An Oklahoma sheriff and county official who allegedly was caught in leaked audio recordings making death threats against two local journalists and talking about lynching Black people has been suspended from his position, the state’s governor said.
Oklahoma Sheriff, County Officials Audio Record Discussing Killing Journalist And Lynching Leaked
An Oklahoma sheriff and 2 county officials in far southeast Oklahoma were caught on audio recording their discussion about killing reporters and lynching Black people.
The discussion shows aggressive racism and complaining that they can’t lynch Black people anymore the recording was blown in the newspaper and according to the report the sheriff threatens the newspaper journalist by killing them if it will be exposed and not removed. On March 6, a family-owned newspaper publisher records a candid conversation between Sheriff Clardy, investigator Alicia Manning, and district commissioner Mark Jennings after a county Board of Commissioners meeting and did not know that they were being recorded.
According to the owner of the audio recorder he left the device in the room because he said the group was conducting official business which violated state law. McCurtain Gazette-News is a publishing company owned by a father and a son and they receive threats after they exposed the audio recordings.
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Audio Record Of Oklahoma Sheriff, County Officials About Killing Journalist And Lynching Leaked
The threatening comments by the officials that were recorded have sparked outrage and protests, some protestants are black people, and they said after they heard the recording they feel threatened and they also protest about the racism of white people. Oklahoma’s GOP Gov. Kevin Stitt and state Rep. Eddy Dempsey, a Republican who represents the area asked Sheriff Clardy and 2 county officials to resign and NAACP leaders in Oklahoma also called for the FBI and the Department of Justice to investigate further about the case. As of now, the Sheriff and 2 county officials are suspended.
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