OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — An Oklahoma City police officer charged with sexually assaulting at least eight women was released on $500,000 bond Friday two days after his bond was reduced from $5 million, even though a prosecutor said he was a danger to the community.
Daniel Ken Holtzclaw, 27, was released Friday on several conditions, according to Oklahoma County jailers and his attorney. He is under house arrest and can go only to court and his attorney’s office. He must turn in his police gear, guns and badge and is prohibited from contacting any alleged victims.
He successfully petitioned on Wednesday to have his bond reduced.
Holtzclaw was arrested Aug. 21 and later charged with 16 felony counts that include first-degree rape, sexualbattery, indecent exposure, stalking, forcible oral sodomy and burglary. He could face up to life in prison if convicted on the first-degree rape charge alone.
He has pleaded not guilty and his attorney, Scott Adams, said Holtzclaw denies the allegations.
“Family and friends rallied and posted his bond this (Friday) morning,” said Adams, after Holtzclaw was released and fitted with a GPS monitoring device on his ankle.
“He’s getting ready to go back to Enid,” where he is to stay with his parents, Adams said.
Holtzclaw was a standout linebacker at Enid High School and Eastern Michigan University and is the son of an Enid police lieutenant.
Prosecutor Gayland Gieger, who argued against the bond reduction and called Holtzclaw a danger to the community, declined comment on Holtzclaw’s release.
“I just hope he follows the conditions the judge set forth,” Gieger said.
According to the charging documents, Holtzclaw told the women that if they didn’t comply with his wishes, they would be arrested or physically harmed.
The investigation began when police said a woman complained that Holtzclaw had sexually assaulted her during a traffic stop on a boulevard about two miles north of the state Capitol.
Oklahoma City Police Chief Bill Citty said when announcing Holtzclaw’s arrest that he had been placed on leave when the allegations emerged in June.
Police Capt. Dexter Nelson said Holtzclaw remained on paid leave as of Friday.
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Paid leave? Paid leave? Are the taxpayers also going to be responsible to pay for his defense?
Paid leave, house arrest, 8 charges against him. Would any non-police person facing those charges be released? WTF is wrong with that judge?
Take just one look at this guy. Can you say 'roid rage? Sure you can. And if his attorney isn’t working on a defense based on that, he’s a fool.
If he’s convicted, then I hope he gets a long sentence.
But I’m OK with his having house-arrest, including a GPS ankle-bracelet, before trial.
I don’t think he’s going to attack anyone else under these circumstances before trial. The time to punish a suspect is after a conviction, if there is a conviction.
Any bets on whether he obeys the conditions of release and whether his fellow officers do anything to enforce them?