Trooper sweeps 69 year old woman while taking her into custody on a warrant. Even worse, he has the wrong person. A routine morning drive for breakfast turned into a nightmare for 69-year-old Denise Beck after an encounter with an Oklahoma Highway Patrol trooper in Shawnee over a warrant that wasn’t even hers. ​Beck put $20 of gas into her Volkswagen Beetle and headed out for breakfast when OHP Trooper Eric Smith initiated a traffic stop. The justifications given were inconsistent from the start, Smith initially claimed she made an illegal U-turn, then pointed to an alleged taillight issue, while Beck maintained she simply pulled into a commercial parking lot to turn around. Notably, she was never cited for either infraction. ​Things escalated rapidly when dispatch relayed information regarding a non-extraditable warrant. During muddled radio and phone chatter involving dispatch, an FTO, and Trooper Smith, details regarding Oklahoma County versus McLain County, as well as the actual identity of the wanted subject, were completely botched. Despite the glaring confusion, Smith made the call to take Beck into custody, assuming she was the individual in question. ​Trooper Smith, who was not wearing a body camera and had not activated a personal mic, ordered Beck out of the car. Dashcam footage shows Beck stepping out while holding her phone and questioning the warrant. Within seconds, force was deployed: Smith seized her, pinned her against the vehicle to search her pockets, and proceeded to sweep her to place her in restraints. ​Inside the patrol cruiser, clearly in distress, Beck repeatedly maintained that she had no criminal record and had never been involved with the county mentioned. ​Emergency medical responders arrived and evaluated her condition, noting elevated vitals and trauma to her arm that left her unable to extend it or articulate her fingers. Around the same time, Smith realized the critical error: the warrant belonged to an entirely different individual. On-scene interactions quickly pivoted to de-escalation, supervisor consults, and discussions surrounding medical transport expenses. ​Beck was released without any criminal charges or traffic citations. Medical evaluations documented multiple injuries at the hands of this trooper. ​Beck has since filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety. DPS is contesting the legal claim, asserting that the force used was in response to non-compliance. We will keep an eye on this one and revisit once the case is completed.