Tulsa: Police Officer's Gambling Addiction

Police officers face excessive force allegations

By OMER GILLHAM World Staff Writer
Tulsa World

Two indicted police officers are accused of beating a suspect and using pepper spray on the genitals of a second suspect during a search of a home in August 2007, according to filings by prosecutors in a police corruption probe.

Officers Jeff Henderson, 38, and Bill Yelton, 50, are accused of using excessive force against Fred Shields Jr. and an unidentified person, court records show.

The allegation of excessive force is made in pretrial filings in a police corruption case involving Tulsa police officers.

In her filings Monday, Duke asked U.S. District Judge Bruce Black to allow a government witness to testify about alleged excessive force by Henderson and Yelton. Duke also asked Black to allow testimony about Henderson's alleged gambling habit, filings show.

In other filings Monday, several government witnesses are expected to testify that Henderson allegedly has a "substantial gambling habit," Duke's filing states.

"The testimony regarding defendant Henderson's gambling habit will demonstrate that the gambling activity coincided with the time periods charged in the superseding indictment and further that during this time period defendant Henderson periodically incurred substantial gambling losses," the filing states.


Grand jury investigates police corruption: Read all of the stories, view a timeline and read key documents.


Read about Henderson's alleged gambling habit.