Post by KC on May 30, 2006 23:03:44 GMT -5
Officer Gregory Coats
Officer Michael W. Calhoun
May 30, 2006 - Two Harrah police officers were arrested this week following an incident May 15 in which the Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Department responded to a possible suicide threat at the officers’ residence.
Gregory Bennett Coats, a part-time officer, and Michael W. Calhoun, a police sergeant, were taken into custody Thursday.
Coats is being charged with two counts of pointing a firearm and one count of carrying a weapon while under the influence. Calhoun faces one count of obstructing an officer.
Debra Forshee, a spokesperson for the Oklahoma County District Attorney’s office, told The Sunday Sun Friday afternoon that Coats had been terminated from the police department. She added that Calhoun had been suspended with pay, according to the city policy, and will now be subject to a hearing process.
According to a statement released by Oklahoma County District Attorney Wes Lane, shortly after midnight on May 15, deputies were dispatched to the residence to make a welfare check on Coats.
The deputies were also advised that Coats had been making suicidal statements, such as, “I love you and you guys will find me in the morning,” to his estranged wife and others, and was intoxicated.
Upon arrival, deputies observed Coats running into a pasture littered with various pieces of junk. In their search for Coats, they found him pointing a loaded Glock pistol with a flashlight mounted on it at them.
Lane reported that the deputies took immediate cover, after properly identifying themselves. Then Calhoun, who was off-duty, came out into the pasture and began “confronting and cursing the deputies, giving away their hiding positions.”
“His conduct not only escalated the situation’s high degree of tension, it distracted and obstructed the deputies in their attempt to calm the situation down and keep Coats from hurting himself.”
During Calhoun’s comments, Coats reminded deputies that “he was a former military sniper and an excellent shot, Lane wrote.”
After a 20 minute stand-off, Coats put down his weapon and was taken into protective custody. No criminal action was taken the night of the incident because a deputy was injured while scaling a barbwire fence, resulting in a fractured fibula, according to an affidavit filed by Deputy Tracy Bartlett.
According to Mark Myers, public information officer for the sheriff’s department, Coats was taken to the “VA hospital for mental health evaluation.”
Officials also have a recording of what took place the night of May 15 because of a deputy, who had called a dispatcher on his cell phone, Lane reported.
“These deputies, Tracy Bartlett, John Rose and Steve Daughtery, showed an absolutely remarkable degree of restraint and professionalism in the face of great potential danger.”
“When a beacon of light is striking at you that is indicative of a gun barrel being pointed at you, all the while accompanied by threats to shoot you, it could have easily been their choice to open fire. They did not. I commend their keeping very cool heads in the face of what had to have been a very tense situation.”
‘Three times the charm’
In March 2006, Coats was reportedly arrested twice in a two-week period, beginning with an altercation in Oklahoma City on March 23. Coats was arrested by Oklahoma City police after allegedly punching Robert Allen Roberson, 47, of Moore, in an Oklahoma City nightclub.
According to the police report, Coats identified himself as an off-duty police officer and stated he had “came to Graham’s with his sister and had been drinking four or five beers.” The two had, according to the report, argued over unwanted advances Coats had accused Roberson of making towards his sister.
The report noted that both Coats and Roberson were intoxicated but uses the word “public drunk” to describe Roberson’s state and notes that Coats “was slightly intoxicated but not a public drunk.”
Coats was not taken to jail but instead released to the custody of Calhoun, who arrived on the scene.
According to Harrah Police Chief Eddie Holland, as a result of the incident, Coats was placed on paid suspension. He declined to comment further on the “personnel issue.”
As a result of being arrested Thursday, Coats has been arrested three times in the past three months.
The Sun attempted to contact Holland and Asst. Chief Gary Morgan, but both were unavailable for comment on Coats recent arrest, and Calhoun’s involvement.
According to Mark Myers, public information officer for the sheriff’s department, both Coats, $9,000, and Calhoun, $1,000, have been released on jail bail.