Tulsa County Sheriff To Officially Resign November First

In a letter sent to Governor Mary Fallin, the Tulsa County sheriff said he plans to resign effective November 1, 2015.

Sheriff Stanley Glanz also requested a special election be held as soon as possible to fill his role.

Read His Letter Here

In response to the resignation letter, Fallin ordered a special election be held April 5, 2016. Fallin said the filing period for the special election will be December 7, 8 and 9, 2015.

Read Fallin's Response Here

Until that time, Undersheriff Rick Weigel will take over the Tulsa County Sheriff's position. Thursday afternoon, Weigel spoke to the media and thanked the members of the grand jury for their service and recommendations.

Weigel also said effective immediately, he would assume the responsibilities and duties of the sheriff.

10/1/2015 Related Story: Undersheriff To Take Over Duties At Tulsa County Sheriff's Office 

Thursday's news conference at the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office lasted just two minutes and was held hours after Glanz was arraigned in court on two misdemeanor charges.

The indictment alleges Glanz accepted a $600 monthly stipend for using his personal vehicle for official business but regularly used a Tulsa County owned and fueled vehicle. He is also accused of not releasing internal investigation documents.

According to documents, a Tulsa County grand jury recommended Glanz be suspended and indicted him on Wednesday for willful violation of the law and violating the law for not releasing an internal report.

The grand jury also made several other recommendations about TCSO operations.

The jurors began looking into Glanz's office after reserve deputy Bob Bates shot and killed Eric Harris during an undercover gun sting. Bates said he meant to reach for his Taser, but pulled his gun instead, documents say.

That controversy set off a firestorm of allegations about the sheriff's office, including cronyism and corruption. A group of citizens gathered signatures to petition for a single-county grand jury earlier this summer.

During the conference Thursday, Weigel thanked the members of the grand jury and said the rank and file of the department never faltered in their commitment to the community; but now, the department has a long list of changes to tackle.

"We want to reassure the community that we see this current situation as an opportunity to redirect ourselves and redefine our objectives and priorities as to how we can best serve Tulsa County," he said.