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It’s almost like cops are above consequences…
Back in December 2021, two Lawton, Oklahoma police officers, Robert Hinkle and Nathan Ronan were fired after fatally shooting a Black, unarmed, 29-year-old named Quadry Sanders. Hinkle and Ronan were responding to a call about a man waving a gun inside a home. According to the AP News, the body camera footage from the scene shows Sanders showing his hands while holding a hat. When he partially stepped behind a refrigerator, Hinkle fired four rounds while Sanders held his hands high. When Sanders sat up with his hands raised, Hinkle, a Black man, fired seven more rounds. Following his partner’s lead, Ronan, a white man, fired four rounds of his own.
On May 30 of this year, an arbitrator ruled that both men must be reinstated to the police department. According to their lawyer, that has not happened yet. KSWO-TV reports that the city is not pleased with the ruling and is exploring other legal options. Oklahoma law states that an arbitrator’s rule is legally binding for some ridiculous reason.
“Under existing Oklahoma law, arbitration awards are legally binding and therefore require the City’s compliance unless successfully appealed,” according to the statement. “City officials are reviewing all options to determine whether to appeal.”
Both former officers have been charged with manslaughter and Sanders’ mother has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against them and the city of Lawton. We hope she gets everything she asks for and some more.
