A few weeks back, I was doom-scrolling through Twitter and stumbled across a hysterical video of a woman dressed in a skimpy top and skirt striding her way through an Elk City intersection like a slow-motion Usain Bolt all while an Elk City cop stumbled and bumbled behind her in hot pursuit.
I couldn't find the tweet, but did locate several versions on TikTok:
If you ask me, the one that pays homage to the Beastie Boys "Sabotage" music video was better:
After watching the videos multiple times and laughing my ass off, a bunch of questions rolled through my head like “Who is this woman,” “Why’s the cop chasing her?” and, most importantly, “When did Elk City get a Taco Bell?!”
I knew the city had grown, but I didn't know it was that big!
As a result, I thought it would be fun to reach out to our friends in the Elk City Police Department to get more details on the slow-speed foot pursuit. Sadly, they haven’t been very fun to work with.
A couple of weeks ago, I called the department to get more details about the video. I talked to a very nice lady who answered the phone. She warily said she was aware of the video, but that I’d need to talk with Captain Goodman to get more info.
She transferred me to his line where I left a very polite and cordial message requesting a call back. I hung up the phone, and like a motorist stuck in an intersection waiting for a clumsy cop to hobble his way through the crosswalk, patiently waited for the return phone call.
Unfortunately, that call never came.
Knowing this story was hotter than a fresh Mexican Pizza, I called the department back to get an email address to send a more formal request. They said I could email Captain Goodman by reaching out to dispatch@elkcity.com.
Here’s what I sent:
Wow. Look at me being all nice and polite with the assistance of Chat GPT! My late grandmother would be proud!
Despite my very respectful email, Captain Goodman never got back to me, so a week later, I fired off a quick follow:
Just like a Taco Bell employee disregarding my request to leave red sauce off my bean burrito, Captain Goodman ignored my second email just like he did the first. Bummer, huh?
Since A) My feelings were hurt and B) I didn’t want to look as desperate as Ryan Walters trying to make CPAC, I haven’t sent a third email. I figured it would be more fun to write an article about it instead.
I guess this means my next correspondence will have to be a bonafide open records request sent via certified mail. Although that’s a pain and hassle, it’s something I have to do.
I honestly don’t think I can sleep at night knowing there’s a possibility that police body cam footage of this chase is out there and that I didn’t do everything in my power to obtain it. Just like the cops in Elk City have a duty to serve their community, so do I.
Until we get those records that belong to Oklahoma taxpayers, I guess we’ll have to speculate why the lady was running, who she was running from, and whether or not the cop slipped on a banana peel.
Stay with The Lost Ogle. We’ll keep you advised.
