Oklahoma Cop With History of Violence Charged for Beating Suspect With Shotgun

An Oklahoma cop was charged with battery Friday after he thrust the barrel end of a shotgun inside a broken car window to repeatedly strike a man in the face as other officers were trying to pull him out of the car. Once the officers had the suspect out of the car, Owasso Police Lt. Michael Dwain Denton continued using the shotgun to beat the suspect, this time striking him with the butt of the gun several times. At one point, Denton also struck another officer, according to investigators, but that is not evident in the video. Denton, 49, was charged assault and battery with a deadly weapon, a felony, and reckless conduct with a firearm. It was only four years ago that Denton was fired over another case of excessive force, but an arbitrator ruled in his favor and said the department needed to rehire him, which they appealed on the basis that Denton poses “a special risk of injury, physical and psychological, to citizens.” But an appeals court sided with Denton and he was reinstated with the department paying him $366,000 in back pay, which included overtime he never worked and interest on wages he never earned. But now Owasso Deputy Police Chief f Jason Woodruff say they may try to fire him again.