Vian Police Officer Forced To Resign After She Arrests City Councilman’s Son; Chief Tells Them He Quits

Vian Officer Lindsey Green and Chief Ted Johnson resigned after the city was going to fire Officer Green for arresting a city councilman’s son.

Vian Chief Ted Johnson And Officer Lindsey Green Quit Over Corrupt City Government

Vian, Oklahoma – A Vian police officer was forced to resign after she rightfully arrested a city councilman’s son, prompting the police chief to tell the city that they could take his badge as well.

It all started May 2nd when Officer Lindsey Green was told by another police officer about Joshua Smith, who was driving on a suspended license. The man was a repeat offender and also happened to be the son of a city councilman, something that Officer Green did not know at the time.

Officer Green observed Smith’s vehicle commit two moving violations, and she stopped the suspect. After being stopped, the Smith lied and claimed he just didn’t have his license on him.

Because Joshua Smith was a repeat offender, she arrested him and on the way to jail she asked Chief Ted Johnson about reducing the man’s fine, and the chief advised against it, saying he didn’t learn his lesson the first time.

Officer Green booked Smith into the Sequoyah County Detention Center and then returned to the town hall.

Then, according to 5 News, City Attorney Larry Vickers began yelling at Green for arresting Smith, stating that she didn’t have probable cause for the arrest and the ticket should be dismissed.

Probable cause in a suspended driving case is as black and white as a charge can get. If the person was stopped for a legal reason (he was,) and they were driving (he was,) and their driver’s license is suspended (it was,) then there’s evidence far beyond the level of probable cause. In other words, this isn’t open to interpretation.

“I didn’t think Vian was like that,” Officer Green told 4029tv. “The city attorney has no business telling you who you can and can’t arrest.”

Green said she contacted the local judge who told her she had probable cause and that the arrest was justified, according to News on 6.

Mayor Dennis Fletcher then came to the town hall and told the court clerk to remove Smith from jail. He spent a total of 15 minutes in jail before being released and having charges dropped.

Officer Green told 5 News, “It was ordered for me to drop the ticket and for him to be released from jail. After this incident I was told ‘more than likely you are going to get fired’. I didn’t want to give them the satisfaction of firing me because I know that I am in the right. I don’t want a termination on my record.”

“I don’t work for a town that controls the police department. I want to be the police, ” Officer Green told 4029tv. “I don’t want someone telling me who I can and can’t arrest.”

“I’m at peace because I know I did my job,” Green said. “I took an oath to do my job.”

Sounds like a corrupt city, right? Apparently Chief Ted Johnson agrees. After the small-town politics allowed a criminal to get away and a good officer to lose her job, Chief Johnson submitted his resignation.

“I support her and all of my officers 100 percent,” Johnson said.

The city’s response to all of this? The City of Vian and City Attorney Larry Vickers announced that they are now investigating Chief Johnson and Officer Green for wrongdoing. No specifics were given.