Southwest
Entire police department resigns after town's 'failure' to meet law enforcement needs: former chief
An entire city’s leadership has crumbled after the failure of political leaders to meet the police department’s needs, its former chief said.
The entire Geary Police Department in Oklahoma — including Chief Alicia Ford — resigned on Oct. 31. City Council members Rocky Coleman and Kristy Miller resigned shortly afterward, as FOX 25 Oklahoma City first reported. Mayor Waylan Upchego then resigned, the Watonga Republican reported.
“The reason that prompted the entire resignation was: it was just a continued failure from the mayor to make change that would affect the department and make it more effective for the community,” Ford told Fox News Digital. “It was just an ongoing issue. He consistently refused to keep his word to us, and that was something that we held him to. When you’re a mayor, you’re [supposed] to lead the city and what’s best for the city and the departments within.”
Ford said she had gone to Upchego and the city council requesting their help to address the overworked and understaffed police department, plus budget cuts that had recently impacted pay and bonuses for officers, on top of some other administrative issues. Nobody stepped up, according to the former police chief.
TOWN’S ENTIRE POLICE DEPARTMENT, INCLUDING CHIEF, RESIGN ON SAME DAY
Geary Police Department Chief Alicia Ford shares a Halloween message on Facebook. (Facebook/ Geary Police Department)
“They cut the jail. They cut our dispatch, and that put strain on us. But we found we went to another agency, and they have done excellent and accommodating us with that dispatch,” Ford explained. “[The mayor] consistently refused to keep his word when it came to basic needs of equipment and the safety issues within our department. We talked about the budget cuts that caused hardships for these officers and myself that were unnecessary.”
Hope added that she knows that police departments across the country have dealt with staffing shortages and budget cuts, but her six-person department had recently dwindled to four, with herself doing administrative chief work, one officer stationed at the local high school, and two officers working extremely long shifts doing regular daily police work.
“Who wants to do that for extremely low pay?”
“So that would lead two officers to do basically 24 hours . . . five to seven days a week. That’s not realistic,” she said. “But honestly, who wants to do that for extremely low pay? I mean, they did it. And honestly, I don’t ever really remember these two officers complaining about it.”
OKLAHOMA SCHOOL CHIEF BILLS KAMALA HARRIS $474M FOR EDUCATION COSTS, CITING ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION
The entire Geary, Oklahoma, Police Department resigned. (Facebook/ Geary Police Department)
Ford gave the mayor and city council a month’s notice to address the police department’s concerns, saying that if needs were not met, they would resign. They even offered city leaders a timeline.
“And then we followed through with our timeline,” Ford said.
Ford took on the job of police chief in October 2023 after the department had been rocked by another unrelated scandal.
OKLAHOMA INVESTIGATION FINDS LEADERS ‘GROSSLY NEGLIGENT’ IN MANAGEMENT OF PANDEMIC RELIEF FUNDS
“At first, it was kind of challenging. It was my first year of being a chief of police. I’ve taken several roles in law enforcement, but never that type of administrative, high . . . role,” she explained. “It was great. . . . Geary, Oklahoma, was an amazing community. They were very accepting of me.”
The entire Geary Police Department resigned on Oct. 31. (Google Maps)
Ford has since accepted a position as an investigator with the Blaine County Sheriff’s Office, which helped meet the Geary Police Department’s dispatch needs after budget cuts. Right now, she’s focused on her family.
Coleman shared a letter with FOX 25 explaining his decision to resign from the city council following the police department resignations, saying he had left the council because his “core values do not align with the city’s current direction.”
“I have tried to be a voice of reason. Unfortunately, I was just one voice. The City Council and administration should not allow personal goals or agendas to affect the city. Decisions should be made only to benefit the city,” he wrote, adding that council members lacked communication and were frequently left in the dark about agenda items.
“Transparency is also crucial for communication. I would love to see more communication online, not just in person. For example, the financial reports should be posted for the community to read. I have never shied away from explaining the state of the finances to any citizen who has asked. When people are informed, they are more likely to understand that we have a failing infrastructure and why rate increases must happen. I have repeatedly asked that we be more proactive instead of reactive. We should be prepared for the worst and not hoping for the best.”
Upchego could not immediately be reached for comment. An interim chief has since taken over the Geary PD, and residents are still able to make 911 calls.
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Los Angeles, Ca
Pasadena motorist knocked unconscious in unprovoked assault after other driver flashes high beams at him
A motorist was rendered unconscious after what authorities are calling an unprovoked attack that occurred after another driver flashed their high beams at him, authorities say.
According to the Pasadena Police Department, the victim, a 63-year-old man, was driving northbound on Raymond Avenue near Washington Boulevard when a vehicle traveling in the opposite direction flashed him around 1 a.m. Saturday.
“The victim reported that he was driving northbound on Raymond Avenue from Washington Boulevard when he observed a vehicle traveling southbound flashing its high beams at him,” a Pasadena Police Department spokesperson confirmed to KTLA. “The victim stated he stopped his vehicle and exited. He was then assaulted by an unknown suspect. The assault was unprovoked.”
The attack left the man unconscious and with a three-inch deep laceration to his head, police added. Upon regaining consciousness, the man transported himself to Huntington Hospital, and it was around 1:20 a.m. when police responded there to a report of an assault with a deadly weapon and began their investigation.
Upon arriving at the hospital, the victim told police that, due to his injuries, he was not able to provide a description of a suspect, vehicle or the weapon used, nor was he able to tell police the exact location where the assault occurred, although it was confirmed to be somewhere near Raymond Avenue and Washington Boulevard. La Pintoresca Park is located near that intersection.
No further details were immediately available.
Anyone with any information on the incident is asked to contact the Pasadena Police Department right away.
Sofia Pop Perez contributed to this report.
Los Angeles, Ca
Woman killed by driver while crossing PCH in Long Beach
A woman was struck and killed by a driver while crossing the street on Pacific Coast Highway in Long Beach.
On June 3, the female pedestrian was using the crosswalk at Pacific Coast Highway and Pacific Avenue around 4:50 a.m.
She had walked against a red light and was hit by a 19-year-old driver in a Chevy sedan, Long Beach police said.
Despite lifesaving efforts, the woman was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver remained at the scene and is cooperating with the investigation.
“At this time, impaired driving, distracted driving and excessive speed are not believed to be a factor in this collision,” police said.
The woman’s name is being withheld pending identification by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner.
Anyone who witnessed the crash or has information on the incident is asked to call Detective Joseph Johnson at 562-570-7355.
Anonymous tips can be provided to L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at lacrimestoppers.org.
Los Angeles, Ca
Man wanted for deadly Los Angeles road rage shooting extradited from Mexico
A man wanted for a deadly road rage shooting in Los Angeles was arrested and extradited from Mexico after fleeing the U.S. in 2024.
The suspect was identified as Christian Rojas, 21, of Bellflower, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Authorities had been searching for him since the deadly incident on October 10, 2024.
Rojas and a second suspect, Joshua Rojas Sr., 47, of Downey, were driving on the northbound 5 Freeway in Boyle Heights around 4 p.m. when they became involved in an altercation with another driver that escalated into a shooting.
Video of the tense confrontation showed the suspects, who were driving a Dodge Durango SUV, opening fire on two men in a Cadillac sedan.
The shooting forced the victim to pull over abruptly. That’s when a suspect ran up to the Cadillac, opened the passenger-side door and fired several shots at close range.
In a panic, the Cadillac driver tried to escape by making a sudden U-turn and driving against oncoming traffic. He eventually crashed head-on into several vehicles.
The suspects ditched their SUV and fled toward a freeway exit on foot. The Cadillac driver was left with serious injuries and his passenger was killed. Their identities were not released.
The incident caused a miles-long backup that left thousands of motorists stranded on the freeway for hours and authorities worked to clear the scene.
Following an extensive investigation, detectives identified the two men as the suspects involved.
Joshua Rojas Sr. was arrested in San Bernardino on October 22, 2024, on a murder charge. He remains in custody awaiting trial.
Meanwhile, Christian Rojas had fled the U.S. and was hiding in Mexico, detectives said. A $4.3 million bail warrant was issued for his arrest.
“Through a coordinated international effort, investigators determined that Rojas was living in Palomo de Arriba, Mexico,” CHP officials said. “The U.S. Marshals Service worked with Mexican state police to locate and arrest him on the outstanding warrant.”
On June 2, 2026, Christian was arrested and extradited to the U.S. to face a murder charge.
“This arrest demonstrates that time and distance will not shield violent offenders from justice,” said CHP Southern Division Chief Chris Margaris. “For nearly two years, our detectives remained relentless in their pursuit of those responsible for this senseless act of violence. Through exceptional collaboration with the United States Marshals Service and our law enforcement partners in Mexico, we located and apprehended this suspect and brought him back to face the charges. We remain committed to protecting the public, supporting victims and their families, and holding violent criminals accountable wherever they may try to hide.”
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