June 14, 2025
In 2024, the division reportedly additionally confronted scrutiny for its use of non-lethal power on Black residents of Tulsa.
Kemonte Hampton, a Tulsa County resident who was struck by a police cruiser whereas officers tried to detain him for allegedly jaywalking and obstructing an officer in April 2025, is transferring ahead with a jury trial in opposition to the Tulsa Police Division. Hampton appeared in court docket on June 12, the place a Tulsa County decide dominated that his case will proceed earlier than a jury of his friends.
In line with KJRH, who requested the physique and sprint cam footage of the arrest of Hampton, the footage they obtained exhibits a patrol automobile rolling over Hampton as they try and arrest him.
In line with the account given by the police, they known as for backup as a result of Hampton was trying to flee after they tried asking him about probably jaywalking close to a close-by intersection, however for the reason that movie has been launched to the general public, there was a wholesome debate concerning the division’s policing techniques.
Because the video exhibits, officers didn’t try to supply any fast medical care, however proceeded to aim to arrest Hampton, which doubtless prompted him to protest to the officers, “Y’all simply ran me over, bro,” which could be audibly heard within the video.
Though the police say that Hampton’s accidents are minor, some have questioned why the police pulled his arms earlier than checking to see if he was injured by the wayward police cruiser, which ought to have been in park when Hampton was accosted by the officers.
Others, nonetheless, have been fast to level out that Hampton mustn’t have been operating. Hampton had beforehand indicated to the outlet that he was keen to share his aspect of the story, however was suggested in any other case by his protection lawyer.
The police, in the meantime, justified their actions by saying that they’d been receiving complaints about violent crime, and the possible trigger to detain Hampton may have been used to ask about different crimes. Nonetheless, jaywalking, within the eyes of most people, is largely thought-about a non-violent, victimless crime.
The trial, which has been set for Oct. 20, is prone to place the actions of the Tulsa Police Division below extra public scrutiny, just like how the taking pictures of Terence Crutcher by former officer Betty Shelby did in 2016.
As Tulsa Police Captain Richard Meulenberg informed Channel 2 Information, “Is jaywalking a minor infraction? Sure. Nevertheless it comes on the calls for of the group saying, ‘Hey, we now have main crimes out right here—do one thing.’”
That public scrutiny, in accordance with The Black Wall Avenue Instances, might be coming instantly from the mayor’s workplace, per a response the outlet obtained from Tulsa’s Public Security Commissioner, Laurel Roberts.
“As with every police incident, we should affirm our dedication to transparency and accountability. Instantly following the incident, an inner overview was launched, and I shall be engaged within the overview on the course of Mayor Nichols,” Roberts stated. “Our cops are entrusted with defending the general public, and that belief shall be upheld by way of integrity and respect for all members of our group.”
In line with Tulsa Public Radio, in 2024, the division additionally confronted scrutiny for its use of non-lethal power on Black residents of Tulsa. Though Black residents make up 15% of Tulsa’s inhabitants, they accounted for practically half, 48.2% to be precise, of the non-lethal power carried out on Tulsa’s residents.
Nichols, notably, is Tulsa’s first Black mayor, and in accordance with information from Mapping Police Violence, the Tulsa Police Division has had the fourth highest fee of police killings per a million individuals between 2013 and 2025.
As a part of his marketing campaign promise throughout the 2024 mayoral election, Nichols vowed to enhance each the town’s crime fee, and the belief between regulation enforcement and the town’s residents. This case, relying on his workplace’s response to its consequence, may present an early take a look at of how effectively he lives as much as these guarantees.
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