CLEVELAND, Okla. — The Cleveland Police Department released body camera footage showing officers’ confrontation with the sheriff of Pawnee County over a search warrant, News on 6 reported.
The Oct. 28 incident happened when Cleveland Police Officers, who are cross-deputized to serve in Pawnee County, went to serve a search warrant in the area.
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Video from the police department shows Pawnee Sheriff Shawn Price yelling at officers.
“Who’s running this f**ing show?” the sheriff can be heard saying.
“I am,” an officer responds.
“Then get the f*** over here,” the sheriff responds.
“F*** you!” the officer says back.
Amid further profanity, the police officer can be heard telling the sheriff not to “talk to me like that” and asking what he did wrong.
The sheriff asked officers what they were doing and scolded them for setting up an operation that he didn’t know about.
As another officer told both men to calm down, the sheriff responded: “F*** you, I don’t give 2 f***s if everybody hears this.”
Later in the conversation, the sheriff expressed concerns that he would be blamed if anything went wrong in the investigation.
“You don’t think we ought to f***ing know what the f*** is going on?” the sheriff can be saying.
The officer then told the sheriff that the sheriff’s office was notified. When Price asked who was notified, the officer gave multiple names.
“You didn’t get a f***ing commission to run around like a g**d*** deputy. It’s to f***ing assist,” Price stated.
Both departments have released statements regarding the incident.
Cleveland Police Chief Clint Stout stated that the sheriff’s office was informed of the planned warrant service two weeks in advance, adding that he personally called the agency. The city of Cleveland also put out a statement saying that a Pawnee County deputy was invited to be present at a morning briefing about the warrant service and was en route to attend after being informed of the plans the night before.
The city revoked its cross-deputation agreement after the incident, according to the report.
Price stated that he was not informed about the planned warrant service until 15 minutes before the incident unfolded. He also referred to the location as “outside of [the Cleveland PD’s] jurisdiction, while acknowledging that the officers were legally allowed to work in the county due to the cross-deputization agreement.
“I only expect the same respect and courtesy that I require from our office when operating in another department’s area of responsibility,” the sheriff stated. “This incident is not the first time our office has been disrespected in this manner.”
The sheriff alleged that Cleveland officers’ “interference” in a drug trafficking investigation caused it to be discontinued.
District Attorney Mike Fisher stated that no crime occurred during the incident, according to the report.
