TULSA, Okla. — 2 News is investigating the Tulsa Fire Department and their handling of dash cameras as evidence.
In a crash involving Tulsa resident Reuben Gant, we learned TFD officials did not look at the dash camera immediately after the crash, and instead, took the firefighters account of what happened on their word alone.
Four years after the crash, the City of Tulsa settled with Gant.
In 2020, Gant was driving south on Lewis Avenue. He said he had a green light at 36th Street when a fire truck, coming through the light, hit him.
WATCH: Tulsa fire dash cam leads to payout for 2020 crash victim
Gant said it wasn’t until eight days later, when he got the police report, that he found out officers reported he failed to yield, although he did not get a ticket at the scene.
2 News obtained Tulsa Police Department body camera footage that shows conclusions about the crash were being made before talking to Reuben.
“They are telling them how to tell the story,” said Gant, of the body camera footage.
Officer 1: Yeah, you were not stopped.
Firefighter: I was not stopped? Oh, ok.
Officer 1: I’m not saying you were pressed on the gas or anything.
Officer 2: But you were attempting to brake.
The footage shows officers question multiple firefighters before addressing Gant.
Officer 2: All of this damage is from [Gant] continuing to accelerate though, which you said, he’s—I don’t know. Have you talked to him yet?
Officer 2: No, I haven’t.
Officer 1: The damage is just so weird.
Officer 2: Actually, it makes a little bit of sense.
Officer 2: How does it make sense? Explain it to me.
The officer consoles the firefighters before interviewing Gant.
Officer 1: There is nothing you could have done differently. You’re trying to help people. I can see it in your face. You’re upset. It sucks, but there is nothing here you have done wrong.
Body camera footage shows the officer interview Gant 20 minutes into the video.
Gant, to Officer 1: I swerved because I didn’t hear a siren.
Officer: You didn’t hear a siren at the time?
Gant: I did not hear a siren, no.
In administrative hearing records, Assistant Fire Chief Mike Bailey says the sirens weren’t on long enough prior to crossing the intersection.
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2 News also learned TFD did not look at the dash cam video after the crash.
“There was an abundance of evidence immediately available, and knowingly, immediately available to both fire and police,” said Dan Smolen, Gant’s attorney. “The idea that they didn’t even look at the cameras and took the word of fire officials is stunning.”
Audio from the hearings include Bailey interviewing the engine driver, Tony Gillespie, and other firefighters in the truck during the crash.
Bailey: 2.75 seconds before you hit the intersection. That’s when you turned the siren on. Just telling you that because it’s not very long.
Bailey: On this one, obviously, you know that limited the time before we hit the citizen. We are lucky we didn’t kill the citizen.
Bailey: We went all the way to bath here on this deal. So much that, when he said they didn’t have sirens audible, and lights, we were like, man. That’s when we decided to pull the cam, which we probably should have pulled right up front. We learned a lesson here.
Bailey admits to believing a firefighter on word alone.
Bailey: Anytime a firefighter gives me a statement, I believe it’s accurate.
He goes on to explain he handles citizen complaints by asking the firefighters what happened.
Bailey: If you tell me this is what happened, I call the citizen back and say this is what happened. I will defend you all day long.
“We are just going to take your word for it?” said Smolen. “The city has thousands of employees. We are just going to take the word of thousands of employees against what our community member has to say.”
“This code of ‘protect your own,’ I am sure has something to do with it," he said.
Gillespie was found in violation of five areas, including inaccurate records and improper use of sirens.
He was penalized with three days of unpaid leave and a defensive driving course.
Gant still struggles with back pain.
2 News requested an interview multiple times from the fire chief and the public information officer. We were told the department would not be providing one, or any comments.
The City of Tulsa also declined an interview.
Although unnamed in the lawsuit, we offered an opportunity for the Tulsa Police Department to comment and they declined.
After our investigation into dash cams began, policies regarding fire department dash cams have been put in place. A working dash camera is required in all trucks, and required to be checked daily.
It must be securely mounted. The data must be retained for three years and processed in compliance with the Open Records Act.
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