State and local NAACP chapters along with the Muskogee Christian Ministries Union are calling for a transparent investigation into the Muskogee Police Department.
This comes after Muskogee Police pepper sprayed 84-year-old, Geneva Smith, and used a stun gun on her son.
“I was shocked,” Pastor Charles Moore, President of the Muskogee Christian Ministries Union, said.
Body cam video shows Smith getting hit with a one second blast of pepper spray to the face by Muskogee police officer, Michelle Casady.
Casady's actions are now in question by the groups advocating for change with the Muskogee Police Department.
“Even though the police say it's only pepper spray, we understand the affects that pepper spray [has] when it's held on a person for a prolonged period of time [and] how it affects that person,” Moore said.
Officials said it all started when Smith's son, Arthur Blackmon ran a stop sign early in the morning on august 7th in Muskogee.
Police tried to stop Blackmon and followed him to his mother's house.
Blackmon reportedly ignored officer's when asked to stop and went into the home.
Muskogee police said they heard a male and female yelling inside to call police, and that's when they kicked in the door and shot Blackmon with a stun gun.
The video shows six other officers then went inside the home and confronted Smith.
“She was given conflicting instructions by multiple officers,” Moore said. “She didn't know which officer to adhere to.”
Thats when she was sprayed.
“Miss Geneva was never a suspect,” according to Moore.
The Oklahoma State NAACP said the video is disturbing and shows a “Blatant disregard that police have for the lives of African Americans.”
Anthony Douglas, president of the Oklahoma State NAACP chapter said the incident is outrageous.
“We are deeply troubled that this 84-year-old Geneva Smith was pepper sprayed, arrested, and detained for no justifiable reason by Muskogee police officers,” Douglas said,
Now, the groups advocating for change are looking to open a dialogue with Muskpgee police.
“We’re hoping that through sitting down at the table discussing we can come up with some better policies to ensure that this doesn't happen again and also look at ways to improve the relations between the community and the police department,” Moore said.
Muskogee police said they cannot comment on the situation until an internal investigation is complete.
However, they are willing to listen and speak with the groups asking for change.
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