with Williams while she was at work. She said that on more than one occasion Williams would take the child “dripping wet” from the bathtub and place him in front of the air-conditioner until he would shiver and cry,
Even as Hill came forward, she indicated that she is still currently living with Williams.
Laura Brown, KXMX Staff Writer
Former Sallisaw Police Lieutenant Billy Oliver was officially terminated on Friday following an almost five month investigation stemming from an arrest made in June. Video of the incident was captured by a Sequoyah County Deputy bodycam.
Oliver was accused of using excessive force during the arrest of Charles Day on June 7. Oliver and other law enforcement officials were responding to a 1 a.m. report of a man with a gun, according to the official police report.
"We were made aware of the allegations and did our due diligence and made the decision to part ways with Mr. Oliver on Friday," City Manager Keith Skelton stated on Tuesday.
Regarding Oliver's termination, The Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 148 and FOP President Mark Rutherford stated, "Any member of the Fraternal Order of Police is provided due process in anything that happens in the performance of his or her duties. We want to ensure that Lt. Oliver has got his due process throughout this incident from the beginning and continuing throughout the entire process. This process will include him filing a grievance, which is his due process, and then it will be heard by a neutral arbitrator that will make a ruling.
"In reference to the claim of alleged excessive use of force, law enforcement goes by the ruling in Graham vs Conner. In Graham vs Conner it establishes the reasonable officer standard. The reasonable officer standard is that when a claim of excessive use of force is made that officer is judged by what another reasonable officer on the scene would do based off all information and circumstances known to the officer at the time the incident occurred.
"The mission of the Sallisaw FOP is and continues to be to promote and foster the enforcement of law and order; to cultivate a spirit of fraternalism and mutual helpfulness among our members and the people we serve; to increase the efficiency of the law enforcement profession and thus more firmly establish the confidence of the public in the service dedicated to the protection of life and property."
Minutes from the November 9 City Commissioners meeting show that an Executive Session was held "concerning the claim by Charles Day." After reconvening to regular session City Manager Keith Skelton was directed to "proceed with the settlement as discussed in executive session."
When asked if the city anticipated any legal action from Oliver, Skelton stated, "That remains to be seen. He is within his rights to file a grievance."
Oliver had been with the Sallisaw Police Department for approximately 14 years. He had been on paid leave since the June incident. Oliver will receive pay for his accrued vacation days, according to Skelton.
Carl Albert State College is excited to announce the first ever Fine Arts Night! The event will be held Tuesday, Nov. 17 at 7 p.m., streamed live over the VikingTV Facebook page, on MixTV Channel 19 in Sallisaw, and on YouTube on the page “Carl Albert State College Student Affairs.”
