OKC Police Captain accused of sexual battery

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- Oklahoma City police had no reason to believe Capt. Bill Martin was anything but a fine officer.<br> <br>That was before an investigation that led to charges Wednesday accusing

Thursday, October 28th 1999, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- Oklahoma City police had no reason to believe Capt. Bill Martin was anything but a fine officer.

That was before an investigation that led to charges Wednesday accusing him of sexual battery. Martin also is the focus of an
investigation into events that occurred at a police social club Sept. 25, where a bartender says she was raped by one or more
officers.

"I had no knowledge of any misconduct involving Captain
Martin," M.T. Berry, Oklahoma City's police chief, said at a
Wednesday news conference. "We operated under the assumption that
he was a fine upstanding officer."

Police had no prior complaints about him, Berry said.

Oklahoma County District Attorney Bob Macy on Wednesday charged
Martin with one count of sexual battery for a Sept. 5 incident in
which he is accused of grabbing a female security officer's breast
and making rude gestures and suggestive comments.

The incident occurred near the Bricktown police station Martin
oversaw. The woman and a fellow security guard said Martin appeared
intoxicated, a court affidavit said.

The sexual battery charge carries a maximum sentence of five
years in prison.

Despite occuring in early September, the sexual battery incident
wasn't reported to police until Oct. 7. The police filed an
incident report Oct. 14.

The woman told her employer, the Bureau of Professional
Security, and police are investigating why the company failed to
inform police for a month, Berry said. The woman had been assured
that her report would be forwarded, he said.

Bill Aduddell, director of operations for the company, told The
Daily Oklahoman, that the woman wasn't given any assurances but was
told that the company would back her if she took it to police. The
woman resigned from the company a month ago.

The police delayed filing an incident report -- and making the
issue public -- in order to prevent compromising the investigation
by alerting Martin, Berry said.

Martin is out of state and has been on personal leave since an
investigation began into events at the Glitter Dome police social
club early the morning of Sept. 25.

Police have released a 911 call that Martin placed to a police
dispatcher from the club early that morning saying the woman was
drunk and nude. Martin also said he saw three or four condoms, but
police responding to the club said they didn't find any.

The woman's attorney says she was not drunk. Attorney Steven
Holden said the question is whether she might have been drugged.
The woman said she remembers feeling ill and said the next few
hours were a blur for her but that she was raped.

That investigation of that case is continuing, Berry said.

A decision is still to be made on what type of leave Martin will
be on upon his return.

Berry said he doesn't know where Martin is, but Martin's
attorney, Irven Box, said he would talk to Martin Wednesday night
by telephone.

Martin's wife, Darlene, told The Daily Oklahoman that he is at
an alcohol treatment center in Arizona. Mrs. Martin said her
husband learned of the allegations within the last week. She said
his first reaction was to "come home."

"I have told Bob Macy that I would have him back by Friday to
have him arraigned," Box said.