Daniel Holtzclaw: former police officer guilty of rapes

Prosecutors said he targeted his victims by going after women who had been in trouble with the law.

He ran background checks and targeted those who had outstanding warrants, previous arrests or carried drugs or drug paraphernalia.

Prosecutors said he did this because he did not think the authorities would take the victims’ word over his if he had to defend himself against sexual assault allegations.

Tears

Holtzclaw, who turned 29 on the day of his conviction, broke down in tears as the verdict was read on Thursday.

He was charged with sexually assaulting and raping 13 women and found guilty by an all-white jury of 18 of the 36 charges, including four of the six rape charges.

Sentencing has been set for January and he could face life in prison. “I didn’t do it,” said Holtzclaw, before he was led out of the courtroom in handcuffs.

‘Targeted victims on patrol’

The jury had been deliberating since Monday night and protesters attended a vigil outside the Oklahoma City courtroom as they waited for the verdict on the fourth day of deliberations.

Once he was convicted, the protesters sang “happy birthday” to Holtzclaw from outside.

“He exercised authority on those society doesn’t care about,” Assistant District Attorney Gayland Gieger said in closing arguments.

The defence claimed the victims provided testimony that was unreliable and dishonest, saying Holtzclaw was an honourable police officer whose activities were made to appear evil and suspicious.

“The witnesses don’t care about the truth” Scott Adams said. “To them, the truth is whatever it is to further their own agenda.”

‘Justice was done today’

Thirteen women took the stand in the trial, which began over a month ago, telling jurors of sexual assaults that ranged from touching over their clothing to forced oral sex and rape.

The first woman to come forward was a grandmother in her 50s, who said Holtzclaw had pulled her over during a traffic stop on suspicion of drunken driving.

He ordered her into the backseat of his squad car, where he exposed himself and told her to perform oral sex.

One of the final people to testify was a girl who was 17 at the time of the sexual assault. Holtzclaw raped her on her mother’s front porch.

She told of how he threatened her with an outstanding warrant for trespassing. “What am I going to do?” she said in court. “Call the cops? He was a cop.”

Holtzclaw was fired over the accusations in January 2015 after approximately three years on the job and declined to testify in his defence. His lawyers said any DNA linked to him and the women came through non-sexual contact.

Last Wednesday, the defence presented their only witness, Holtzclaw’s ex-girlfriend Kerri Hunt, who said she dated him for a year starting in March 2014. Hunt testified that Holtzclaw never made her feel uncomfortable and described his sex drive as “normal for someone his age”.

In a statement, the Oklahoma City Police Department said it believed justice had been served by the jury’s decision.

“Justice was done today, and a criminal wearing a uniform is going to prison now,” Oklahoma County District Attorney David Prater said.