Glanz Misspoke, No Threats From Black Lives Matter Group, TCSO Says

Thursday night, the Tulsa County sheriff told News On 6 he has received threats from a national group, but a spokesperson said he misspoke.

Sheriff Stanley Glanz said that members of Black Lives Matter threatened him and his deputies, but Friday, the spokesperson said members of the movement have made threats against law enforcement, in general, but have not made any threats recently in Tulsa.

The sheriff told everyone at Thursday night's reserve deputy graduation that reserve deputies would not work the Tulsa State Fair because of threats made against he and his deputies.

Reserve deputies wouldn't work the fair, regardless, because the program is suspended while being investigated. TCSO Spokesperson Deputy Justin Green says the sheriff "misconstrued information."

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Green says Glanz was in a meeting with several other law enforcement agencies, in which the group discussed threats made by members of the Black Lives Matter movement. The threats they discussed were made about law enforcement nationwide, not specifically about Glanz and his deputies.

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 "The group Black Lives Matter have made threats nationally, and they think there could be repercussions here in Tulsa, so we have to be careful," Glanz told News On 6 Thursday night. "We're going to do some special training for the deputies at the fair."

The sheriff's office did receive threats after Reserve Deputy Bob Bates shot and killed Eric Harris in April, but Green says threats have stopped in recent months, and there are no current threats involving their office.

Thursday, Glanz said that training was different for the new deputies because of the Bates situation. He also said, despite all the allegations of misconduct, the reserve program is strong, even though it's currently suspended while under investigation.

"You know, I'd like to finish my term, but I'm really getting tired, so, trying to deal with all the different innuendos and statements and everything, and most are untrue, but I have to deal with it because I'm elected sheriff," said Glanz.

Glanz will testify next week for the grand jury investigation of his office.

More than a dozen current and former deputies have already testified, meaning the investigation could wrap up this fall.

But Glanz said he isn’t worried about testifying, or the outcome.

Allison: "You nervous about it?"
Glanz: "No, I want to get in there and tell them."
Allison: "Are you nervous about the outcome?"
Glanz: "Nope."