MCCURTAIN COUNTY, Okla. — Additional deputy bodycam video obtained by 2 News Oklahoma sheds new light on the arrest of Bobby Barrick in McCurtain County.
Barrick died in a hospital several days later and his family filed a $2M wrongful death lawsuit, claiming excessive force caused his death. A short clip released last week amid the firestorm over audio recordings released by the McCurtain Gazettewhere the sheriff and other county officials allegedly discussed murder and lynching.
A longer version shows deputies arriving to Lori’s Corner Store in Eagletown in March of 2022.
Barrick is reportedly hogtied by citizens trying to get him under control. He’s immediately handcuffed and untied by deputies. Deputy Matt Kasbaum calls for tribal assistance because deputies discover a Choctaw card in his pocket. Deputies are also heard calling EMS. They later walk him to the patrol truck.
From the beginning to the end of the video, Barrick can be heard in various versions of “don’t kill me” or “please, don’t kill me.” Witnesses say Barrick had been screaming that as soon as he got there. They tell deputies that an unknown driver dropped him off at that store.
Surveillance video shows contractors had been there working. Witnesses say Barrick caused a scene, tried to get into others’ cars and broke the glass from the front door with one of the workers’ levels.
Witnesses are shown on the footage filing out witness statements. A game warden arrives on scene; he notes that they’ve had run-ins with Barrick in the past.
Another man, who says he’s a part-time firefighter, is also on the video. He says he heard about the commotion and stopped by to see if he could help. He is not listed in the lawsuit.
At one point, one deputy’s bodycam, for an unexplained reason, is turned off. From a second bodycam, the footage shows the EMS van pull up. As deputies try to get Barrick out of the truck, a struggle ensues and the second camera turns off. The lawsuit claims deputies were instructed to turn off the cameras. Deputy Kasbaum has told 2News the camera was deactivated due to the struggle.
The lawsuit claims after videos are off, deputies used tasers and neck restraint, restricting his ability to breathe. An EMT witness report said Barrick began to have a seizure. The lawsuit claims after Barrick was airlifted to a Texas hospital, the McCurtain County Sheriff neglected to conduct a followup investigation.
The suit is filed against the sheriff, Board of McCurtain County Commissioners, Deputies Matt Kasbaum, Quentin Lee, Kevin Storey and Game Warden Mark Hannah.
An email obtained by 2 News Oklahoma from attorneys representing McCurtain County says the McCurtain County Sheriff’s Office does not issue or train deputies on tasers. 2 News Oklahoma also spoke with Choctaw Tribal Police. A spokesperson says Barrick had already been transported to the hospital by the time their officers arrived and no investigation on their part took place.
The release of the footage a year later is due to an Open Records lawsuit filed by The Gazette News against the McCurtain County Sheriff’s Office.
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