Tulsa Airport authority fires officer accused of fabricated testimony

<br>OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ The Tulsa Airport Authority has fired a police officer who was accused of lying to Congress about the Oklahoma City bombing. <br><br>J.W. Reser was terminated for ``acts on or

Friday, November 15th 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ The Tulsa Airport Authority has fired a police officer who was accused of lying to Congress about the Oklahoma City bombing.

J.W. Reser was terminated for ``acts on or off the job which would bring embarrassment, distrust or discredit to the city of Tulsa,'' Kathy McNair, attorney for the airport authority, said Thursday.

The former Oklahoma City police officer had worked at Tulsa International Airport since March. He could not be reached for comment.

Reser, 55, said in a sworn statement that he saw a video of a Middle Eastern man getting out of the passenger side of the bomb truck seconds before the April 19, 1995, explosion.

The bombing killed 168 and injured more than 500.

Reser said he saw the surveillance video in Washington while working as a consultant for the Navy.

He is accused of fabricating those claims and of lying about his background to the House Government Reform Committee.

U.S. Rep. Dan Burton, the committee chairman, asked Attorney General John Ashcroft last week to investigate ``these false statements'' and to prosecute Reser if it is warranted.

The committee is investigating the possibility of foreign involvement in the Oklahoma City bombing.

But Burton, R-Ind., said the committee will be hampered in its efforts ``if people are allowed to fabricate allegations of government misconduct, fabricate their own credentials and work history to give their allegations credence, and then walk away without consequences.''