TULSA, Okla. — The preliminary hearing for a former Inola officer is underway in Rogers County, where the alleged victim was the first to testify.
Joseph “Joe” Beers’ alleged victim testified that one night in August of 2019, she had multiple vodka drinks, Jell-O shots, and Fireball at the former Warehouse Bar in the Brookside neighborhood of midtown Tulsa. She said she doesn’t remember why she decided to try to drive home to Vinita, a Craig County town about an hour away.
She said she had also taken an edible before leaving town.
She testified that she was extremely disoriented and realized at some point that she should not be driving, and pulled over along Highway 412 to take a nap.
WATCH: Alleged victim testifies in former Inola officer sexual assault case
She said she woke up, still confused and lost. She said she called 911 for help, and that dispatch sent Officer Beers.
Instead of giving a field sobriety test, a breathalyzer test, or putting her in handcuffs, she testified that Beers asked questions about her personal life, like children and place of employment. Eventually, she said he offered to let her parents come get her, “if he could touch her.”
She said she agreed because she felt it was her only choice, because she was terrified of getting a DUI.
The woman also admitted that she didn’t report the incident to any law enforcement authorities for roughly two years because she “did not trust law enforcement” based on previous experiences. She also said she felt it was “basically impossible to report a cop to a cop.”
However, questions from Beers’ attorney, Corbin Brewster, seemed to indicate the defense felt she was more interested in a civil case, which was filed first and settled with the town of Inola.
The judge did not allow questions surrounding the amount of the settlement at the hearing.
Previous court documents show Beers claimed he felt the incident was consensual and that he had messaged the victim on Facebook after the alleged incident.
Brewster asked the victim about sending him a selfie in the days after the incident. She said she was trying to gather information—like his real name, because the Facebook user had not originally identified themselves as Beers.
The defense also questioned the woman’s memory due to her intoxication and the amount of time that had lapsed. She testified that there are certain things she would not forget.
A decision on whether to move the case forward is expected on Friday when the hearing wraps up. More witnesses are expected to testify.
Beers is also facing assault charges in Creek County in a separate allegation during his time as an officer in Oilton.
That case is ongoing.
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