Updates to our Terms of Use

We are updating our Terms of Use. Please carefully review the updated Terms before proceeding to our website.

Wednesday, March 27, 2024 | Back issues
Courthouse News Service Courthouse News Service

Woman Calls Jailed Cop a Sexual Predator

OKLAHOMA CITY (CN) - An Oklahoma City cop charged with 36 sex crimes targeted middle-aged black women for his sexual assaults, claims a woman who says he slammed her head against a wall.

Demetria Campbell sued the city and Daniel Holtzclaw in Oklahoma County Court on Monday. Holtzclaw was arrested a year ago and charged with 36 counts of procuring lewd exhibition, rape, sexual battery and forcible oral sodomy. He will stand trial in October. Prosecutors accuse him of sexually molesting at least 13 women. The attacks were concentrated on the city's east side.

Campbell claims that on Nov. 5, 2013, as she was walking to a restaurant, Holtzclaw grabbed and shoved her toward the building with no provocation or justification.

"He then slammed her face and head against the brick wall and pressed his crotch area against her backside while exhibiting an obvious erection," the complaint states.

"Defendant Holtzclaw then handcuffed plaintiff and thrust her into his patrol vehicle. At no time did plaintiff threaten defendant Holtzclaw, nor did she make any threatening gestures or exhibit any aggression towards him."

Campbell said she "prayed and sobbed" as Holtzclaw drove her around, and finally released her without charges. She says he accused her of fitting the description of a car theft suspect. Campbell said she immediately went to a hospital emergency room, where a nurse demanded to see a police supervisor.

"Thereafter, Lieutenant Brian Bennett of the Oklahoma City Police Department arrived and took a statement from Plaintiff," the complaint states. "He apologized to her for what had occurred."

Holtzclaw, 28, is serving 15 days in Oklahoma County Jail for violating his bond a second time, CBS-affiliate KWTV reported.

Although free on bond, Holtzclaw was placed on house arrest and required to wear a GPS monitoring device. Court records say he failed to charge the device's battery, so he was not monitored for more than six hours on July 19.

Holtzclaw immediately reported the violation, but Oklahoma County Judge Timothy Henderson ordered him into custody on July 27.

At a November 2014 preliminary hearing, Holtzclaw's alleged victims testified that they waited months to tell police what happened to them because they did not think anyone would believe them, EnidNews.com reported.

Two women testified that Holtzclaw used his authority as a police officer to take advantage of them, touch them inappropriately or make them perform sexual acts on him. A third woman testified that she showed Holtzclaw her breasts in hopes that it would make him go away.

Oklahoma City police said they could not comment on a pending lawsuit, but said they have delivered the results of their investigation to prosecutors.

Campbell seeks damages for excessive force, negligence, negligent infliction of emotional distress, negligent supervision and assault.

She is represented by Cynthia D'Antonio with Green Johnson in Oklahoma City.

Follow @davejourno
Categories / Uncategorized

Subscribe to Closing Arguments

Sign up for new weekly newsletter Closing Arguments to get the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and hot cases and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world.

Loading...