Chaotic moment Police officer slammed dad to ground for taking morning walk with autistic son

August 7, 2024 Gloria Shaw

An incident in Watonga, Oklahoma, has sparked outrage after two police officers were filmed slamming a man to the ground and arresting him during a morning walk with his 6-year-old autistic son. The community is angered, and the young boy is traumatized, but the officers involved have not been placed on leave pending the investigation.

The altercation occurred around 6 a.m. on July 4, when John Sexton and his son were out for their routine walk. Both were stopped by Watonga police officers who found their early morning activity “suspicious.”

Bodycam footage shows one officer expressing his suspicion about the early morning walk. When Sexton questioned the officer’s reasoning, the situation quickly escalated.

The officer demanded Sexton’s ID, and upon learning that he had left it at home, he took Sexton out at the knees and slammed him to the ground before putting handcuffs on him

The disturbing footage shows Sexton’s autistic son wailing next to his father as he was detained and placed in a police cruiser. When Sexton asked why he was being detained, the officer vaguely referred “criminal activity.” Sexton was eventually released without charges, but the experience deeply affected his son, who had admired and aspired to be a police officer but now fears them.

Blaine County Sheriff Travis Daugherty has called for the officers to be placed on leave during the investigation. Daugherty, who previously employed one of the officers and had demoted him due to complaints, expressed empathy for the community’s reaction to the incident.

The Watonga Police Department and city officials have declined to comment on the incident, citing an ongoing investigation and the need to preserve the process’s integrity.

City officials have issued a statement emphasizing their commitment to integrity, transparency, and accountability, and promised to take any allegations seriously. However, they have refrained from further comments until the investigation is concluded.