LEXINGTON, Okla. —
Tensions were high when two Oklahoma law enforcement agencies responded to a standoff situation on Tuesday.
The confrontation took place between the Lexington Police Department and the Cleveland County Sheriff's Office, with the chief of police and the sheriff getting involved.
Sheriff Chris Amason and his deputies responded to a standoff that the police officials claimed they didn't know about. While the sheriff was on his way to the scene, an officer pulled him over for speeding.
According to the Cleveland County Sheriff's Office, a bondsman made multiple requests to Lexington police for assistance in arresting a former Tulsa police officer, Deangelo Reyes, who was wanted for rape charges. They wanted backup because they believed he had multiple guns.
The phone call for help to Cleveland County said, "We foresee having problems with him. Lexington is 50; they won't help. They just told us to go make contact at the house, but this guy has three guns."
Body camera footage from a Lexington police officer recorded the altercation.
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"I'm Sheriff Amason. I'm going to a SWAT call," the sheriff said.
"OK, sir. I pulled you over because you were doing 85 in a 55," the officer responded.
"I'm going to a call out," Amason told the officer.
"Going where?" the officer asked.
"SWAT callout. Right over here," Amason said.
The officer said he wasn't aware of any barricaded suspect in the city.
"Here in Lexington?" the officer questioned.
"Yup," Amason said.
"We have an armed person, but we don't know about it," the officer said.
"Yup," Amason responded.
"OK, I'll call my chief and let him know," the officer said.
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The Lexington officer let the sheriff go and followed him to the staging area, where multiple deputies were. As they got there, so did Lexington Police Chief Ronnie Johnson.
"Does somebody want to tell me what the (expletive) is going on?" Johnson asked before confronting a Cleveland County deputy. "Do you realize that I would like to know what is going on in my own (expletive) city?"
"We would have notified you, sir," the deputy said.
"We would have? I have been down at PD all (expletive) day," Johnson said.
A sheriff's office lieutenant tried to explain the situation to the chief.
"According to the call, it says Lexington was notified, and they refused to respond," the deputy said.
"OK, I don't know who the (expletive) said that," Johnson said.
"First of all, sir, I know you are the chief, but you aren't going talk to me like that. I'm just saying what the call," a deputy said.
"I don't appreciate all of this going on and no one notifying me a (expletive) thing about it," Johnson said.
That's when Cleveland County deputies started walking away, but a Lexington police officer wearing a body camera wasn't done.
"Sir, you aren't going to talk to my chief like that, sir. That's not going to happen," the officer said.
"You can get me the (expletive) out of my face. I don't give a (expletive) who you are," Cleveland County Sheriff's Office Lt. John Syzmanski said.
"Back up. Back up," a deputy said.
"This is my county, too," Syzmanski said.
Sheriff Amason tried to step in.
"Sheriff, you need to back up out of my face, sir," an officer said.
"You have no authority," Amason said.
"You aren't going to (expletive) tell me what to do (expletive)! You aren't going to get in my sheriff's face. Just like you told me (expletive)," Syzmanski said.
"Both of you need to back off. This is our operation. This is our county. Do you understand?" Amason said.
"Oh yeah. Perfectly (expletive) clear. Perfectly clear," Johnson said.
The Cleveland County Sheriff's Office told KOCO 5 in a statement that an investigation is underway.
Heated exchange caught on camera as Lexington police, Cleveland County deputies respond to standoff
Tensions were high when two Oklahoma law enforcement agencies responded to a standoff situation on Tuesday.
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