Whitney Bryen
@WhitneyBryen
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Injustice and Vulnerable Populations reporter for @investigatewest . Holding power to account and lifting marginalized voices. Send tips to whitney @invw .org.
Northwest United States
Joined March 2009
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My first story for
@investigatewest
: Increasing camping bans in cities across Washington, and the northwest, are causing an unprecedented migration of unhoused people. Is this a sign of what’s to come nationwide after a
@USSupremeCourt
ruling this summer?
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NEW:
@OKCPD
says the officers who fatally shot Bennie Edwards on Friday were not trained in crisis intervention. The 40-hour mental health training is voluntary and fewer than 14% of OKCPD officers have received it. Edwards was homeless and had bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.
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🧵One year ago, a Norman mom and baker was waiting for a mental health assessment when she died in a medical cell at the Cleveland County jail. Her death raised concerns about the care of vulnerable detainees and prompted a yearlong investigation into the state's jail deaths. 1/
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NEW: For 8 months, Tulsa police have withheld public records detailing the violent arrest of a woman experiencing a mental health crisis. Now, we're suing over your right to know.
@OklahomaWatch
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NEW: Oklahoma’s rate of women murdered by men is the nation’s second highest. Now, we will be the only state without a coalition to support victims of domestic abuse and sexual assault.
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Public outrage pressured
@TulsaPolice
to investigate officers who heckled and tackled a woman in the throes of a bipolar episode. The investigation is complete but
@TPD_Franklin
and the department refused to release those results despite its own policy.
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ICYMI: Tulsa police kicked in the door of a store bathroom where a woman in crisis had locked herself, knocked her to the ground, handcuffed her and jailed her. The department refused to give me public records about the incident but I'm not giving up.
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Bennie Edwards appears to be the latest person with mental illness to be killed by police. The homeless man was fatally shot by Oklahoma City officers this afternoon, according to early news reports. Edwards' family said he suffered from bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.
Homeless man shot and killed by Oklahoma City police while allegedly running with knife; community members gather to protest his death
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THREAD: I visited some homeless camps in OKC with an outreach team from
@MHAOKLA
last month. This is what I heard and saw. 1/
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NEW: My latest investigation found that the Pottawatomie County jail concealed the deaths of 7 detainees who had mental health conditions, leaving vulnerable Oklahomans at risk and the married couple that runs the jail unchecked.
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Shirley Antwine called 911 for help. Her son was high and struggling with schizophrenia. Instead of taking him to the hospital or the jail, like they'd done in the past, an
@OKCPD
officer abandoned him in "no man's land." Five minutes later he was dead.
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INBOX: The
@WhiteHouse
attacks an Okla. abortion ban that went into effect today. SB 612 makes performing abortions a felony. The only exception is saving the life of the mother in a medical emergency. No exemptions for rape or incest. More on SB 612
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THREAD: I’m at the Oklahoma County Courthouse today observing drug court in Judge Kenneth Stoner’s courtroom on the fifth floor. The first docket begins in about 25 minutes and there are a dozen people sitting on benches in the hallway outside. Follow along for updates.
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It’s
#SunshineWeek
which is about celebrating access to public information. In light of that, let me tell you a story about my trip to Tulsa yesterday. I went to the
@TulsaPolice
records counter to inspect an arrest report, a public record according to the Open Records act. I was
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Oklahoma law requires that police departments provide public access to arrest details. This is vital for holding officers accountable for how they respond to emergencies. One city is refusing to comply. Oklahoma Watch and I are suing.
@FOIoklahoma
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THREAD: I took yesterday off and spent some time digesting the scene in downtown Tulsa on Saturday. I scrolled back through my photos (and my colleagues’) and found some gems that, in my opinion, represented the day. Since our job is to be your eyes, here’s a bit of what we saw.
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leave. I left my cell but haven’t heard back. This isn’t my first issue with open records violations in Tulsa.👇 This is unacceptable. These are your records. The law says you have a right to that info. I’m not giving up!
#SunshineWeek
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This is why I fight for public records. Pottawatomie Jail officials withheld this video for 4 years. Now, the altercation that led to Ronald Given’s death has been released. No one has been prosecuted.
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THREAD: Some
#okleg
members are attacking social emotional learning in schools. I witnessed an SEL program in action during a visit to Elk City Elementary last year. Here’s what it looks like in practice.
Just before the bell rang on a Monday afternoon, kindergarteners sat in a
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In the last 4 months, 29 people lost their lives to domestic violence in northeast Oklahoma. Ive been covering this kind of violence for years and it’s only getting worse. Heartbreaking coverage by
@JenniferMaupin8
and
@naomikeitt
.
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NEW: Oklahoma’s state health department undercounted
#covid19
deaths at nursing homes. At least 537 more residents and staff have died than what the state reported. I talked to officials about how that happened.
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NEW: A lawsuit filed today in Tulsa County District Court alleges the Dept. of Mental Health hid or falsified info about how many incarcerated Oklahomans found incompetent to stand trial are waiting for mental health treatment and how long they’ve been waiting. 1/
@FOIoklahoma
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The press team at the
#TulsaTrumpRally
has changed their minds about our access to the exterior of
@BOKCenter
three times now. We’ve been trying to get in the barrier, not in the arena, for hours now and just got kicked out for the third time.
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Finally made it into the barricades on the fourth try. Not as media, but as a civilian. Seems like the press pass around my neck was the only thing holding up my progress.
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To everyone who shared about their loved one who died in jail, thank you for trusting me. To everyone who thought about contacting me but hasn’t, please do. To anyone who has worked at an Oklahoma jail, please help me do this important work. DMs open.
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This is your information. Not mine. Not a state agency’s. Not lawmakers’. Yours. I will continue helping you access those records regardless of the hurdles put in place.
Sen. Tom Dugger (R-Stillwater) would change Open Records Act: double records cost to 50¢ page, charge 30¢ page for digital records, charge $5 'delivery fee' for providing records electronically (but not require docs be sent by email), & ...
@FOIoklahoma
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@jazzmwolfe
And I kept digging. I reviewed hundreds of pages of arrest reports, court filings, jail documents and death records to determine who died in Oklahoma jails last year, how they ended up there in the first place and what killed them. Coming soon to . 10/
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The state of Oklahoma told
@pmonies
that you cannot know who is asking for public money or what they’re proposing to do with it. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: This is your money. It’s your information. And you deserve to know.
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Public outrage followed a video of Tulsa police taunting a woman in the throes of a bipolar episode. The dept. said publicly that officers acted within policy. But a review of policies and video footage raises questions. Here’s my latest for
@OklahomaWatch
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@jazzmwolfe
No one has been held accountable for those deaths or violations so far. But, the jail's oversight board did promote and give a raise and a bonus to the jail employee responsible for investigating those deaths, who is married to the jail director. 9/
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Their fear is justified. My latest investigation found that 19 people detained in the Oklahoma County jail died last year. At least 16 of them had documented histories of mental health or substance abuse conditions.
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Headed to a COVID-19 testing site on Norman to get my first test. If you have questions about the process, send them my way. Follow along for updates.
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My boss bought me a t-shirt that says “kick-ass journalist.” Encouragement and positive feedback is too often underrated. Thanks
@OklahomaWatch
for allowing me to practice my passion and for supporting me in the process.
#partylikeajournalist
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Rural voters again determined Oklahoma's Governor race. Rural voters have chosen the state's top elected official for at least the past 20 years, according to data analyzed by
@OklahomaWatch
. More in
@_KeatonRoss
' latest
#okelections
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OK's nursing home COVID data is out this evening and that’s largely due to pressure from families and journalists like me and
@pmonies
who fought for your right to know. Full story coming to
@OklahomaWatch
tomorrow morning. For now here's the latest data
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🧵: Last year, 131 Oklahomans shared their mental health experiences with me. In light of a federal investigation into Oklahoma's mental health care, I'm sharing some of those stories now. 1/
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Shannon Hanchett lived in my city and was close to my age. It turns out we knew a lot of the same people. She had a mental health crisis and wouldn't stop calling 911 demanding they check on her son who she thought was in danger. She died 12 days later. 2/
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Her story kept me up at night. I needed to know why this happened and to how many others. I spent 2023 trying to answer that question. In January, I watched and wrote about the altercation with Pottawatomie County jailers that killed Ronald Given. 3/
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An
@OklahomaWatch
exclusive: On Friday,
@HealthyOklahoma
took back 2,500 vaccines it had given to CVS after officials said the company was taking too long to vaccinate long-term care residents. The doses were taken to six OK veteran centers this weekend.
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A lawsuit against state mental health officials claimed at least 100 Oklahomans who were found incompetent to stand trial were languishing in jail while they waited for court-ordered care. This was more common than I realized. 5/
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There is much more I could say but I’ll leave you with this quote from Judge Stoner for now: “This is not like fixing a broken leg. This is not something you can do to them. Recovery is something you have to do with them.” /end
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Wow. Check out the line of cars along Lincoln waiting to get into the Oklahoma County election board for early voting today. Did you wait in line today? How long did you wait and why?
#okelections
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Thank you
@kfor
and
@OgleKatelyn
for helping share my yearlong investigation into the people who died in jail from untreated mental health and substance abuse conditions. Here's the segment for those of you not glued to your tvs this afternoon.
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I have had the pleasure of working with and learning from Jennifer for nearly 6 years now. Her comment doesn’t even scratch the surface of the consideration, integrity and truth-seeking that she brings to work every day. Oklahoma is lucky to have her.
Everyone who knows me knows I highly value journalistic integrity. Here’s our response to the public accusations made by
@RyanWaltersSupt
today.
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I’m in Tulsa on this appropriately gloomy day to capture events and emotions for
@OklahomaWatch
as the city, state and country recognize the
#TulsaRaceMassacre
centennial. First stop is the
@VernonAME
Church for the dedication of a prayer wall. Follow my coverage here all day.
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I wrote about the fraught history of the healthcare provider responsible for Shannon Hanchett, and Kathryn Milano, who also died waiting for a mental health assessment at the same jail. 4/
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This shameful and irresponsible. This is not how good journalism is done. Segments like these are harmful to our industry and to the people featured. Oklahoma has some great journalists who are contributing valuable information and local stories to the vaccine conversation.
TRUMP A “LIBERAL NEW YORKER?”
A CNN segment got a little awkward when
@GaryTuchmanCNN
went to the right-leaning Boise City, Oklahoma to gauge support for the
#COVID19
vaccine. 💉
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THREAD: For the last month I have been glued to a spreadsheet containing more than 4,000 rows of Oklahomans who died by suicide. It has been a rough 4 weeks. But I learned a lot and now it’s time to share that knowledge with you. So let’s start this thread with some help. 1/
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Polls are officially closed so that’s all for me. One notable theme that came up today was dissatisfaction with President Biden. Many rural Oklahoma voters I spoke to today said they voted straight party Republican for fear that Democratic candidates will follow his lead. End/
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Yesterday was staff photo day at
@OklahomaWatch
. Hopefully you recognize a few familiar faces but we have several new ones too!
@RebeccaNajera42
,
@LionelRamos21
(from
@Report4America
) and
@jdkyn
(from
@OUDaily
) are reporting on evictions among other topics. Be sure to say hi.
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THREAD: Just came up for air today after a nasty stomach bug and received some good news.
@OklahomaWatch
received 9 awards from
@OKSPJ
! For the second year in a row, I received second place in the ‘Best Reporter’ category. 😊 Congrats to
@bobbyross
for taking 1st. 1/
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NEW: Oklahoma jail deaths have doubled in five years. Last year, 53 people died in Oklahoma jails. Untreated mental illness and substance abuse killed more than half of them. My latest explains who died, what killed them and why this keeps happening.
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I’ve been reporting on the life and death of Shannon Hanchett, better known as the Cookie Queen. Today I went to The Cookie Cottage to see what remains of her memorial. If you knew Shannon or know something about what happened to her, please help me tell her story.
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My series on domestic violence in Oklahoma won best online project in the regional Great Plains Journalism Awards this week. I’m honored to be included in such a stellar group of journalists. Congrats to all the winners.
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@NAMIEDOK
@normanokpd
@ClevCoSheriff
Several officers said police should not be the ones handling these calls. But until the system changes, these lessons can help slow their response and encourage treatment over jail time. For more on the training read my latest for
@OklahomaWatch
. end/
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NEW:
@LionelRamos21
's latest sheds light on a new law that cuts Oklahoma's unemployment benefits by 40%. Republican lawmakers say it's needed to address a worker shortage but state data shows that workforce participation is at its highest point in state history.
#okleg
Republican legislators passed a law lowering taxes for businesses, but critics say it comes at the expense of jobless Oklahomans.
#okleg
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*swab, not swan pod. Swan pod sounds way more fun though. 🦢
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told that would cost me 50 cents. I explained that I didn’t want a copy of it, just to see it and then return it. “We don’t do that,” the woman behind the counter told me. I asked for a supervisor. After listening to her grumble for about 5 minutes about my inconvenient request
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she finally brought the report for me to inspect. When I pulled my phone out to take a photo of it, I was told no and the document was taken away. She hid the document (a public record) behind her back and explained that was against the rules. It’s not, according to state law. I
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NEW: On social media posts seeking to identify people who were caught on video at the scene of a crime, OKC Police are declaring guilt without due process. The dept. says the images are by far the most popular posts on its pages. via
@AshlyndHuffman
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I would encourage everyone to look at your zip code and that of folks you’re spending time with this holiday weekend. Inform yourself so you can make educated decisions. 👇
My ZIP code had 17 new
#COVID19
cases this week, including me. 😷
Check out yours here: (via
@OklahomaWatch
)
#okhealth
#QuarantineLife
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It’s not too late to pick up the March issue of
@CurbsideOKC
, which features a story on mental health and policing that I reported and wrote with
@QuintonChand
. The entire edition is filled with mental health stories, including memories of Bennie Edwards, and helpful resources.
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“We’re teaching kids to identify their feelings and giving suggestions to cope,” Henthorn said. “And when we do it as a group the kids are learning about empathy and thinking about ways to help each other and that is just as important.”
More at
#oklaed
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I’m at Ebenezer Baptist Church in northeast OKC with
@Supriyasridhar_
where 1,100 COVID vaccines are expected to be administered today. Appointments were made through the church not the
@HealthyOklahoma
portal in an effort to target an underserved community, health officials say.
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THREAD: I recently published a series of stories about police responding to mental health emergencies. I read more than 150
@OKCPD
reports, which provided a lot of insight into these calls and how officers respond. Here’s a sampling of some of those reports.
#mentalhealth
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Now I’m joining
@Supriyasridhar_
at one of the bluest precincts in Oklahoma County. The only ballot machine here keeps rejecting poorly or partially marked ballots. That means workers have to reset the machine which takes 7 minutes. Workers said this has happened several times.
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I just had a thoughtful and informative conversation with some Oklahoma teens about mental health. Students are dealing with a lot right now. And they have many ideas about how you and I can help. We should be listening more. I aim to raise their voices with my reporting.
#OklaEd
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NEW: In Western Oklahoma where the ratio of mental health professionals to residents is 1 to 150,000, the responsibility to care for troubled kids falls to untrained, outnumbered and overwhelmed school counselors.
#MentalHealthAwarenessMonth
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Patients want to know “why are you putting your life on the line for us?” Because I lost my mom to COVID before this drug was out. And I just feel like, if I can save one person’s life, I’ve done it in honor of my mom.
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A third person incarcerated at the Oklahoma County jail has died, marking 3 deaths since Friday. Amber Owens died at the hospital where she took a fell while waiting to be moved to another medical facility, according to a statement from jail officials.
INBOX: Yesterday, another person detained at the Oklahoma County jail died. Frank Ramirez, 37, was found “in distress,” according to a statement from jail officials. He was arrested on suspicion of gang-related charges, robbery and felon in possession of a firearm.
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@TPD_Franklin
@TulsaPolice
Bored? I slept less this weekend than most because I was engaged. I heard incredible stories. Saw amazing gestures. Watched people stand up for what they believe in. And I was thankful that no one was injured, including myself and my colleagues.
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My recent
@OklahomaWatch
investigation revealed that
@OKCPD
cadets receive 1,105 hours of training. Of those, 16 are spent training officers to handle encounters with people struggling with mental illness. 2/
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NEW: All 650+ of Oklahoma’s long-term care facilities have been scheduled to receive their first vaccines, says Mindy Spohn,
@HealthyOklahoma
’s COVID-19 Vaccination Facilitator. Spohn just made the announcement on an
@AARPOklahoma
telephone town hall this morning.
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I'm curious which Oklahoma journalists received notice of this "announcement" mentioned in the email below?
A source tells me the police department sent it to officers this morning and told them they wanted to keep it quiet so as not to ignite any unrest.
INBOX:
@vickiforDA
will not prosecute 5 Oklahoma City police officers in the death of Stavian Rodriguez or 1 OKC officer in the death of Bennie Edwards, according to an email from
@OKCPD
Chief Wade Gourley. The email doesn't say why. Just that they're not continuing the cases.
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