Sheriff Deputy Gerald Nuckolls Arrested for Sexual Assault and Battery

An Oklahoma sheriff's deputy resigned Wednesday after two women said he sexually assaulted them at a Tulsa County home while he was on duty, a case that comes on the heels of a state trooper and an Oklahoma City police officer being arrested on sexual assault complaints.

Tulsa County Deputy Gerald Nuckolls, 26, was arrested late Tuesday on complaints of sexual assault and battery and indecent exposure. He remained jailed on $125,000 bond Wednesday. It's not clear from jail records whether Nuckolls has an attorney.

Undersheriff Tim Albin said Nuckolls resigned after being placed on unpaid leave. Nuckolls hasn't been formally charged, and authorities believe there could be at least five more women who have yet to come forward.

"It's been a real punch in the gut for us," Albin said at a news conference. "There's a real sense of betrayal for us on this."

Nuckolls' arrest came a day after Oklahoma State Trooper Eric Roberts was arrested on complaints of kidnapping, rape and other crimes. Roberts is accused of sexually assaulting three women while on duty.

Roberts' arrest came just weeks after Oklahoma City police officer Daniel Holtzclaw was accused of sexually assaulting at least eight women while on duty. Holtzclaw has pleaded not guilty to 16 felony counts, including rape and sexual battery.

The recent allegations against the three lawmen are among similar complaints lodged against Oklahoma officers in the past decade.

In 2011, Delaware County commissioners agreed to a $13.5 million settlement after 15 women complained they were raped, sexually assaulted or fondled by their jailers. In 2009, Custer County Sheriff Mike Burgess was sentenced to 79 years for sexual assaults against an inmate and the county agreed to pay about $10 million to settle claims by more than a dozen women.

Former Latimer County Sheriff Melvin Holly was sentenced to 25 years for sexual crimes, including abusing a 19-year-old inmate in 2004 and warning her she would "end up dead somewhere, floating face-down in a river" if she ever reported what happened to the authorities. A settlement with at least 16 women totaled around $670,000.

Nuckolls, who had worked for the sheriff's office for two years, showed up at the women's home investigating a 911 hang-up call about halfway through his shift, according to his arrest and booking report.

The report alleges that Nuckolls pulled one of women inside his patrol SUV and eventually exposed his genitals to her. The woman said she began rubbing the officer's genitals because he told her that it would keep her boyfriend out of jail.

Nuckolls then got out of the SUV and asked a second woman at the house asked if she had drugs inside, according to the report. The woman gave Nuckolls permission to search her residence and he found nothing. She told detectives that Nuckolls urinated near her garage and then went inside the garage with her, making small talk.

Nuckolls asked the woman about her tattoos and if she was wearing a bra, and then reached up and pulled her dress down, according to the report.

The woman said she pulled her dress up as Nuckolls began to touch his genitals. She said she told him she wanted to leave and go back inside and that Nuckolls said he would return when his shift ended at 8 a.m.

The report says Nuckolls told detectives who interviewed him that "he has a problem for pretty women" and that "sexual type activity has occurred" during encounters with about six women on traffic stops or calls.

Missy Iski, director of programs and counseling at DVIS/Call Rape in Tulsa, said Wednesday that potential victims may be reluctant to come forward especially when a law officer is alleged to have been involved.

"When you add a law enforcement person, it even adds to the difficulty," Iski said.

Tulsa Officer Shannon Kepler Kills Daughter's Boyfriend

A Tulsa police husband and wife were arrested in connection with the fatal shooting of a 19-year-old man on a street near downtown, and the couple's daughter said her father shot at her, too.

Shannon Kepler, 54, a 24-year veteran of the Tulsa Police Department, was booked into the Tulsa Jail on first-degree murder and shooting with intent to kill complaints. His wife, Gina, 48, also a Tulsa police officer, was jailed on an accessory to murder complaint.

The two weren't on duty at the time the shooting of 19-year-old Jeremy Lake occurred in the 200 block of North Maybelle Avenue about 9:15 p.m. Tuesday, police said. Shannon Kepler works at TPD's police academy and worked Tuesday, public information officer Jillian Roberson said. Gina Kepler is a patrol officer at the department's Gilcrease division, and did not work Tuesday, Roberson said.

Both are held at the Tulsa jail, police chief Chuck Jordan said, but are confined in an area away from other inmates they may have come into contact with on the job.

The gun involved in the shooting was not a service weapon, Jordan said. Police have not said whether the weapon has been recovered.

Police said an argument occurred between Lake and Shannon Kepler, who was in a black Chevrolet Suburban. Lake, who reportedly was with Kepler's daughter, was shot "two or three times" after he told Kepler that he was her boyfriend, according to an arrest report.

Lisa Kepler, the 18-year-old daughter of Shannon and Gina Kepler, spoke with the Tulsa World on Wednesday morning from the front porch of the home she shared with the homicide victim, who also was her boyfriend.

Lisa Kepler and Lake were walking back from Guthrie Green and were in the street in front of their home when a black SUV pulled up, and Shannon Kepler stepped out.

Lisa Kepler said her father shouted at her and that as Lake attempted to introduce himself, Shannon Kepler shot Lake.

Lisa Kepler said she had attempted to stop the shooting but then ran and hid behind a large rose bush in the front yard as her father fired a shot at her that missed. Lisa Kepler said she told authorities it was her dad who was the triggerman.

"I'm not scared of my dad," she said, in tears and openly wondering why he would shoot someone he didn't know.

Josh Mills, 23, a friend of Lake's, said he was also at the scene during the shooting. He said Shannon Kepler also fired a shot at Lake's 13-year-old brother, who was sitting on the front porch. The bullet ricocheted and grazed the boy in the upper arm, Mills said.

Mills said he had paramedic training and tried to stem Lake's bleeding and locate the bullet wounds. Mills said it appeared Lake had been shot in the chest and neck from about 3-feet away. Mills and Lake hadn't known each other long but had become close.

"He was like a brother to me for two weeks," Mills said, tearing up as he described how Lake died in his arms.

Lisa Kepler said her parents had kicked her out of their home recently because of poor "life decisions" she had made and dropped her off at the Tulsa Day Center for the Homeless. Lisa Kepler declined to say what those life decisions were.

"I really hope they rot in prison for a very long time," Lisa Kepler said of her parents.

A neighbor of the Kepler family, who wished not to be identified, said the husband and wife are "wonderful neighbors." She said the parents had "given and given" to their three daughters.

Friends and neighbors said the couple had adopted Lisa Kepler and her two siblings several years ago.

"They've done everything in the world for (Lisa)," the neighbor said.

She said Shannon and Gina Kepler were the type of neighbors who would shovel sidewalks or bring food over.

A second neighbor, who also asked for anonymity, said he was "tickled to death" two police officers lived nearby because it made the neighborhood feel secure. The neighbor said he didn't have a lot of interaction with the Keplers, whom he called "the perfect neighbors," but that Gina Kepler sometimes would stop in her patrol car and say hi to him.

"The whole neighborhood — it's unbelievable," the neighbor said when asked if he was surprised by the turn of events.

Lisa Kepler said the Day Center is where she met Lake, who offered to let her live with himself and his aunt, Pam Wilkins, within the past week. She said Lake was a sweet man and had been nothing but good to her since they had met.

Sandra Lewis, executive director of the Day Center, said Lake had never been a volunteer or employee with, nor a client of the center.

Lewis said she knew of Lake and that he "came around" sometimes. There weren't any incident reports involving him, she said. Lake would help carry in donations or pick up trash.

"He was always very helpful," Lewis said.

Wilkins, 50, said Lake had "a lot of love" for people, including those in the homeless community. She said her nephew was "the life of the party."

"No matter if we argued, he never let a day go by without saying, 'I love you,'" Wilkins said.

Police said Shannon Kepler turned himself in after investigators contacted his wife, Gina Kepler.

The couple are expected to be placed on paid administrative leave until they are charged, Roberson said.

Lake's death is the city's 27th homicide.

Cpl. David Harrison Arrested for Domestic Assault and Battery

A Tulsa Police officer was booked into the county jail on a complaint of domestic assault and battery early Wednesday.

According to an arrest report, Cpl. David Harrison, 51, was arrested at his home late Tuesday after a woman told officers Harrison hit her with a liquor bottle and sexually assaulted her during a struggle. The report also says the woman claims Harrison defecated in the bed, pushed her in it and then ordered her to clean it up.

Police spokesperson Officer Jill Roberson said Harrison has been suspended with pay pending an internal investigation.

A police report states a "sexual assault investigation" has been submitted to the Tulsa County DA's office for review.

Roberson says David Harrison has been an officer with their department since 1988.

Jail records show he has a May 14 court appearance set.

Protective Order Filed Against Tulsa Officer Accused Of Sexual Misconduct

An emergency protective order was filed against a Tulsa police captain accused of sexual misconduct with a minor.

The new allegations come just weeks after he was suspended for sex acts on the job that happened three years ago.

04/27/2012 Related Story: Tulsa Police Chief: No Access To Suspended Officer's Personal Computer

News on 6 spoke with the officer and his attorney.

Captain Shawn King says he is not ready to get into the details of the allegations made against him. But his attorney says they're false. He says it's all part of a plan by an angry ex-girlfriend to ruin King's name.

An Osage County judge granted an emergency protective order against Captain Shawn King on behalf of Keena Roberts and her minor children. The order was filed late Friday.

"What's happened today is evidence of Ms. Robert's ongoing and continuous vendetta against Capt. King since their break up," wrote King's attorney Scott Wood.

Wood says King and Roberts ended their relationship sometime in the past six months. And says that ever since, Roberts has gone to great lengths to "attack" his client.

Wood says the protective order is another example of that. But the accusations in that order are serious.

Read More About Protective Orders in Oklahoma

Roberts' attorney alleges that King molested one of Roberts' underage children. In the protective order, the attorney confirms that King is accused of groping, kissing and forcibly raping the child with his fingers.

Roberts' attorney alleges the incidents happened many times over a period of several years. The allegations surfaced after the child spent time in therapy.

King's attorney calls the allegations false and outrageous.

"Another example of how desperate Ms. Robert's is to wreck havoc on Captain King's life," Wood said in a statement.

Earlier this month, King was suspended a week without pay after TPD Chief Chuck Jordan says King engaged in sexual activity in his patrol car. That incident happened in 2009.

An interoffice memo from Chief Jordan's classifies the activity as "Conduct Unbecoming of an Officer."
"No allegation was made to the police department regarding any criminal activity, including activity involving children," Scott Wood said.

A hearing for a permanent protective order is set for May 22, 2012, in Osage County. But King's attorney is hoping to get a quicker hearing.

He says depending on the outcome, his client make take legal action against Roberts. As of now, Captain King is still reporting to work as a shift supervisor in the Gilcrease Hills Division.

Death of Jerard Drew While in Custody Being Investigated

Tulsa police and relatives of a man who died late Wednesday while in police custody offered differing versions of the chain of events that preceded his death.

But both police and relatives will have to await the results of an autopsy by the state Medical Examiner's Office, which will determine the cause and manner of Jerard M. Drew's death.

Drew, 38, who was wearing only boxer shorts when he died, had recently been prescribed prescription pain and anti-inflammatory drugs and might have been drinking alcohol Wednesday, but he was otherwise healthy, relatives said.

Police said Drew became unresponsive while they were trying to put leg shackles on him after he was pepper-sprayed but continued to resist officers' attempts to detain him.

The man was cursing and kicking at officers, at which time the officers decided to put leg shackles on him "to keep him from hurting officers or hurting himself," police spokesman Officer Leland Ashley said.

Drew's mother, Ruth Woodfork, said officers were chatting and laughing when she came upon them and her son, who was lying face-down and handcuffed on the grassy north side of the road in the 2700 block of West Edison Street.

Ashley said officers performed CPR until an ambulance arrived and took Drew to St. John Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 10:55 p.m.

Ashley said there was no indication that excessive force was used but that homicide detectives will investigate.

Six officers — Jeff Dosser, Jason Kelley, Jay Chiarito-Mazzarella, Naresh Persaud, Herbert Hardman and Sgt. Mike Williams — were placed on restrictive duty as a routine matter, he said.

Ashley denied a request for a copy of the police report, saying such reports are not public documents.

Ashley said Dosser was on patrol when he reported seeing a man, wearing only boxer shorts, running in the 2700 block of West Edison Street just before 10 p.m.

The man fled, and the officer caught up with him in a drainage culvert just north of Edison, Ashley said.

The officer pepper-sprayed the man when he "clenched his fist in a menacing manner as if to punch the officer," he said.

The officer reported that the spray appeared to have very little effect on the man.

By this time, two more officers had arrived and helped detain Drew, Ashley said.

Woodfork said she could hear her son yelling from a block away.

"I could hear him screaming, 'Stop kicking me! Stop kicking me!' " she said.

By the time Woodfork made it to her son, he was unresponsive, she said.

"I'm not holding a grudge against anybody, because that's not God's will, but I think his life was taken before it should have been," Woodfork said.

"He's had his run-ins with the law, but he was changing his life," she said.

Oklahoma Department of Corrections records indicate that Drew had convictions for possession of a stolen vehicle, unlawful possession of a controlled drug, false impersonation and escape.

Buddy Visser entered plea

A former Tulsa police officer pleaded guilty Thursday to stealing guns and ammunition from the department and selling them on the Internet.

Buddy Visser, 47, entered the plea to the charges of possession and sale of stolen firearms and mail fraud, which were filed by the U.S. Attorney's Office March 5.

He said his criminal conduct involved between eight and 24 firearms.

U.S. District Judge Terence Kern will sentence Visser -- who is free on bond -- on June 10. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Raley estimated that federal guidelines will suggest a prison sentence from two years to three years, five months.

Raley told the court that Visser "deprived the taxpayers and the city of Tulsa of the honest services he had taken an oath to maintain" when he committed the crimes during the first 11 months of 2007.

Visser resigned from the force March 6 after a 17-year career.

Chief Ron Palmer said that same day that "the resignation was accepted with no regret."
During Thursday's plea hearing before U.S. Magistrate Paul Cleary, Visser did not try to justify his crimes, but he told the court that he has been treated for manic- depression and post-traumatic stress disorder and is taking medication.

Visser admitted in his plea agreement that from January 2007 through late November he stole weapons and ammunition from the Tulsa Police Department's firing range, where he was an instructor.

Visser said he asked for prices so low that purchasers typically would buy quickly.

Visser had been suspended in December after the Tulsa Police Department and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives began investigating theft allegations.
His plea agreement indicates that Visser will be expected to pay restitution to the city for any unrecovered firearms and to the purchasers of guns that are located.

Raley said he does not an ticipate that anyone else will be charged with stealing guns from the Police Department and selling them. However, he would not comment about whether any further inquiries related to the Visser investigation are under way.

Palmer has said the department is now considering adding cameras and new auditing measures to ensure the security of weapons at the range.

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Another bad cop off the streets!!!

TPD Officer Buddy Visser Sold Stolen Weapons

Once again there is a local officer who is more of a thug than the people he has arrested. Police officer Buddy Visser of the Tulsa Police Department for 17 years is under investigation by the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
He faces federal firearms charges after being accused of selling stolen weapons and ammunition from the TPD training range. Currently Chief Palmer has suspended Officer Visser indefinitely, without pay.

This jackass and his wife were accused of excessive force during an OFF-Duty traffic stop, back in 2000. But as always they believe the officer just because he’s an officer, and all charges were dropped against them. This officer lied to his own police department, so he more than likely lied back then. No officer or person should be allowed to point their weapon at another citizen because a child threw something out of a car at them. Sounds like this officer should have been tested to see if he was using steroids.

Chief Palmer said that they also violated policies regarding the use of force and were ordered to pay $150,000 in punitive damages. But a year later the Vissers were reinstated to their assignments after an arbitrator reversed their terminations.

There is all kinds of bad cops out there, they just haven't been caught yet, or they keep getting away with wrong doing just because they have a badge. Someone needs to police the police if they are not going to police themselves. I hope this latest charge puts him away for double the time someone else could have gotten for the same crime. Then maybe some of these bad officers would think twice before committing a crime...do double the time.