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Group says it has 6,000 signatures on Glanz ouster petition

We The People Oklahoma says it has gathered more than 6,000 signatures on its grand jury petition drive to investigate the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office.

“Terry Simonson made a bet,” Lewis said, referring…

Author dylan@readfrontier.com
Reading Time

4 min

Posted In

Minutes before Tuesday evening’s media conference, Marq Lewis was bouncing from person to person, shaking hands, a bundle of nervous energy.

The statement he would give the assembled media — that We The People Oklahoma, the group he founded, had surpassed 6,000 signatures on its grand jury petition drive to investigate the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office — was minutes away. Lewis was waiting on Laurie Phillips, the attorney who wrote the petition, to arrive.

And when Lewis made his announcement, to cheers from the dozen-or-so volunteers behind him, he couldn’t help but get in a little dig.

“Terry Simonson made a bet,” Lewis said, referring to the Sheriff’s Office spokesman who told the Tulsa World it was a longshot that the group could come up with 5,000 signatures. “And he lost that bet.”

We The People Oklahoma, Lewis’ grassroots organization that sprouted up last year and exploded following the April 2 shooting of Harris by reserve deputy Robert Bates, is entering the home stretch of its signature-gathering process, with only a few days to add to its total.

Technically, Lewis has until June 21 to turn in the forms so the Tulsa County Election Board can determine whether the group has gathered 5,000 signatures of registered voters needed to impanel a grand jury.

But since that date is on a Sunday, the group will turn in the petitions June 19. Lewis said Monday will be the last day signatures will be accepted.

If the group has enough signatures, Sheriff Stanley Glanz could face a grand jury investigation, drama that would take the TCSO fallout to a new level. Bates, a wealthy friend of the sheriff who managed his campaign, was serving with a violent crime task force when he shot Harris.

Bates has said he intended to use his Taser and accidentally shot Harris with a handgun instead. He faces a second-degree manslaughter charge and is awaiting a preliminary hearing.

An investigation by reporters for The Frontier found that Bates’ supervisors were pressured to falsify training records in order to show he was qualified as an advanced reserve. A 2009 internal affairs investigation concluded that multiple policies were violated involving Bates’ training.

Glanz initially said the internal affairs investigation found Bates violated no policies. When the the report surfaced, Glanz said he was not familiar with its findings.

One member of the department has been fired since Harris was shot while two high-ranking members were forced to resign, and another is currently on administrative leave. The Sheriff’s Office has refused multiple requests for records related to Bates’ case.

Lewis won’t call it a failure if the group doesn’t succeed in its quest to unseat Glanz.

“We proved that you can make change if you fight, if you stick with it,” Lewis said. “I don’t have any anxiety. It’s been a lot of work. Every day, every night. It’s been work and we’ve kept this conversation public for two months, man. You can’t take that away from us.”

To help ensure the group gets the signatures needed, Lewis has organized “Community Petition Days,” a drive focusing on one section of Tulsa per day. On Monday, the group was in north Tulsa, then east Tulsa the following night.

On Wednesday night they’ll venture out to west Tulsa, and finish up Thursday night in south Tulsa. They’ll have volunteers at the Tulsa Tough cycling events over the weekend.

“It’s good that we had a chance to do this,” Lewis said. “It shows that the community cares, that the community is engaged, and I think the Sheriff’s Office and the county has taken those citizens for granted.”

On Monday evening, in an empty lot across from a Walgreen’s, Lewis’ usual volunteers are there with him. Glen Graham stands next to the road, waving an American flag. A woman near him chants “Glanz Gotta Go, baby,” to cars that pass by. She’s usually met with a wave, though some passersby yell some variation of “yes he does.”

Two people man a portable grill, cooking hot dogs for anyone who comes by to inquire about the petition process. Lewis’ phone is hooked up to a bluetooth speaker, the music helping to drown out the sounds of rush-hour traffic.

Lewis said the group has aimed for “at least 9,000” signatures. (To succeed, the group must gather the needed signatures in 45 days.)

Glen Graham beckons drivers to sign the We The People Oklahoma petition Monday, June 8, 2015. DYLAN GOFORTH/The Frontier

Glen Graham beckons drivers to sign the We The People Oklahoma petition Monday, June 8, 2015. DYLAN GOFORTH/The Frontier

He admits admits that figure is a lofty goal, but he knows some of the people who have signed the petition are likely not registered voters, and their signatures won’t be counted.

“We also know the Sheriff’s Office may end up challenging some signatures, so we’re not immune to that, either” he said. “We’re working hard every day. I’m so proud of our volunteers, they’ve come from all parts of tulsa, even some that stay in other cities other than Tulsa. … They come and say, ‘How can I help?’ It has been people from all different spectrums of life, the rich, the poor. We have one thing in common: We’re all citizens.”

dylan@readfrontier.com

918-931-9405


 

Community Petition Days

Wednesday: 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., 51st Street and South Union Avenue.

Thursday: 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., 71st Street and Peoria Avenue, (Luby’s parking lot)

For more information: 918-947-9080

Group says it has 6,000 signatures on Glanz ouster petition

We The People Oklahoma says it has gathered more than 6,000 signatures on its grand jury petition drive to investigate the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office.

When group founder Marq Lewis made his announcement to cheers from the dozen-or-so volunteers behind him, he couldn’t help but get in a little dig.

“Terry Simonson made a bet,” Lewis said, referring to the sheriff’s office spokesman who told the Tulsa World it was a longshot that the group could come up with 5,000 signatures. “And he lost that bet.”

Author dylan@readfrontier.com
Reading Time

4 min

Posted In

By DYLAN GOFORTH
The Frontier

Minutes before Tuesday evening’s media conference, Marq Lewis was bouncing from person to person, shaking hands, a bundle of nervous energy.

The statement he would give the assembled media — that We The People Oklahoma, the group he founded, had surpassed 6,000 signatures on its grand jury petition drive to investigate the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office — was minutes away. Lewis was waiting on Laurie Phillips, the attorney who wrote the petition, to arrive.

And when Lewis made his announcement, to cheers from the dozen-or-so volunteers behind him, he couldn’t help but get in a little dig.

“Terry Simonson made a bet,” Lewis said, referring to the Sheriff’s Office spokesman who told the Tulsa World it was a longshot that the group could come up with 5,000 signatures. “And he lost that bet.”

We The People Oklahoma, Lewis’ grassroots organization that sprouted up last year and exploded following the April 2 shooting of Harris by reserve deputy Robert Bates, is entering the home stretch of its signature-gathering process, with only a few days to add to its total.

Technically, Lewis has until June 21 to turn in the forms so the Tulsa County Election Board can determine whether the group has gathered 5,000 signatures of registered voters needed to impanel a grand jury.

But since that date is on a Sunday, the group will turn in the petitions June 19. Lewis said Monday will be the last day signatures will be accepted.

If the group has enough signatures, Sheriff Stanley Glanz could face a grand jury investigation, drama that would take the TCSO fallout to a new level. Bates, a wealthy friend of the sheriff who managed his campaign, was serving with a violent crime task force when he shot Harris.

Bates has said he intended to use his Taser and accidentally shot Harris with a handgun instead. He faces a second-degree manslaughter charge and is awaiting a preliminary hearing.

An investigation by reporters for The Frontier found that Bates’ supervisors were pressured to falsify training records in order to show he was qualified as an advanced reserve. A 2009 internal affairs investigation concluded that multiple policies were violated involving Bates’ training.

Glanz initially said the internal affairs investigation found Bates violated no policies. When the the report surfaced, Glanz said he was not familiar with its findings.

One member of the department has been fired since Harris was shot while two high-ranking members were forced to resign, and another is currently on administrative leave. The Sheriff’s Office has refused multiple requests for records related to Bates’ case.

Lewis won’t call it a failure if the group doesn’t succeed in its quest to unseat Glanz.

“We proved that you can make change if you fight, if you stick with it,” Lewis said. “I don’t have any anxiety. It’s been a lot of work. Every day, every night. It’s been work and we’ve kept this conversation public for two months, man. You can’t take that away from us.”

To help ensure the group gets the signatures needed, Lewis has organized “Community Petition Days,” a drive focusing on one section of Tulsa per day. On Monday, the group was in north Tulsa, then east Tulsa the following night.

On Wednesday night they’ll venture out to west Tulsa, and finish up Thursday night in south Tulsa. They’ll have volunteers at the Tulsa Tough cycling events over the weekend.

“It’s good that we had a chance to do this,” Lewis said. “It shows that the community cares, that the community is engaged, and I think the Sheriff’s Office and the county has taken those citizens for granted.”

On Monday evening, in an empty lot across from a Walgreen’s, Lewis’ usual volunteers are there with him. Glen Graham stands next to the road, waving an American flag. A woman near him chants “Glanz Gotta Go, baby,” to cars that pass by. She’s usually met with a wave, though some passersby yell some variation of “yes he does.”

Two people man a portable grill, cooking hot dogs for anyone who comes by to inquire about the petition process. Lewis’ phone is hooked up to a bluetooth speaker, the music helping to drown out the sounds of rush-hour traffic.

Lewis said the group has aimed for “at least 9,000” signatures. (To succeed, the group must gather the needed signatures in 45 days.)

Glen Graham beckons drivers to sign the We The People Oklahoma petition Monday, June 8, 2015. DYLAN GOFORTH/The Frontier

Glen Graham beckons drivers to sign the We The People Oklahoma petition Monday, June 8, 2015. DYLAN GOFORTH/The Frontier

He admits that figure is a lofty goal, but he knows some of the people who have signed the petition are likely not registered voters, and their signatures won’t be counted.

“We also know the Sheriff’s Office may end up challenging some signatures, so we’re not immune to that, either” he said. “We’re working hard every day. I’m so proud of our volunteers, they’ve come from all parts of tulsa, even some that stay in other cities other than Tulsa. … They come and say, ‘How can I help?’ It has been people from all different spectrums of life, the rich, the poor. We have one thing in common: We’re all citizens.”

dylan@readfrontier.com

918-931-9405


 

Community Petition Days

Wednesday: 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., 51st Street and South Union Avenue.

Thursday: 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., 71st Street and Peoria Avenue, (Luby’s parking lot)

For more information: 918-947-9080