Wow! Tulsa police corruption witness arrested on misdemeanor charges after house raid

[VitruvianDoc]

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=443&articleid=20110917_11_A1_CUTLIN383437

Five Tulsa police officers - including one who accidentally fired his weapon - served misdemeanor traffic warrants and arrested a key witness Thursday in a police corruption lawsuit against the city.

The officer who fired his weapon is under internal investigation, and police refused to release his name.

Kelie D. Barnes, 32, was arrested Thursday on outstanding municipal warrants, Tulsa Jail records show.

Barnes' warrants are all misdemeanors involving failure to wear a seat belt, expired tag, no proof of insurance, no driver's license and speeding, according to jail records.

A total of nine municipal warrants were issued in August and September for citations dating back to 2007, municipal court records show.

Several warrants were issued Aug. 22, about two weeks after Barnes testified as a witness for prosecutors during a police corruption trial. Other warrants were issued Sept. 15, records show.

Barnes was at the home of her father, Larry Wayne Barnes Sr., who is suing the city and police alleging wrongful imprisonment, records show.

In arresting Kelie Barnes, police officers forced open the door after the residents failed to open the door when police announced their presence, said Capt. Jonathan Brooks, police spokesman.

Brooks said one of the officers accidentally discharged his weapon as officers forced open the door. An internal affairs investigation has been opened into the weapon discharge, he said.

"The officers had information that Kelie was in the house and they knocked on the door and announced (police) and then forced entry when there was no response," Brooks said. "The gun was not pointed at anyone and it was discharged into the ground."

Officer Leland Ashley said five Tulsa police officers were involved in the arrest. He said officers acted within regulations in serving the warrants.

Ashley refused to release the officer's name who fired his weapon.

"It is not common to force entry, but it is also not prohibited," Ashley said. "If an officer has probable cause to believe the person is inside the residence, the officer has the warrant in hand and there is a uniform presence, forced entry can be made. All three of these requirements were made."

Larry Barnes has alleged that police have retaliated against him, his lawsuit states. Retaliation includes recent attempts by police to lure him into a drug deal with an informant, his suit states.

Larry Barnes was freed from prison in July 2009 after an informant said he worked with police to frame Larry Barnes and a second daughter, Larita Annette Barnes, in 2007 for selling drugs.

Larita Barnes was also freed from prison and is suing the city for alleged wrongful imprisonment. The Barneses served about 18 months in prison before being freed.

The informant, Ryan Logsdon, and former ATF agent Brandon McFadden testified in a recent police trial that they framed the Barneses with the help of Officer Jeff Henderson.

Logsdon testified he lied when he said he bought drugs from the Barneses or that he saw Kelie Barnes in the home on the day of the alleged, fabricated drug buy in 2007. McFadden also testified the drug buy was fabricated.

Henderson was acquitted Aug. 24 on a charge that he framed the Barneses and violated their civil rights. He was convicted on eight counts unrelated to the Barnes' allegation and is appealing his convictions.

Kelie Barnes is expected to be a witness in her father's and sister's civil trials against the city and police.

Kelie Barnes was charged with felony drug possession in 2004 and pleaded guilty to the charge in 2007, Tulsa County Court records show.

During her testimony at the trial for Henderson and Officer Bill Yelton, Kelie Barnes said she stopped using drugs in 2005 due to drug court and rehabilitation at a treatment facility. She works as a manager at Sonic restaurant, according to her testimony.

Yelton was acquitted of all counts against him and remains suspended with pay, pending the outcome of an internal affairs investigation.

Read more from this Tulsa World article at http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=443&articleid=20110917_11_A1_CUTLIN383437

 

[MLR]

Even if what the police did was justified I believe it was ill advised. To a casual observer this makes it look like retaliation on the part of the police and does nothing to help their cause or their standing in public opinion.
Sometimes government is its own worst enemy.

Michael

 

[inactive]

If we behave ourselves, that is to say, we discuss the events of my city's government and police force without bias and malice towards them or law enforcement, then there should be no need to fear a locked thread.

Sometimes hypothesis is necessary to invoke thoughtful discussion, but we should not presume or judge all hypothesis to be fact until we know more about the events.

I would need to the frequency that TPD serves and arrests those with similar outstanding warrants. I would have speculated that it is infrequent, though I certainly will not pass judgment until more is known. On the surface it agree does not look good, though I reckon it's is more innocuous or coincidence than retaliation.

 

[MaddSkillz]

Is forcing open a door for misdemeanors - most or all - appear to be traffic related, really necessary?

I wouldn't think so.

 

[MLRyan]

It looks kinda shady, but I don't know all the details.

 

[bulbboy]

We don't need IBTL or stupid comments.

Keep it civil and it will stay open

 

[Dave70968]

Hrm. The guy is State's evidence, and the police couldn't figure out any place to pick him up without forcing his doors? Yeah, this one smacks of retaliation.

 

[Seedy]

Is forcing open a door for misdemeanors - most or all - appear to be traffic related, really necessary?

I wouldn't think so.

AND just happen to have a weapon discharge? This JDLR. I have to agree with MLR that was at the best "ill advised" and at the worst retaliation. Regardless of intent, perception is most folks reality and this is not going to be perceived well.

 

[MLR]

If we behave ourselves, that is to say, we discuss the events of my city's government and police force without bias and malice towards them or law enforcement, then there should be no need to fear a locked thread.

Sometimes hypothesis is necessary to invoke thoughtful discussion, but we should not presume or judge all hypothesis to be fact until we know more about the events.

I would need to the frequency that TPD serves and arrests those with similar outstanding warrants. I would have speculated that it is infrequent, though I certainly will not pass judgment until more is known. On the surface it agree does not look good, though I reckon it's is more innocuous or coincidence than retaliation.

I agree that we should be able to keep this discussion civil by focusing on the actions taken and not the personalities.
The fact that it looks bad is my complaint. I would think that those who these decisions are entrusted to would have used better sense if indeed it was truly a coincidence and not meant to intimidate a party in a lawsuit. Would I be wrong to believe that the lawyers handling original suit for the city are wondering what the hell their client was thinking when they did this?
The process that allowed this to happen needs to be closely looked into.

Michael

 

[bulbboy]

This is the 2nd and last warning. If you can't control what you say then I wouldn't post in this thread