(Stillwater, Okla.) — A Langston man has been accused of caretaker abuse of a vulnerable adult at the Sequoyah Group Home in Stillwater by allegedly grabbing a client from a couch, throwing him to the floor and dragging him around the floor on Feb. 11.
An arrest warrant was issued last week for Terry Lee Conerly, 24, who was not in custody today, court records show.
If convicted of the felony charge, Conerly could be given as much as a 10-year prison term and a $10,000 fine, according to court documents filed by prosecutor Debra Vincent last week.
The client, who has moderate mental retardation, received a small cut below his left eye, a contusion on his left chest and bruises on his upper arms, according to officer’s photos, Stillwater Police Detective Kyle Bruce wrote in an affidavit filed last week.
Stillwater police were called on Feb. 12 to the Sequoyah Group Home, which serves adults with mental or physical disabilities, to investigate an incident of physical abuse by an employee against a client on Feb. 11, the affidavit said.
“During the initial investigation, the officers were shown video captured on a cell phone,” that depicted Conerly forcefully making a client take a shower in his clothes, the affidavit alleged. Conerly told the client to take a shower or clean up the mess, while the client struggled with Conerly and told him no, the affidavit alleged.
Police learned that the incident they saw on videos started in the common area of the building, the affidavit said.
The client “was upset with staff members because he was not allowed to get his medication and personal grooming items from the locked medicine room,” the affidavit said.
When a staff member told the client “they would assist him in getting the requested items, but he would not be allowed to get them on his own,” the client started yelling at the staff member, the affidavit said.
During the incident, the client got a cup of soda from the kitchen, brought it to the common area and sat down on the couch, the affidavit said.
“Conerly attempts to intervene and asked (the client) for the pop due to the late hour of the day,” but the client refused to give his soda to Conerly, the affidavit said.
When Conerly said something to the client, the client threw the soda and cup on the floor, the affidavit said.
Conerly then grabbed the client by the shirt, lifted him from the couch, and threw him to the floor in the direction of the thrown pop, the affidavit alleged.
Conerly continued to forcefully push and drag the client to the area of the mess, while the client attempted to get away from Conerly, who continued to struggle with the client, the affidavit alleged.
When the client attempted to get away, “Conerly grabs him and lifts him up and forces him back to the ground,” the affidavit alleged. Conerly told the client he was going to clean up the mess or take a shower, the affidavit alleged.
After refusing to follow Conerly’s directions, the client was grabbed by his clothes and forcefully dragged to the bathroom by Conerly, who rammed him into the corner of another couch during the incident, the affidavit alleged.
The following day, when the detective was given the case for further investigation, he collected three cell phone videos captured by an employee along with surveillance camera video, the affidavit said. “The building where the incident occurred has three cameras showing the common living area,” two of which have the viewing area where the incident occurred, the affidavit said.
“After I watched the video, I was able to validate the story provided to the patrol officers” – showing Conerly picking up the client from the couch, throwing him to floor, continually dragging and holding him on the ground, the detective wrote in his affidavit.
“I could also see moments during the incident where (the client) is trying to move away from Conerly while holding his hand up in surrender,” the detective wrote in his affidavit.
“I interviewed two employees who were present during the incident,” both of whom said they believed Conerly was physically abusing the client, the detective wrote in his affidavit.
One employee present during the entire incident said the client “was being verbally aggressive, but was not physically aggressive,” the affidavit alleged. “The employee believed Conerly physically assaulted (the client) and his actions were not appropriate,” the affidavit alleged.
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