Welcome to the new VideoVigilante.com - My name is Brian Bates
and in 1996 I picked up my video camera for the first time to enact
change. In that case it was to fight
street prostitution and my efforts can be followed at JohnTV.com.
Since then, I have seen the power of the video camera first hand.
This
site
is
dedicated
to
those
who
seek justice, change, to influence, entertain, and most
of all to educate others through the power of the video camera.
9/9/05 -- Video Vigilante.com is undergoing a facelift. Until
complete, feel free to witness my efforts to positively impact
street prostitution in Oklahoma City by visiting JohnTV.com.
Coming Soon:
Now Available:
-
Want to know who in Oklahoma County has been arrested and what
for? Click here to see the Oklahoma County jail blotter.
----- Headlines in the News -----
Local News
Trailer Theft Caught On Video Tape
9/23/05 -- Another crime was caught on tape
and this time, it is a man stealing a trailer loaded with motorcycles.
(click
here to read the story - external link)
You Heard it Here First!
Oklahoma Court Website Releases
Identities of Alleged Child Victims of Rape
 9/16/05 -- The names of two minor children,
the alleged victims of rape, were published on the Oklahoma State
Court Network on August 24, 2005 and were still online when this
report was posted.
Former police officer Ki Mitchell
Harrington was accused of raping two child family members
as young as four-years-old. Harrington was charged in both
Cleveland and Oklahoma Counties. In total, Harrington faced
14 felony counts, including child rape.
In August, Oklahoma County DA Wes Lane dropped
all but one of the 13
felony charges he had originally filed
and allowed Harrington to plea to a single count. This plea allowed
Harrington to avoid up to life in prison if found guilty. Instead,
Harrington was given a deferred sentence and not required to
register as a sex offender.
In Cleveland County, Harrington was allowed
to plea no contest to a single count of child abuse and received
unsupervised probation.
In a move that only serves to continue the
victimization of the children involved in this case, the names
of the minor victims were released to the public via the Oklahoma
State Court network.
The following is a partial and edited portion
of an entry dated 8/24/05 on OSCN.net;
"HE'S PLACED ON AN UNSUPERVISED PROBATION.
HE'S ORDERED TO PAY COURT COST. AS A TERM AND CONDITION OF THE
PROBATION, HE'S ORDERED TO SURRENDER HIS CLEET CERTIFICATION
LICENSE AND HE'S NOT TO HAVE ANY CONTACT WITH [name omitted]
OR [name omitted]."
The "[name omitted]" was added
by the author of this site. The victims actual names do appear
on the online
record.
You Heard it Here First!
OCPD: When the Left Hand Doesn't
Know What the Right Hand is Doing. Oklahoma Routinely Gives
Felons a Heads-up and Head Start on the Run
9/10/05 -- Recent 911 call to OCPD reveals a huge flaw in the
communication from our courts to the police and public. Communication
so bad that often the public, which includes the criminals sought
by the courts, are aware of arrest warrants against individuals
long before they are known to police.
 The
latest example started July 28, 2005. Henry
Tyron Thornton AKA "T-Nutty" (see photo left - here
in the South Robinson area we just like to call him a worthless,
drug dealing, thief, and rapist - but what's in a name) was allegedly
arrested on drug charges. According to Thornton, Oklahoma City
police made some sort of technical error when arresting him, which
resulted in his release with no charges filed. Court records do
show that Thornton was arrested and then released on August 5.
The record
indicates Thorton was released with a temporary criminal miscellaneous
case number and the following notation, "NO CHARGES PRESENTED;
DA AGREES."
A resident on South Robinson, who was aware of Thornton's original
arrest and subsequent release on July 28, had been diligently checking
daily on the Oklahoma State Court Network (oscn.net)
for the charges to be reinstated. On August 11, a warrant was issued
for Thornton's re-arrest on the original July 28 charges. Court
records show Thornton is now charged with two felony counts;
possession of cocaine and possession of drug paraphernalia.
The South Robinson resident witnessed Thornton apparently selling
drugs near the corner of SW 32 and South Robinson Blvd. and called
police, informing them of Thornton's two felony warrants. In turn,
the resident called me to see if I was in the area in hopes I could
get the arrest on tape for publication here.
I arrived at 32 and S. Robinson only minutes before three police
cruisers. Though Thorton had seen the police coming and ducked
into a convenience store he was found and handcuffed. However,
in a move that defied logic, only minutes later, police removed
the handcuffs and sent Thornton on his way to continue his drug
dealing, all of which was caught
on tape.
Several calls later, to police and city officials reluctant to
talk about the issue, revealed that in many cases, when criminal
charges are filed, and warrants issued, the information is available
to the public via OSCN.net, yet it can take from hours to days
before it appears in Oklahoma City police computers. No one could
explain why the delay nor did they seem to think it was of any
consequence.
Here's the problem though as I see it. You are involved in one
or many crimes in Oklahoma County. You, like millions of other
people, have internet access either at your home or through the
library, etc. You routinely go to sites like OSCN.net and run your
own name. What-do-you-know, one day your name pops up and there
was a warrant issued for your arrest. Lucky for you, you live in
Oklahoma County, that means there is a good chance that the police
have no idea you are a wanted felon. You've had a few run-ins with
the law in the past, so you know you are facing a very large bond
and the real possibility of many years in prison. So, you do what
any Internet savvy (accused) felon would do, you take advantage
of this communication flaw between the court and the police and
you high-tail it out of town. But of course to get out of town
you'll probably have to rob and/or car jack someone.
Back to our buddy Thornton - Luckily he's no Internet Einstein.
I mean how much of a reality check does this guy need before he
gets the heck out of Dodge? He is arrested on July 28 for drugs
after previous
convictions, catches a break and is released until they can
make a case, is detained on August 11 when a vigilante resident
calls police, and narrowly escapes an attempt by undercover Marshals
to arrest him after his warrant is now known to law enforcement.
Inevitably, Thornton was arrested early the other morning at none
other than the corner of 32 and S. Robinson.
The questions posed to the city are;
1. Why in this day and age is a communication flaw like this possible?
2. Why has it never been addressed?
3. Does his not put the public at unnecessary danger from a fleeing
felon?
4. Does this not put additional strain on many man power and financial
resources when we are giving the criminals a head-start?
5. Shouldn't sites like OSCN.net be a resource for citizens to
help police located, identify, and apprehend those wanted by the
courts?
Additional Materials:
Video of Thornton being detained and then released by police,
AFTER his felony warrants were issued.
On the Net
8/28/05 -- Citizens
lauded for helping fight crime | source: Sacramento Bee | Link
On the Net 8/18/05 -- South End Family Installs Cameras
To Fight Crime | source: WCVB-TV the Boston Channel.com | Link
On the Net 5/12/05 -- Video Vigilante | source:
Londonist.com | Article about a London resident who is using his
video camera to document crime in his area | Link
On the Net 8/2/03 -- Police: Teen abduction foiled by cell phone
cam |
source: CNN.com | Link
On the Net 5/30/03 -- Video vigilante mum takes on drug dealers
and prostitutes | source: Northern Echo UK | Link
On the Net 11/26/02 -- Video
Vigilantes | source: Portland Life | Article
about a Portland peace march that was monitored by a small army
of Video Vigilantes | Link
"video" from Latin vide, first person sing. present
tense of vidre: to see.
"
vigilante" from Latin vigilns, vigilant - present participle
of vigilre: to be watchful.
Copyright 2005 Brian Bates / Video Vigilante
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