Narrative of Officer J.C. Watts, K311, Concerning the Events Occurring on 11Aug2023

O1 J.C. Watts

King 311

The following is my narrative concerning the events of a call assigned to me while working King Squad, 3rd Shift, Beat 11 on 11Aug2023.

Per the call log, I was radio assigned a disturbance call in the 13000 block of East 46th Street North by dispatch at 2208 hours. As I recall, the disturbance was in regards to a loud booming sound and a flash of light near the Tulsa landfill. The area of 13000 East 46th Street North is rural with only a small number of residences spread throughout the area. Per dispatch, there were several callers however none of them wished to be contacted by officers.

Once assigned the call, I responded, letting dispatch know I would not need a backer. I informed them I was en route to the call and would patrol the area once I arrived. I arrived to the area at 2217 hours and advised dispatch to show me in the area, which is reflected in the call log.

Upon arrival to the area, I initially saw no sign of any explosion or other significant event that may have caused the loud noise or flash of light witnessed by callers. I proceeded to patrol the area utilizing my spotlight and ally lights to illuminate the area primarily focusing electrical transformers as from my life experience, when transformers fail, they often make a loud noise and arcing electricity often produces bright light. It seemed reasonable that this may have been the cause of the disturbance complaint.

I focused my patrol to 46th Street North and adjacent properties. At approximately 2231 hours I observed what appeared to be a nude white male standing on the center yellow line of 46th Street North. I advised dispatch I was 10-59 with an adult white male, turned on my overheads and exited my vehicle to make contact with the individual.

The subject was unclothed. He appeared to be approximately 6’4” tall. He was facing away from me. He appeared to have no hair either on his head or his body. He appeared to be Caucasian. I saw no visible injuries or other markings such as tattoos or scars. There were no other identifying features that I observed.

I initiated contact by calling out to the individual multiple times. The individual did not respond to verbal commands to move to the shoulder or to turn and face me. I approached the individual giving verbal commands for them to turn and face me. I received no response. The subject remained motionless and silent.

At this time, I concluded that the subject who I observed standing in the center of the roadway was not only a risk to himself but to others as a result of his physical location, a lack of roadway lighting and passing vehicles. I radioed dispatch and asked them to start a backer, anticipating resistance from the subject. I took up a position behind the open door of my patrol unit to await backup.

Per the call log, at 2235 hours, K302, was assigned as my backer on the call. I heard K302 come over the radio and acknowledge that he was en route to my location with an ETA of 2245.

I decided to again attempt verbal contact with the subject and moved to within approximately 30 feet of the motionless subject. I told the subject that another car was coming and that he was going to be removed from the roadway. I asked the subject questions and attempted to get him to communicate with me. When I received no response, I determined I should escalate to the next level of force.

I removed my conducted energy device otherwise known as a Taser from its holster and gave verbal commands to the subject. I explained to him that if he did not comply and remove himself from the center of the roadway that he would receive an electric shock that would temporarily incapacitate him and cause him significant amount of discomfort. The subject did not respond.

At this time, I deemed it necessary to deploy the electrodes. I disengaged the safety on the Taser, aimed the laser aiming device at the center of the subjects back and pressed the trigger. The Taser malfunctioned and failed to fire the electrodes. I suddenly realized that the strobes and spotlight had gone out on my patrol unit and found myself and the subject standing in the roadway in the dark. I removed the unfired cartridge from my Tazer and removed another from a pouch on my belt, loaded it onto the Tazer and attempted again to deploy the electrodes to gain physical control of the subject.

The Tazer malfunctioned again. At this time, I feared for my safety as a result of the malfunctioning Tazer and the lack of lighting. I backed away from the subject and entered my patrol unit. Realizing the engine had been shut off, I attempted turning the key to restart the engine and get the lights turned back on. I turned the key multiple times and the vehicle’s engine would not start. I tried turning the emergency lights back on and they would not start. Attempting to turn the vehicle’s hazard lights on received the same result.

I turned to cast my attention on the subject again and he was no longer in the same spot I had last observed him. I stepped out of my patrol unit and pulled my handheld light from its place on my belt and attempted to turn it on. My department issued flashlight would not turn on. I frequently carry a smaller Surefire light in my pocket which I retrieved and attempted to turn on but just as my department issued Streamlight wouldn’t turn on, neither would my personal light.

I looked around the area for the subject trying to keep track of where he was and realized he was suddenly within arm’s reach of me, standing directly behind me. Fearing that I may be in danger, As I turned to face the subject, I attempted to move away from the subject and put distance between us. I also attempted to draw my Glock handgun. I found that I was unable to move. I was unable to lift my feet from the pavement as if my boots were stuck. I couldn’t raise my hands or arms from my sides.

I have no explanation but for some reason my entire body was essentially frozen and I couldn’t move.

The next thing I recall was opening my eyes and finding myself inside my patrol unit parked on 46th Street North. I checked the time and both my wristwatch and the clock on my unit’s dash read 2243 hours. The subject was nowhere to be seen. I attempted to start my patrol unit and it started. I initiated my emergency lights and headlights for personal safety. I scanned the area and so no visual sign of the subject.

I radioed dispatch to ask them for an ETA on my backing officer. Dispatch did not respond. I radioed K302 directly and he responded that he asked me for my location. I gave him my location and he advised he was en route.

At approximately 2250 hours K302 arrived at my location as did several other backing units. At that time, I was taken from my unit at gunpoint and stripped of my weapons. I was placed in handcuffs and driven to Uniform Division East and put in holding. After about an hour Sgt. R.L. Jones came in and asked me where I had been. Confused, by the question, I explained that I had been assigned to a disturbance call on 46th Street North to which I had responded. I explained in detail everything up until they arrived. Sgt. Jones then asked me if I knew what year it was. I told him it was 2023. Sgt. Jones stated that the year was actually 2024. He also explained to me that when my backing officer arrived at the call to which I had responded, I was nowhere to be seen. He stated that myself and my patrol unit had not been seen since 2023 and it was believed that I had abandoned my duties, stolen my police car and disappeared for some reason.

Sgt. Jones and others have shown me newspaper articles and posts on the internet concerning my being missing and have shown me reports filed on the investigation of my whereabouts for the last year. I have no reason to disbelieve them and it is my understanding and belief at this time that I have in fact been missing for one year.

I do not have an explanation for my whereabouts or activities between 11August2023 and 11August2024. I do not know what happened. This statement is true and accurate to the best of my knowledge.

Officer-1 J.C. Watts