John Sexton, a man from Watonga, Oklahoma, and his 6 year old autistic son went on a walk around 6am the morning of July 4th, something he says is normal for them to do. He hadn’t had his ID on him for their walk.
Two Watonga Police Officers approached him during their morning stroll and asked him to identify himself, telling him it was suspicious they were on a walk.
After being slammed to the ground and detained for failure to present his ID when the police accused him of being “suspicious”, one of the officers told him, "Shut up and listen just a minute. We had small enough suspicion to identify you.”
When Sexton asked what he was being detained for, the officer replied, "We don't know what you were doing! We can call it criminal activity.”
It is being investigated by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, following a complaint filed by Sexton, to determine whether these actions were justified.
According to News9, Blaine County Sheriff Travis Daughterty said, “I can understand why people are so upset.”
The sheriff says at times, the video is hard to watch. “The child wailing and crying that's tough for anybody to have to watch,” he said.
The Sheriff released a letter over the weekend demanding the two officers be placed on administrative leave while the OSBI completes its investigation into the misconduct complaint.
Sexton said he is considering pressing charges. He has chosen not to release the names of the two officers since there are no formal charges or lawsuits.
The father did have two warrants, but both warrants did not require a hold as both were traffic related warrants.
According to Sexton, his son had dressed up as a policeman for Halloween the past two years but now is scared of police after the encounter.
Father slammed on ground by police during morning walk with son after refusing to provide an ID