CATOOSA, Okla. — In many Oklahoma communities, it is illegal to shoot off fireworks, but in Catoosa, it is legal. Thanks to Police Chief Ronnie Benight, it just got legal for a little bit longer.
“The citizens of Catoosa are fortunate that our city council still recognizes that right,” Benight said.
Chief Benight heard from his neighbors that they wanted the chance to shoot fireworks over the weekend.
In Catoosa's original ordinance, citizens could shoot off fireworks on July 3, 4 and 5.
The chief convinced the city council to extend that window until Saturday.
Benight announced the move in a Facebook post, drawing ire from some people. He sympathizes with them.
“My dogs are scared to death of it, but it’s a time of the year that I think people should have the right to celebrate their freedom,” Benight said.
His prediction is that this won’t move the needle too much.
“Myself, I couldn’t afford to do more than one celebration. So I don’t see it going on every night. I see them doing it either Tuesday night, Friday night, or Saturday,” Benight said.
2 News Oklahoma spoke with Demetrius Norfleet, who spent about $100 on fireworks. He’s excited to celebrate with his family.
“Every year, man. It’s a religion, basically. We always do it; we have to do it,” Norfleet said.
Norfleet is a high school student, so he juggles a lot of tasks with little time. This week, he’s excited to get that quality time with his family—on Tuesday and through the weekend.
“You know, this is like the best part of the year for me. Like to hang out with the family, cook out, get some food, light some fireworks, you know, just chill,” Norfleet said.
This is not a free-for-all; residents still need a permit to shoot fireworks. They are available at city hall.
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