HOLDENVILLE, Okla. — Body camera video released by the Oklahoma Department of Corrections shows an interaction between a corrections officer and two individuals conducting a self-described “First Amendment audit” outside a facility.
According to ODOC, the incident involved Guerrilla Publishing’s Ron Durbin, who was accompanied by another individual while attempting to conduct what they described as a “First Amendment audit” outside the Allen Gamble Correctional Facility on April 3.
The video shows the officer calmly asking the individuals to step out of a restricted area and continue the conversation outside. As the interaction continues, the auditors begin questioning the officer about deaths in custody and conditions inside the facility.
“Are they suffering in there? I think they’re suffering. They say that they’re suffering in there. What do you have to say about that? Most of the people look like you in there,” Durbin says to the officer.
The officer declines to discuss those topics, directing them instead to appropriate officials.
Durbin then begins making repeated personal and racially charged remarks toward the officer, including calling him a “house slave” and “Uncle Tom,” while continuing to provoke him with questions about inmate treatment and use of force incidents.
In a statement, the Oklahoma Department of Corrections condemned the language used during the encounter and defended the officer’s conduct.
“What occurred … crossed every line of decency and professionalism,” the agency said, describing the remarks as “racist and abusive.”
ODOC Director Justin Farris said the behavior directed at the officer was “disgusting and completely unacceptable.”
“I am proud of the professionalism our officer showed in the face of deliberate provocation,” Farris said. “We will always stand behind our staff and will not tolerate racist abuse directed at the men and women who work every day to keep our facilities safe.”
The department emphasized that corrections staff regularly face difficult and high-pressure situations and said the incident highlights the challenges officers encounter while maintaining professionalism.
