Stillwater Defending Lawsuit Alleging Failure To Investigate Business Property Crimes

STILLWATER, Okla., (The Oklahoma Post) –

The city of Stillwater is currently engaged in a legal battle concerning allegations of inadequate investigation into crimes targeting business properties. Plaintiffs allege negligence by the City of Stillwater regarding a hit-and-run incident involving a U-Haul truck. Plaintiffs faced difficulties contacting U-Haul and insurance representatives due to lack of information from the police.

It seems the Stillwater Police Department has taken a page from a comedy script, where instead of chasing down the U-Haul driver who fled the scene, they decided to play a game of “pass the buck” with the victims! Who knew that the real crime was the police’s ability to dodge responsibility? Maybe they thought the plaintiffs were auditioning for a reality show called “Survivor: Insurance Edition,” where the challenge is to get a police report without any help! It’s almost like they were trying to protect the rights of the runaway driver instead of the citizens.

The History behind the case is unnerving. Stillwater Mayor Will Joyce had been holding a grudge against the Plaintiffs in regard to civil cases involving political corruption in Stillwater. It is believed by the Oklahoma Post that the failure to investigate was in direct retaliation against an interest owner of Oasis. Hear audio below of Joyce and a former Stillwater Police Chief in direct dialog involving illegal activity of Joyce and how those actions were used to inflict harm on the Plaintiff in this case.

On September 6, 2023, a U-Haul truck hit the building at 1215 S Sangre and left the scene.
The driver, Anthony O’Shea, was identified but did not provide insurance information. Officer Aaron Smittle responded but did not pursue the driver or collect insurance details, stating the burden fell on victims. Multiple attempts by the plaintiffs to obtain a complete police report and insurance information were unsuccessful.

Plaintiffs: Darrell Dougherty, Jericah Dawson, Sharon Dougherty, Corey Little, residents and property owners in Payne County, Oklahoma.

Defendant: City of Stillwater, a political subdivision of the State of Oklahoma.

An overview of the OSCN Details with additional information below. OSCN and the Oklahoma Courts have a fun way of selectively allowing forward facing documents. This is often done to create a bias or perception in the public eye of how a case has unfolded, when in fact very important information is often being withheld from the public.

OSCN CASE DETAILS

Final Amended Complaint

Federal Court Order

Defendants Reply to Strike original Petitions: A new petition has been filed.

(Writing by Rachel Meister; Editing by Robbie Robertson)

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