Police Reportedly Shoot, Kill Oklahoma Man After Saving Him

There is a questionable story coming out of Oklahoma having to do with the recent floods there. An Oklahoma state trooper fatally shot a man after he and another man were rescued from floodwaters, according to the Oklahoma Highway Patrol. The two men were brothers.

Two state troopers responded to a report of a stranded vehicle in Okmulgee County, OK, about 20 miles south of Tulsa, at about 9:30 p.m. Friday, writes The Huffington Post. The two policemen found the two men trying to remove a vehicle from a roadway over which water was rising and moving quickly, according to Captain Paul Timmons.

“They were trying to get them to come out of the water. They were worried about them getting swept away,” Timmons said. “(The men), for whatever reason, were just really upset about having to leave the vehicle there.”

The man who was shot was 35-year-old Nehemiah Fischer, according to Timmons. They arrested the other man, Fischer’s older brother, Brandon, who was uninjured.

At least one man – Nehemiah Fischer – reportedly attacked a trooper after reaching dry land and was shot and killed, according to The Huffington Post. It wasn’t immediately known how many shots were fired or whether one or both state troopers did the shooting.

“It’s not real clear how it all transpired,” according to Timmons. The two men were reportedly brothers.

Timmons said a weapon was recovered from one of the suspects, but it wasn’t immediately known which man had the weapon or whether shots were fired at the troopers.

The second man was arrested for assault and public intoxication, Timmons said.

The shooting is under investigation.

Timmons said Nehemiah Fischer, 35, was armed, according to WHNT News.

Fox 23 local network said that Nehemiah was an assistant pastor at Faith Bible Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

The highway patrol’s practice is to place any patrolman involved in a fatal shooting on administrative leave. Timmons couldn’t confirm whether that had been done yet for the two troopers in this case, states WHNT News.

However, The Huffington Post claims that neither trooper was injured, and neither had been placed on leave as of Saturday afternoon.

(Updated article)

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/05/30/troopers-kill-oklahoma-ma_n_7476790.html

http://www.people.com/article/oklahoma-state-troopers-fatally-shoot-man-rescue-flooding

http://whnt.com/2015/05/31/trooper-in-oklahoma-fatally-shoots-man-during-high-water-response/

25 Deaths From Storm Cell In South

CNN

More than 25 people in two countries have been killed by the same storm system, claims CNN. That death toll is set to go up. The deaths have occurred in the Southern portion of the U.S. and in Mexico.

Alyssa Renee Ramirez had many friends in her hometown of Devine, Texas, southwest of San Antonio.

At Devine High School, she was student council president and co-editor of the yearbook. She starred on the tennis and volleyball teams, not to mention as a cheerleader.

CNN writes that she was the homecoming queen that school year. She and her friends had been out on prom night Saturday but never returned home. Her car got caught up in fast-moving floods, ending her short life and leaving her classmates crestfallen.

CNN looks at the storms that have hit Oklahoma, Texas, and Mexico.

Corrupt Oklahoma ‘Good Old Boy’ System: Wealthy White Businessman Threatens To Get Cops Fired After DUI

Secular Talk

When interacting with police, does it matter if you have wealth, power, or influence?

According to Raw Story, police in an Oklahoma town said city officials tried to block the drunken driving arrest of a well-connected businessman and have threatened officers after they refused.

A wealthy businessman named Brian Haggard was stopped two months ago by Chelsea, Oklahoma, Police Officer Nicholas Pappe and charged with driving under the influence, according to KTUL-TV.

Police said they received telephone calls from influential officials in the city, including the police commissioner and city manager, asking officers to go easy on Haggard, according to Raw Story.

“If you would give me a free pass tonight, I would sure appreciate it,” Haggard told the officer on police dash cam video.

The officer continued the arrest, and Assistant Police Chief Travis Hogan said city officials have made clear since then they are unhappy with him and the police chief.

“We live in a good ol’ boy system here in this town,” Hogan said. “My officers have received threats. I personally and the chief has received threats to our jobs,” he said, according to Raw Story.

(Updated article)

http://www.rawstory.com/2015/05/we-live-in-a-good-ol-boy-system-ok-cops-say-officials-tried-to-block-businessmans-dui-arrest/

http://www.addictinginfo.org/2015/05/08/oklahoma-boys-threaten-cops-dui/

Oklahoma Man ‘Accidentally’ Shot By Police, Dies

Reuters

An Oklahoma man was shot and killed by a Tulsa County reserve deputy yesterday. Reserve deputy Bob Bates said he thought he was holding a Taser stun gun when he shot and killed 44-year-old Eric Harris as Harris ran from and later struggled with deputies trying to arrest him, states the Associated Press.

Yahoo! News states that Harris was treated by medics at the scene but eventually died in a Tulsa hospital.

The shooting was on April 2nd, states Yahoo!.

Drastic Bill To Give Oklahoma Governor Huge New Powers For Appointments

Oklahoma’s governor Mary Fallin would have broad new powers to appoint the directors of ten different state entities under a bill narrowly passed by a Senate committee, states KGOU.org.

The Senate General Government Committee voted 5-4 earlier this month for the Senate bill 829, written by Broken Arrow Republican Sen. Nathan Dahm, states enidnews.com. This happened despite concerns it gives the governor too much power.

Dahm says he expects the bill to be rewritten.

The bill calls for firing the directors of ten different state agencies effective Jan. 1st next year and allows the governor to name their replacement.

Gov. Mary Fallin’s spokesman Alex Weintz says his office did not request the bill, but does support its intent.

The proposed legislation includes firings for the following directors:

The Executive Director appointed by the Oklahoma State Board of Podiatric Medical Examiners;
The Executive Director appointed by the Oklahoma Board of Dentistry;
The Executive Director appointed by the State Board of Pharmacy;
The Executive Director appointed by the State Board of Medical Licensure and Supervision;
The Executive Director appointed by the State Board of Osteopathic Examiners;
The Executive Director appointed by the State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners;
The Chief Operating Officer appointed by the Board of the Oklahoma Health Care Authority;
The Commissioner of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services appointed by the Board of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services;
The Commissioner of Health appointed by the State Board of Health; and
The Executive Director appointed by the Office of Juvenile Affairs.

(Updated post)

Jon Stewart Disgusted by Conservatives’ Response to Fraternity Racism

TrendingNow14

It said a lot to Jon Stewart that the first apology in the wake of the University of Oklahoma’s racist chant video came not from the men who were leading the chant, but from an Oklahoma linebacker who said he regretted cursing in his reaction to the chant.

Many have been talking about Sigma Alpha Epsilon’s offensive video, something that former members say is not an isolated incident.

The discussion about racism is particularly noteworthy since it comes near the 50th anniversary of the Selma marches.

Some – including some in the media – have been looking for something to blame.

Marriage Control: Oklahoma’s Atheist Marriage Ban Proposal

The Lip TV

The Oklahoma state House has passed a bill banning non-religious people from marrying. The bill also requires that all marriage licenses be approved by a member of the clergy.

“The discriminatory legislation essentially makes it harder for gay marriages to take place bringing into question whether this is an attack on atheism, or same-sex unions,” states The Lip TV.

“But while it might seem on the surface like an assault on atheism, critics are saying that it is same-sex unions that the bill is not-so-stealthily attacking. By making the clergy – not judges and court clerks – the sole marriage licence issuers, it will be more difficult for gay marriages to take place,” states Metro U.K.

Russell Westbrook Back For Oklahoma City

Russell Westbrook, a point guard for the Oklahoma City Thunder, will return to play Wednesday night against basketball’s Philadelphia 76ers.

Westbrook confirmed he will return at the morning shootaround.

His face was inadvertently kneed in the side of the head Friday night, and it was still noticeably swollen at the shootaround.

He will wear a clear protective mask to shield the injury.

Known for his flashy fashion taste, Westbrook will have to wear the standard mask allowed by the league.

No. 22 Oklahoma defeated Missouri 82-63

Number 22 University of Oklahoma defeated Missouri 82-63 Friday night in the SEC/Big 12 challenge.

The Sooners shot 57 percent from the field and made 10 of 20 3-pointers.

Sources state that what changed the game was the way Oklahoma defended after halftime. The Sooners opened the second half on a 15-0 run. Missouri (4-4) didn’t score for the first 5:16 of the second half and missed its first seven shots after the break.

It’s a big step for a team that wasn’t always focused on defense a year ago. “Defensively, we’ve been making progress and we’ve been getting better,” Oklahoma coach Lon Kruger said.

Oklahoma (5-2) was coming off a runner-up finish in the Battle 4 Atlantis.

Again? Oklahoma Wal-Mart Asks For Food Donations For Employees

An Oklahoma City Wal-Mart is asking employees to donate food to help their coworkers for the holidays, according to a photo posted by the labor-backed coalition Making Change At Wal-Mart.

A sign on the collection bin reads, “Let’s succeed by donating to associates in need!!!”

The company drew criticism for similar employee food drives a year ago. At that time, a spokesman characterized the efforts as “part of the company’s culture to rally around associates and take care of them when they face extreme hardships.”

David Pakman video.

http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2014/11/20/3595067/walmart-food-drive-oklahoma/