CRAIG COUNTY, Okla. — The Oklahoma Highway Patrol fired an officer facing charges for sexual battery during a traffic stop.
The Craig County District Attorney filed two felony charges against Jackie Lee Rhinehart — sexual battery and forcible sodomy.
He was arrested on May 21. OHP announced his firing the next day.
The Oklahoma Highway Patrol released this statement about the incident:
Jackie Lee Rhinehart was terminated from the Oklahoma Highway Patrol (OHP) today following an investigation by the agency’s Criminal Investigations Unit and its Office of Professional Standards.
OHP turned over its report to Craig County District Attorney Matt Ballard’s office resulting in the filing of two felony charges: forcible oral sodomy and sexual battery.
The incident was uncovered by an OHP supervisor who was performing a routine check of dashcam video. The video centered around Rhinehart making a traffic stop while on duty then his unusual interactions with the truck driver. That came to light on March 13, 2024.
The discovery of highly questionable behavior by Rhinehart led to a thorough investigation including contact with the alleged victim.
Department of Public Safety Commissioner Tim Tipton says “Rhinehart’s actions are not in keeping with OHP’s core values of honesty, loyalty, integrity, respect, self-discipline, and professionalism. As soon as we discovered the potential for criminal or unethical behavior, our agency took swift action. Rhinehart’s behavior is deplorable and has no place within the organization. The public puts great trust in law enforcement and we strive every day to be deserving of that trust.”
Court documents allege Rhinehart pulled over a semi-truck on March 7 at 12:48 a.m. on the Will Rogers turnpike. A 58-year-old woman who mainly spoke Spanish drove the truck.
According to the affidavit, he told the driver she would be getting a warning for speeding, and then the interaction crossed a line.
She said Rhinehart pressed himself against her in a sexual manner. The affidavit said the woman felt uncomfortable multiple times but was afraid "because he was a police officer with a gun and she should obey his orders."
She said he forced her to perform a sexual act and left the scene immediately after.
The affidavit said Rhineheard did turn off his dash camera and repositioned his patrol car in the middle of the interaction.
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