Man who struck photographer in prairie dog dispute given community service

Thursday, September 20th 2001, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

TULSA, Okla. (AP) _ A Bixby man who struck a television photographer with his truck during a dispute over prairie dogs has been given a six-month deferred sentence and must perform 40 hours of community service.

Tulsa County Special Judge Clancy Smith also ruled Wednesday that Condell Pollard, 71, must pay court-related costs of $784, a $250 fine and $125 to the victims compensation fund.

Pollard was originally charged with felony assault and battery, but pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge of creating a public disturbance.

Pollard owns the land where prairie dogs flourished and became a tourist attraction.

His efforts to move the rodents because they had become a nuisance them drew opposition from Bixby residents.

The Tulsa television photographer was covering an Aug. 9 meeting outside a Bixby pizza shop when Pollard hit him in the leg and hand with his truck.

Some of the prairie dogs were eventually relocated to an animal park in Wynnewood.