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A routine open records request at Wagner City Hall turned into a police standoff when a city employee decided that asking for public documents warranted law enforcement intervention. What unfolded next exposes the defensive culture that pervades this Oklahoma municipality when citizens dare to exercise their legal rights.
The incident began when journalist Ron Durham arrived at Wagner's city offices seeking public records. With the city clerk absent from the main building, Durham was directed to the courthouse location where employee Eric Thomas was stationed. What should have been a straightforward transaction quickly devolved into confrontation.
The Employee Who Wouldn't Help
Eric Thomas, described by witnesses as having an immediate attitude problem, refused to assist with the records request. When Durham asked for the standard open records request form, Thomas claimed no such forms existed at the location. His demeanor grew increasingly hostile as the exchange continued.
The situation took an absurd turn when Thomas ordered Durham to leave the public building simply for asking questions and attempting to make appointments with city officials. When Durham politely declined to leave the public space, Thomas made the call that would define his day: he summoned police to remove a citizen requesting public records.
Police Arrive to Find No Crime
Officers John Shaw (badge 411) and another officer (badge 409) responded to the call. Their reaction was telling. After assessing the situation, they immediately recognized that no laws were being broken. The officers acknowledged Durham's First Amendment rights and made no attempt to remove him from the building.
The police interaction lasted only minutes before the officers departed, leaving Thomas to confront the reality that his power play had failed spectacularly. The very authorities he had summoned to validate his position instead validated the rights of the citizen he was trying to silence.
The Forms That Suddenly Existed
In a moment that crystallizes government obstruction, Thomas performed an about-face that would be comical if it weren't so revealing. After insisting for over an hour that no open records request forms existed at his location, a phone call changed everything.
When Durham called the city offices to file a complaint about Thomas's behavior, suddenly the impossible became possible. Thomas quietly retrieved the very forms he had claimed didn't exist, placing them on the counter without explanation or apology.
What the Records Revealed
The documents requested weren't random fishing expeditions. Durham specifically sought communications and records related to Wagner Mayor Dalton Self, including text messages that allegedly contain racial slurs. The resistance to such basic transparency requests raises questions about what officials are working so hard to hide.
Thomas's knowledge of Durham's legal background became apparent during the confrontation, suggesting his initial hostility wasn't random rudeness but calculated obstruction. When asked directly if he knew who Durham was, Thomas confirmed his awareness, explaining the immediate defensive posture.
The Tale of Two Offices
The contrast between Wagner's various departments couldn't be starker. While Thomas created a constitutional crisis over basic records requests, the courthouse staff across town demonstrated how government should function. They promptly provided requested documents without drama, fanfare, or police involvement.
This stark difference in treatment raises uncomfortable questions about training, supervision, and the culture that allows employees like Thomas to operate as gatekeepers rather than public servants.
Questions That Demand Answers
The incident captured on video shows hundreds of viewers witnessing a masterclass in how not to serve the public. Thomas's supervisor, city clerk Rhonda Hat, now faces questions about whether this behavior represents the standard she expects from her staff.
The broader implications extend beyond one employee's bad day. When public servants treat transparency requests as threats requiring police intervention, it signals a government more interested in hiding than serving.
[Watch the full confrontation unfold and see how Wagner's various departments handle the same simple request for public records.]
