Summary: Daniel Holtzclaw, the Oklahoma cop accused of raping dozens of poor black women, has been given a life sentence.
The trial of scumbag Daniel Holtzclaw has riveted the internet. Watchers have wondered if the former Oklahoma City police officer accused of rape would actually serve time. On Thursday, we learned that he was convicted guilty and that he would serve life in prison.
“I don’t care what they look like, where they go to church, what god they worship, or how much money they make,” Oklahoma County District Attorney David Prater said. “We stand up for people in this community.”
When the decision arrived, the 29-year-old wept openly, and sources say he yelled out “I didn’t do it” as he was whisked away in handcuffs. He was convicted of four counts of first-degree rape and 14 other counts. The jury recommended he serve 263 years in prison for his crimes.
“I feel like justice has been served today,” the mother of a 17-year-old victim said. She added that this case is an example of a bigger problem of law enforcement and sexual misconduct. The Associated Press did a year-long examination which found 1,000 police officers had been reprimanded for sexual crimes in a six year span.
The victims in the study tended to be disenfranchised—women who were juveniles, drug addicts, or in custody.
Holtzclaw’s victims were no different. The probe into his activities began after a grandmother reported that he had forced her to give a blowjob during a traffic stop. This led to an investigation, where police found a dozen victims, including the 17-year-old who Holtzclaw allegedly raped on her front porch. He told her that he had to do a search, and police found evidence of her DNA on his pants.
Holtzclaw was a football player in college with dreams of playing in the NFL. When his pro career didn’t pan out, he became a police officer. He was assigned to work in a low-income community where he subsequently preyed on women of color.
Holtzclaw was charged with 36 counts for sexual assault incidents that occurred from December 2013 to June 2014. His police station fired him in January 2015.
Hotlzclaw was represented by Adam Scott, who said he will appeal the decision.