OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The Oklahoma City Police Department has placed officers on leave after reports of an April Fools’ Day prank that sent squad cars in pursuit of a baby being thrown out of a car before the call was revealed as a hoax.

Oklahoma City Police Capt. Valerie Littlejohn confirmed Monday that an internal investigation was ongoing but would not say how many officers were placed on administrative leave or provide details of the accusations.

“We are aware of a reported pursuit involving some of our officers that included serious claims, which has since been determined to be false,” Littlejohn said in a statement. “We take this situation seriously and are committed to ensuring a thorough review is conducted.”

The investigation followed published police radio audio from the night of April 1, reported by Oklahoma City television station KFOR and other stations, in which a dispatcher says that the “city just advised that the suspect threw a baby out the window.”

“The police officer that’s in pursuit does not have a radio. He’s just messaging his location,” the dispatcher says.

After a number of officers responded to the report, a dispatcher can later be heard saying: “It was an April Fools’ prank.”

Another dispatcher says: “Not funny.”

A message left Monday with the president of Oklahoma City police union president seeking comment on the incident was not immediately returned.

Oklahoma law makes it misdemeanor crime to report “knowingly false information which could result in the dispatch of emergency services from any public agency.” Punishment is a fine of up to $500 and an assessment for any costs associated with dispatching emergency personnel.

Oklahoma City Thunder (62-16, first in the Western Conference) vs. Los Angeles Lakers (50-28, third in the Western Conference)

Los Angeles; Tuesday, 10:30 p.m. EDT

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Thunder -13; over/under is 226.5

BOTTOM LINE: Los Angeles will try to keep its 10-game home win streak alive when the Lakers take on Oklahoma City.

The Lakers are 30-18 in conference matchups. Los Angeles ranks ninth in the Western Conference with 31.6 defensive rebounds per game led by Luka Doncic averaging 7.1.

The Thunder are 39-9 in Western Conference play. Oklahoma City averages 12.0 turnovers per game and is 50-10 when winning the turnover battle.

The Lakers make 50.1% of their shots from the field this season, which is 6.7 percentage points higher than the Thunder have allowed to their opponents (43.4%). The Thunder average 119.2 points per game, 3.9 more than the 115.3 the Lakers allow to opponents.

The two teams match up for the fourth time this season. The Thunder defeated the Lakers 139-96 in their last matchup on April 3. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 28 points, and Austin Reaves led the Lakers with 15 points.

TOP PERFORMERS: LeBron James is scoring 20.8 points per game with 6.1 rebounds and 7.1 assists for the Lakers. Jaxson Hayes is averaging 11.5 points and 5.1 rebounds while shooting 79.2% over the past 10 games.

Chet Holmgren is scoring 17.0 points per game and averaging 8.8 rebounds for the Thunder. Isaiah Joe is averaging 2.5 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Lakers: 7-3, averaging 119.7 points, 42.2 rebounds, 25.8 assists, 8.5 steals and 5.3 blocks per game while shooting 52.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 117.5 points per game.

Thunder: 9-1, averaging 123.9 points, 47.1 rebounds, 26.5 assists, 9.1 steals and 5.5 blocks per game while shooting 50.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 106.3 points.

INJURIES: Lakers: Austin Reaves: out (rib), Marcus Smart: out (ankle), Luka Doncic: out (hamstring).

Thunder: Alex Caruso: day to day (illness), Luguentz Dort: day to day (undisclosed), Thomas Sorber: out for season (knee).

___

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

OKLAHOMA CITY – With an ever-exploding slate of productions and a persistently swelling national interest, Oklahoma is finally firmly on the filmmaking map these days.

But while the country at large is only now coming around to what we’ve known all along, there have still been plenty of memorable movies made in our neck of the woods over the last handful of years, from Oscar-winners and blockbuster smashes to indie darlings and underseen niche jewels.

And this month is offering no shortage of chances to catch them.

With a month-long Okie-made movie showcase, a buzzmaking streamer, and a rare spotlight on the stranger, far-out experimental side of things, April is the month for Oklahoman films.

And it starts, of course, with the father of them all.

‘Twister’ – Oklahoma Film Exchange – Saturday, April 11^th

That’s right, I’m willingly wading back into the treacherous waters that are my opinions of the “Twister” franchise.

But rather than the lamentable recent sequel, the Film Exchange crew is taking it back to the original, a movie that nails all the goofy fun, serious excitement, and (at the time) groundbreaking visuals that a true blockbuster needed in the 90s.

Sure, Jan de Bont’s 1996 cow-twirling action-epic of killer storms isn’t any more concerned with science or accuracy than its 2024 sibling. But it does have loads of tone, a stacked cast of screen legends capable of making you care about the ridiculous stakes and Hollywood energy, and a pretty genuine and mature story of reconciling lovers (rather than a half-baked meteorological meet-cute.)

And yes, the entire climactic finale scene is historically dumb, but at least it has the decency to be so dumb that it’s historic, instead of trying to take itself seriously.

Regardless of any of that, though, it was just so cool to see Oklahoma represented on the big screen back in 1996, and if you were there at the time, you know it’s still fun to relive that feeling when you can.

For more, visit oklahomafilmexchange.com.

‘Elusive’ – Rodeo Cinema (presented by VHS & Chill) – Saturday, April 25^th

All month long, Rodeo is actually hosting a full slate of “Made in Oklahoma” films, including Oscar-winners like “Minari” and underseen gems like “Te Ata.”

But the one absolute can’t-miss selection rounding out the schedule is “Elusive,” writer/director Nick Sanford’s 2022 “stupid Bigfoot movie” that takes the mockumentary format into some decidedly broad, moronic, and unreasonably funny territory while also, against all odds, discovering a legitimate heart at its own center.

It’s a screwball faux documentary about the search for Bigfoot. That’s really all you need to know.

But with OKC comedy lynchpin Bradchad Porter in the lead, there’s also a surprisingly heartwarming and effective story running beneath the screwball-ness of a disgraced father attempting to impress his son.

And there’s also some equally hysterical turns from Mickey Reece, Oklahoma’s alt-film king, and an unrelentingly watachable co-lead turn from the sadly departed Alex Sanchez (he didn’t die, he just moved away from Oklahoma.)

It’s funnier than it has any right to be and it’s more emotional than it has any reason to be and you can finally see it properly in a local theater with a game audience and maybe some of the cast and probably Sanford himself.

It’s an extra-special occasion, though, because this screening is part of the “farewell tour” from OKC’s premier guerilla pop-up cult screening concern VHS & Chill, who plans to hang up the travelling VCR for good after 2026.

So come out on a Saturday night and support the weirder, wilder side of Oklahoma’s indie movie scene.

For more, visit rodeocinema.org.

Wide Open Experimental Fest Festival – Oklahoma City Museum of Art  & Oklahoma Film Exchange – Thursday, April 23^rd through Sunday, April 26^th

Speaking of weird and wild, the ever-growing, ever-strange Wide Open Experimental Film Festival returns once again this month, with a bigger-than-ever weekend of exceptionally far-out, eye-opening experiments designed to push the boundaries of what a film can even be.

Things kick off Thursday, the 23^rd at the Film Exchange with a full screening and filmmaker Q&A event before shifting over to the Oklahoma City Museum of Art for three loaded days of psychedelic, expectation-shattering screenings and creative, forward-thinking panel events featuring a slew of local filmmaking minds.

Though it’s a truly international fest this year, convention-shirking shorts from local filmmakers abound, with new offerings from creative Oklahoman forces Lily Tucker and Jessi Kyle (who will both be in-person during the weekend,) as well as plenty of locally-focused panels featuring the likes of director/photographer Lauren Bumgarner, deadCenter’s Julia Witcher, OK Film Exchange’s River Lunsford, and more.

Sunday the 26^th is even set for a special event from Dissociation OK co-founder (and regular Free Press feature) Andrew Lee, who will be screening his experimental film offering “Myein” alongside a full live accompaniment by his audio alter ego, ut mutem.

The WOE Film Fest is a total trip every year, and this one is looking to be the biggest and boldest yet.

For more, visit wideopeneff.com.

‘Salt of the Earth’ – Now on digital

And how about a streaming option as well?

Yeah, you can keep supporting Okie cinema without even getting up off the couch, because brutal, blood-soaked apocalypse drama “Salt of the Earth” is available now on digital platforms for purchase and rent.

It’s the newest offering from Oklahomans Kara and Jeremy Choate, the duo behind breakout “Tenkiller,” and it sports a who’s who of local faces, including Adam Hampton, Jessi Kyle, Cate Jones (leader of the band Lover Girl,) Ben Hall, Mary Buss, Jacob Ryan Snovel, Alex Sanchez (again,) and the Choates’ frequent collaborator, Raygun Busch of Chat Pile.

If you missed it when it tore up deadCenter last year, then you can dive into all the boiling family drama, the rabies-infected freakouts, the shootouts, and the relentless, abject bleakness of a backwoods world in the ruins of hat used to be civilized society.

You can check it out on Amazon now.

Catch Brett Fieldcamp’s film column weekly for information and insights into the world of film in the Oklahoma City metro and Oklahoma. | Brought to you by the Oklahoma City Museum of Art.

Brett Fieldcamp is the owner and Editor in Chief of Oklahoma City Free Press. He has been covering arts, entertainment, news, housing, and culture in Oklahoma for nearly two decades and served as Arts & Entertainment Editor before purchasing the company from founder Brett Dickerson in 2026.

He is also a musician and songwriter and holds a certification as Specialist of Spirits from The Society of Wine Educators.