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Oklahoma Fire Marshal officials refused to allow reporters to inspect public records during regular business hours, despite clear requirements under the state's Open Records Act. The confrontation at the State Fire Marshal's office building took an unexpected turn when officials began threatening criminal charges against citizens simply requesting access to public documents.
Locked Out of Public Building
Reporter Ron Durban arrived at the Fire Marshal's office seeking inspection of certificate of occupancy submissions for marijuana businesses and related application records. While two other journalists, James Freeman and AFA, somehow gained entry to the building, Durban and others found themselves locked out of what should be a publicly accessible government facility.
The scene became increasingly surreal as UPS delivery drivers were also denied entry without special authorization, forcing them to make phone calls just to deliver packages to a taxpayer-funded building.
Records Request Meets Resistance
When Durban finally gained access to speak with officials by phone, he made a straightforward request to inspect public records during normal business hours. The response was immediate and concerning. Officials insisted he would need to submit a formal request and provide personal contact information before any records could be reviewed.
"The Oklahoma Open Records Act requires that these records be available for public inspection during regular business hours," Durban explained to the official. "I'm here during regular business hours and I'd like to inspect them."
Escalating Threats and Misdemeanor Claims
The situation deteriorated rapidly when a Fire Marshal employee in a gray hoodie approached the reporters. Instead of facilitating the legally required records access, the official delivered a stark message: comply with their demands for personal information or face misdemeanor charges.
The employee refused to provide his name despite wearing an official ID badge and being a public employee. When pressed for identification, he simply walked away, leaving reporters to document his badge number on camera.
Multiple Agencies, Same Pattern
What makes this incident particularly troubling is the pattern it reveals. The same building houses multiple state agencies, including the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority, all apparently operating under the same restrictive access policies. Phone numbers displayed in the lobby suggested these offices do take calls from the public, yet in-person access to public records was being systematically denied.
As Durban noted during the livestream, "The Oklahoma Open Records Act does not say you have to be a citizen of the state of Oklahoma to request these records. It just says you have to be a person."
The Confrontation Intensifies
The standoff continued as more officials became involved, with hundreds of viewers watching the incident unfold across multiple livestream platforms. The Fire Marshal himself eventually came down to handle the situation directly, accepting a written records request form.
But what happened next caught everyone off guard, including the hundreds of people watching live. The footage captures the moment when the situation took a dramatic turn that no one saw coming.
The full confrontation and its shocking conclusion can only be seen in the complete video footage.
