Published: September 08, 2006 05:22 pm         

Sheriff standing his ground

CHICKASHA — Sheriff Kieran McMullen has no intention of resigning his office.

He is maintaining his innocence in the raid of the Chickasha Elks Lodge which resulted in the ABLE commission seizing about 10 gambling machines from the lodge even though no one was arrested.

H.T. Scott, assistant director of ABLE, said his officers confiscated the gambling machines, documents and records that might support allegations of illegal gambling.

“It was just kind of the start of completing the whole investigation,” Scott told the Associated Press.

The investigation has been ongoing for about a year, according to District Attorney Bret Burns. Burns said evidence collected from video and audio surveillance and other evidence shows members of the Chickasha Police Department and Grady County Sheriff’s Department violating the law.

On Thursday Burns said, in his opinion, the Sheriff should resign his office.

Allegations include illegal gambling, covering up other illegal activity and abuse of authority.

“If I committed a felony, I don’t know it,” McMullen said.

McMullen is still serving as sheriff and none of his officers have been put on restricted duty or suspended.

“Right now, we have no reason to,” McMullen said. “No one has been charged with anything.”

Chickasha Police Chief Lynn Williams said he was informed about the investigation a few weeks ago, but declined to comment on whether any of his officers have been suspended.

He said his office has launched an internal investigation.

“We aren’t going to drag this (internal investigation) out,” Williams said. “If an officer broke the law, we are going to deal with it appropriately and quickly.”

Williams said his department is not involved in the criminal investigation. However, they are reviewing some evidence in the case which could lead to one or more officers losing their jobs.