A father continues to search for answers after his son died attending a weekend music festival.
34-year-old Patrick Murphy stopped breathing after security guards handcuffed him at the Backwoods Music Festival. It turns out, he wasn't the only one who had a run-in with security at the event near Stroud.
The security company hired by the festival is Event Security, LLC based out of Norman. Several people expressed bad experiences with them online. Some were performers who said the guards left them terrified.
"In all of our touring and shows and festivals we've played, we've never, ever come across security that has ever done anything remotely close to this," said Fyer member Gabriel Guardian.
Austin-based band Fyer was leaving the festival Saturday through a broken fence when they say security tried to revoke their wristbands.
"We were just trying to leave the festival and get to our car so we could get back to the hotel and sleep for the night, and that's when he approached me with what I think was a blade," said member Bobby Duque.
Duque says the guard grabbed his throat and tour manager Ricardo Romero intervened. Duque says the guard cut Romero, who needed four stitches to close the wound on his shoulder.
"Those were his exact words when I said, 'Hey man you can't assault people' he said 'Yes I can. I've been doing it all day,'" said Duque.
It was enough for the band to cancel their appearance all day, after Murphy's death.
Security staff says Murphy was naked and running towards the stage when they subdued him, but his father says they went too far.
"I hate it that he was abused and treated like that, and I want justice for him," said Terrence Murphy.
2 Works For You made multiple calls to the event's security, but no one answered.
Backwoods Music Festival organizers posted on Facebook that they fired the company. Fyer says they'll be back if they're invited, knowing those guards won't be there.
"The security guards are there to make them feel safe in a good situation and helped, not to feel uneasy, uncomfortable and to harm them," said Duque.
In the case of Patrick Murphy, no arrests have been made. But the OSBI says it won't stop until it determines whether a crime has been committed.
