Creek County Man Files Lawsuit Against City Of Oilton After March Arrest

A Creek County man has filed a lawsuit against a former Oilton police officer for an arrest that happened in March.

The arrest was captured on body camera video and shows the officer taking down Willard Walbridge, a 76-year-old man who is a disabled Vietnam War veteran.

The lawsuit accuses the officer of using excessive force against Walbridge.

The officer said at the time, he warned Walbridge more than a dozen times to comply.

The attorney for Walbridge says the Oilton officer didn't have jurisdiction to be on the man's property, who lived just outside the city limits.

The officer said at the time, the crime started inside the city limits, and he was cross-deputized.

Police say the call started about people selling door-to-door without a license and the officer found the suspects outside Walbridge’s home.

Walbridge repeatedly told the officer to leave because his property was outside of Oilton city limits.

Oilton Police said at the time, that Walbridge was interfering with their investigation and that the officer acted according to his training.

The officer was not charged in the case.

Chase McBride is the attorney for Walbridge, who filed the federal lawsuit.

"It's frustrating when you see an officer take someone down who served the country that hard and doesn't pose any type of physical threat,” said McBride. “He's 100 percent disabled.”

The lawsuit accuses the City of Oilton and the officer of both excessive force and acting outside of their jurisdiction.

"Whenever you see an ordinary person just trying to protect his property, regardless of whether it's under the color of law or an officer, I think we have rights in this country,” said McBride. “This is simply a Vietnam Veteran, disabled, who's stepping up and protecting his rights."

The officer told News On 6 before, he was aware he was dealing with an older citizen.

He says that's why he asked Walbridge seven times to step back and 12 times to turn around and place his hands behind his back.

The officer says ultimately, he decided he could be killed by an older citizen just like anyone else and had to take action.

News On 6 reached out to the City Clerk's office and was told they can't comment on pending litigation.