Transcript Staff Writer
The Norman Human Rights Commission welcomed area civil rights group leaders and police officials to City Hall for an hour-long meeting Thursday evening.
"The purpose of this meeting is to begin the process of dialogue between metro organizations and police officials," said Norman Human Rights Commission President Robert Ruiz.
The meeting followed an Oct. 27 press conference in Oklahoma City, where representatives from organizations including the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the League of United Latino American Citizens and the Hispanic Action Coalition announced the formation of the "Coalition of Concerned Citizens."
Coalition members had criticized Cleveland County District Attorney Tim Kuykendall's Oct. 17 ruling that Norman Police Officer Chad Vincent used justifiable force in the Sept. 26 shooting death of 17-year-old Richard Lee Sanchez, and demanded an independent investigation into the matter.
Norman City Attorney Jeff Bryant deflected several questions concerning the Sanchez shooting, due to an "indication of pending litigation" in the matter.
"We're sensitive to the position the police officer is in," said LULAC President Ed Romo. "What we want is for the officer to be sensitive in relation to the suspect, when any itch or twitch could be his last."
Police Chief Phil Cotten said the police force included three Hispanic officers, two black officers, two Spanish-speaking officers and 15 women.
"The police department doesn't control the hiring process," said Lt. J.D. Younger. The process is handled by the Human Resources department, he said.
Roosevelt Milton, NAACP president-elect for Oklahoma, suggested Norman city leaders use the model for a police department advisory board established in Oklahoma City, representing "every segment of the community."
"It took us 34 months to create the board. It's not a panacea for all your problems, but it's a good start," Milton said.
Kuykendall criticized the media's description of what was contained in his two-page ruling and a four-page police summary, released Oct. 17.
Anyone can request a copy of the ruling and summary by calling the DA's office at 321-8268, he said.
Tom Blakey 366-3540 tblakey@normantranscript.com
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Police officials, human rights leaders meet
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