Deputy Shot, Suspect At Large
Law enforcement officers from several agencies were searching for a man accused of shooting a Cleveland County Sheriff's Deputy.
The shooting took place on I-35 near Wynnewood in Garvin County Wednesday morning.
The deputy was taken to an Oklahoma City hospital.
Investigators say the suspect, 25-year old Kameron Jenkins, is considered dangerous and may be carrying a semi-automatic handgun.
He was last seen in the area of I-35 south near Paul's Valley.
A "blue alert" about the suspect went out early Wednesday afternoon.
Schools in Garvin County were in lockdown for several hours due to the search.
OK CARES Fraud Cases
Two Oklahomans were found guilty for Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act fraud schemes last week.
The two people pleaded guilty in federal court.
Kimberly Atlanta Tipton, 43, of Oklahoma City, pleaded guilty for false statements made to a financial institution.
Tipton faces up to 30 years in prison and a fine up to a million dollars.
Brian Lee Foster, 54, of Norman, was sentenced to two years for his role in a Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security ("CARES") Act fraud scheme.
The CARES Act provided more than $2 trillion in relief for individuals and businesses adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the indictment, Foster applied for and obtained more than $40,000 in PPP loans in his name and the name of another person. Courts ruled Foster used the loan proceeds for his personal benefit.
Foster was also fined more than $21,000 in restitution to the U.S. Small Business Administration.
Oklahoma School Corporal Punishment Stats
Statistics released Tuesday paint a picture of the current state of school-based physical punishment in Oklahoma.
This spring, the legislature’s failure to pass a bill banning corporal punishment on students with disabilities garnered national attention. Lawmakers are slated to hear more on the topic at an interim study Thursday afternoon.
Oklahoma Appleseed Center for Law and Justice released statistics ahead of Thursday’s study, and they paint a grim picture of inequity when it comes to corporal punishment in schools.
As of 2018, the latest year for which data are available, Black children are 2 1/2 times more likely to experience corporal punishment in districts that still practice it.
And even though Native American students represent less than 14% of the total school population, one in four students who receive corporal punishment is Indigenous.
And those numbers only count how many kids received corporal punishment — not how many times each child received it.
A fifth of students subjected to corporal punishment had documented disabilities.
Oklahoma has more than 500 school districts, and more than a quarter of them still practice corporal punishment.
Seventeen of those districts use the practice on pre-k children.
Resources Available For Domestic Violence Victims
October is 'Domestic Violence Awareness' month, and local advocates and agencies are working to promote available services for victims.
Oklahoma ranks second in the nation for women killed in single victim and offender incidents in the U.S.
Agencies like the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services and Palomar - a family justice center - are seeking to lower that number and support victims of domestic violence.
Wraparound services provided by the agencies include things like counsel from on-site mental health providers.
Victims can also connect to the Oklahoma Safe Line and 988 to offer support in the immediate aftermath and years to come.
Ally Stephens experienced domestic abuse about three years ago, and her then-boyfriend, Gage Ford, was found guilty of two felony counts and one misdemeanor after beating her while she was pregnant.
She says October is an important month to spread awareness about available services.
"Even if you're not in immediate danger, the domestic violence hotline will still let you talk, and they'll listen to you,” Stephens said.
If you are in crisis, call 988 or 1-800-522-SAFE for support anytime.
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