Owasso Police Officer Investigated For Excessive Force Again

Owasso police officer Mike Denton has been suspended with pay pending an internal affairs investigation. 

He's accused of using excessive force after a 40-minute pursuit that started in Tulsa Sunday evening and ended in Nowata. 

6/16/2015: Related Story: Caught On Video: Tulsa Police Helicopter Chases Suspect

Sources tell me police video shows Denton hitting the suspect with a shotgun after the pursuit was over. 

The Owasso Police Department fired Denton in 2011 for using excessive force on a suspect during an arrest. 

Video from that incident showed Denton elbow the suspect three times in the face. Denton said the suspect was about to spit on him and he was defending himself. Denton appealed his firing and won. 

At the time, an arbitrator said Denton used excessive force, but ruled the punishment should've been a letter of reprimand. 

Owasso was forced to rehire Denton and give him $283,000 in back pay. He went back to work last September. 

4/15/2014: Related Story: Appeals Court Orders Fired Owasso Cop To Be Reinstated

Just last night, the Owasso City Council agreed to pay $75,000 to the man arrested in 2011 to settle his lawsuit. 

Denton's attorney tells me in this new case, Denton denies any wrong doing. Denton's attorney says the suspect had been driving the wrong way on the highway and endangered many lives. He says the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled officers can shoot and kill a suspect who's doing that. 

The attorney says the suspect was not subdued and was reaching for a knife. He believes under the circumstances, restraint was used and he considers it a successful arrest given no one was seriously hurt or killed. 

He says they are cooperating with the investigation.