SUMMARY: A federal lawsuit has been filed following a 2023 officer-involved shooting at a Choctaw High School football game. Two years ago, 16-year-old Cordy Carter was killed in the chaos, with no charges filed. Demetrius Carter, unrelated to the victim, was also shot and injured by Del City police. Carter’s attorney alleges civil rights violations, claiming officers Sean Hope and his partner used excessive force without provocation, possibly influenced by racial bias. The lawsuit names the City of Del City, police officials, and the school district. Key body camera footage remains sealed, and investigations are ongoing amid pending litigation.

Federal lawsuit filed after officer-involved shooting at 2023 HS football game

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SUMMARY: A neighbor’s security camera captured a suspect setting fire to vehicles outside a McLean County deputy’s home, which quickly spread and destroyed the house. The suspect, 28-year-old Austin Garrett Reeves, was previously arrested for burglarizing the same deputy’s home but was released by the Light Horse Police due to tribal membership. The sheriff expressed concern over Reeves targeting law enforcement, noting multiple break-ins leading to the fire. Emergency crews extinguished the blaze, but the deputy’s home was a complete loss. Authorities are investigating prior targets and why charges were declined, with Reeves now in custody at Grady.

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by Em Luetkemeyer, Oklahoma Watch
July 30, 2025

Republican Rep. Tom Cole, who has spent more than 20 years in the House, says he is planning on running for a 13th term, in large part because of what he and other members of the Oklahoma delegation are able to deliver now that they’ve accumulated more power. 

Oklahoma, he said, is “probably better positioned on this committee than we’ve ever been as a state,” due to his own chairmanship, rising power in Rep. Stephanie Bice’s position as vice chair on an appropriations subcommittee, and Sen. Markwayne Mullin’s perch as a Senate appropriator. Cole is expected to have at least one more term as Appropriations chair, as long as Republicans retain the majority. 

“I like to work,” Cole said. “This is an extraordinary opportunity, a great privilege to have. I think we’re able to do some pretty important things for Oklahoma.”

Though he hasn’t come to a final decision on his 2026 election plans, the 76-year-old said after an eight-hour appropriations bill markup last week that the committee motivates him to stick around. 

“I have a federal-heavy district in a pretty federal-heavy state, so there’s lots of things we can do to protect and advance the interests of the state, and we’re not shy about doing that,” Cole, who has been in office since 2003, said.

Oklahoma’s state government received more than 40% of its revenue from federal grants in 2022, ranking as the 13th highest recipient state. 

Cole has repeatedly stepped in this year when major cuts to federal funds have threatened facilities in his district that he finds valuable. For example, he said DOGE was responsive to him when he negotiated to keep several federal operations safe from cuts in his district. 

Similarly, when proposed budgets from the Environmental Protection Agency, Indian Health Service, Federal Emergency Management Agency or National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration included cuts or changes Cole disliked, he has urged the agencies to carefully consider the facilities under his jurisdiction.

Cole said he will make a final decision on whether he will run for reelection between January and the filing deadline in early April of 2026. In the 2024 election cycle, Cole claimed victory in a five-way Republican primary for Oklahoma’s 4th Congressional District, defeating businessman Paul Bondar, who gave his campaign about $5 million of his own money.

Cole spent about $3 million on the race, but he had six times as much cash on hand as Bondar.

This time around, Cole’s campaign is in an even stronger position, he said.

As of June 30, his campaign had $2.5 million in cash on hand, compared to the almost $1.8 million he had at the end of 2024, according to FEC filings.

“We certainly are preparing as if we’re going to run,” Cole said. “I think if you look at our finances, you’d find they’re in pretty healthy shape. I think we raised more money last quarter than we have in any quarter ever, and I think we have more cash on hand than we certainly had last time around, having gone through a self-funder.

“We’re getting ready,” he said.

In Congress, Cole has a reputation for reaching across the aisle as a negotiator. He’s kept friendships with Republicans and Democrats alike, notably with Democratic Rep. Rosa DeLauro, the ranking member of Cole’s committee, as the institution has increasingly become more bitter and partisan. 

“I love the members I get to work with, I love the staff that I have and get to work with both in the personal and the Approps office, and I love the challenge,” Cole said. “We’ve got both Houses and we’ve got a Republican president, so not that it’s not challenging, but it’s fun.”

This article first appeared on Oklahoma Watch and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

The post Tom Cole’s Powerful Spot on the Appropriations Committee Is Motivating Him to Stay in Congress appeared first on oklahomawatch.org

Oklahoma Watch, at oklahomawatch.org, is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that covers public-policy issues facing the state.

Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.

Political Bias Rating: Center-Right

The content largely focuses on Republican Representative Tom Cole, highlighting his long tenure, leadership roles, and efforts to bring federal resources to Oklahoma. It portrays him in a positive light as a pragmatic legislator who works across the aisle while emphasizing his alignment with Republican Party priorities, such as maintaining federal funding for state interests and Republican leadership in Congress. The tone is factual and respectful, with no overt criticism or partisan rhetoric. The Center-Right rating is due to the subject matter centering on a Republican official’s perspective and accomplishments, without strongly framing issues through an ideological lens.