Ex-Police Chief Admits Rape
Coke Douglas Makerney, 48, former Police Chief of Sawyer, Oklahoma has admitted in federal court in Muskogee, OK to the rape of a female driver after pulling her over in a traffic stop.
The incident was alleged to have occurred on May 25, 2007 at an intersection near Sawyer, OK.
On November 7th, Makerney was indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of Deprivation of Rights Under Color of Law and Possession of Firearm During Commission of a Felony. The charges were based on allegations that Makerney, then Police Chief of Sawyer, Oklahoma, while acting under color of law, and while carrying a firearm, allegedly sexually assaulted a female motorist depriving her of her rights and privileges which are protected and secured by the Constitution and laws of the United States. This alleged assault involved aggravated sexual abuse or attempted aggravated sexual abuse and resulted in bodily injury.
On November 29th, Makerney entered his guilty plea before Steven P. Shreder, Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee.
The charges against Makerney were the result of an investigation by the FBI and the Choctaw County Sheriff’s Office.
The statutory range of punishment is up to life imprisonment and/or up to $250,000.00 in fines and 5 years of supervised release. It is expected that Makerney will be sentenced to 70 – 87 months in federal prison.
Following his guilty plea, Makerney who had been under house arrest, was remanded to the custody of U.S. Marshals to await formal sentencing.
Makerney was the first Police Chief of Sawyer, Oklahoma having been appointed in 2003. If the folks in Sawyer have any sense at all they will insure that Makerney is their last Police Chief.
A rural town with an estimated population of 275 and covering about 4 and a half square miles probably does not have much need for a police department, unless the town’s leaders are looking to operate a speed trap or in Chief Makerney’s case, a “motorist rape trap”.
In either case the folks in Sawyer, Oklahoma are likely to get a harsh lesson in just how expensive it can get when you have a chief of police who spends part of his time doubling as the town rapist…
They have not leared and it is still a speed trap. I can’t believe the state hasn’t done something. My wifes cousin told us about the Sawyer speed trap when we moved here. Now they are using the hwy 70 construction to lower the speed limit with no notice and writing tickets with two cops (?) I would question if they are really legitimate police officers? Look what the last one did. I hope the woman who was raped sues Sawyer off the map of Oklahoma.
We were in Sawyer, Oklahoma, population 275 – one store, yesterday during office hours – December 18, 2007, paying a fine for speeding, but no one was around except their two police officers and the community center cooks. To make a long story short, we had time to check for ordinances in the Choctaw County Courthouse. We found several penal ordinances in the county clerk’s office but still did not find that the ordinances were ever codified or supplemented. It appears the traffic court “not of record” was created in August 2003. I am not certain Sawyer,Oklahoma is any more legal than those they are accusing.
I can’t believe that the man could “be so ignorant and still breath” but apparntly he was. At least he had enough sence not to fight it as he would surely have gotten a stiffer sentence than he did by accepting the plea bargain.
I live in Sawyer. We have a new policeman and he is a great guy.
You may see him on the roadside but he’s not “out to get you”.
What do people mean by “speedtrap”? If you don’t speed, you won’t get a ticket for it! The speed limit through the small section of town is 45MPH. I don’t think that is unreasonable. If I had my way it would be 30MPH. Then you might be able to slow down enough to avoid running over someone’s pet.
I took over as mayor of Sawyer about 30 days before this incident. It was not an easy situation for our community. The prior administration, those that hired Coke Makerney, did not have the “honor” of having their name plastered on the Internet, TV, or newspaper in connection with his. Yet, even this officer was CLEET certified, as are all our officers. That doesn’t guarantee moral integrity. It only means they go through all the testing, the FBI checks, and the training, and receive a piece of paper saying they are certified. The town may make an assumption that they are reasonably qualified unless there is something out there that they know about or is revealed in personnel records.
Here are the facts I had to work with: No formal complaints are in his personnel file regarding anything of this nature. As soon as the allegation surfaced along the grapevine and I verified the investigation was taking place, Mr. Makerney was placed on administrative leave. I was NEVER notified by anyone, including the sheriff’s department; I had to call them and ask what was up with the rumor I’d heard. When he resigned a couple days later, I still knew nothing officially. Charges were not filed for several months. We cooperated fully with the FBI during the investigation and support their decision. Why does my town deserve to be sued? Please explain it to me in rational and reasonable terms that will hold up in a court of law. Rumors and gossip cannot be acted upon without opening us up to liability…and to the best of my knowledge, there was nothing on record that would have indicated this as a likelihood.
I worked hard to respond to this situation and the other problems I found in the department. It has not been easy to find honest, hard-working individuals that are willing to operate outside of the “good ‘ol boy” system typical of SE Oklahoma, but we have made great strides. We have persevered and now have a town “constable” of sorts, who works hard to help our community overcome the bad publicity.
Ordinances were passed and filed as is required, although we are in the process of recodification…so yes, we’re “legal” in that regard as well.
Does a small town of 274 have a need for a police department? Well, let’s see. We have homes, families, and personal property…just like those of you in the City. When we see a problem, it’s nice to know that we stand a chance of having someone investigate it within a few minutes as opposed to waiting for one of the two deputies in the Sheriff’s office to show up in a couple hours–or tomorrow morning if they’re off duty. The “town leaders” are mothers, fathers, and grandparents. We want peace of mind, just like everyone else.
Because of our unique situation/location, Sawyer has an average of 6000 vehicles that pass through the main thoroughfare on a daily basis. Hundreds, perhaps thousands of those are semi’s hauling logs and rock. They threaten and intimidate our local drivers by their unprofessional behavior (not all, but many). We have major road and bridge construction going on in the heart of our community on an Interstate Highway, and DOT sets the speed limits, not us. Frankly, I can’t get the state to reduce the speed limit through a major residential area on a state highway for one mile from 55 to 45, even though it approaches a dangerous intersection with Hwy. 70. Several of us have paid a price for that. We also have within our municipal limits a state park and numerous tourists who like to drink and drive…city folks who decide to be irresponsible in our backyard.
Speed trap? Hardly. We average around two tickets per day, and no tickets are written for under ten miles over the posted speed limit unless there is a mitigating circumstance…such as DUI or DWI. When a reserve officer “forgot” that last fall, I saw to it that the citations were changed to warnings, and refunded any monies paid in.
Neither the town’s general fund or any other draws income from the police department. We depend on grants for equipment, and operate on a shoestring. (That means our office is only open a few hours each day, yes. Those hours are clearly indicated on the citation. And, occasionally the clerk has to be off and others try to cover for her. I’d be more worried if I went by and found a dozen people standing around with nothing to do)
We’re slowly making a dent in theft and petty crime. Drug production is moving down the road because they know there is someone watching. And if a woman or child calls in for a domestic abuse emergency, they may actually get help before they’re seriously injured.
I’m tired of our community being judged and deemed unworthy of protection by individuals who don’t have to live here. I don’t hear anyone asserting Hugo doesn’t need a police department because of the actions of their officers?
Please tell me whose life in Sawyer is so insignificant that they deserve to be run down by a speeding motorist? Whose grandparent, parent, wife, husband, teenager needs to have to keep a constant lookout in the mirror while trying to make a turn into the convenience store/gas station, RV park, post office, water department, church, tire shop, senior center, HVAC shop, mechanic, fire station, or their homes so they can get out of the way of someone who “didn’t see” the three 45 m.p.h. signs leading into town?.
There’s a simple solution to folks who don’t want to receive a traffic citation for speeding: Don’t speed. Watch the signs, and look out for construction. Take some responsibility for your own life instead of blaming a community for wanting to have a safer place to live.