Prosecutor issued warnings about terrorism suspect

Oklahoma County District Attorney David Prater warned Mayor David Holt against appearing at racial unity events last year with a man who was later charged with terrorism for his alleged role in civil unrest.

The man, Eric Ruffin, was accused by authorities of encouraging burning of a sheriff's van and an attempt to burn a bail bonds office. Police said he recorded the events on Facebook Live.

The events in downtown Oklahoma City occurred May 30 as demonstrations swept the nation over the death of George Floyd, a Black man who died after a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck.

In a June 10 email to Holt and police Chief Wade Gourley, Prater said Ruffin was "directly involved in burning of the OKSO van and other vandalism that occurred downtown."

"I was advised that he is now trying to pose as a peaceful community activist who may attend an event or events with you in the near future," Prater wrote.

Prater wrote that Ruffin was a Hoover gang member or affiliate, an apparent reference to the Hoover Crips.

"He is dangerous and should not be allowed anywhere near you," Prater wrote.

With the subject line "Sensitive information," sent just before 4 p.m. on a Wednesday, along with a photograph, the county's top prosecutor wrote, "Please keep this information protected.

"We will be charging him in the near future. I don't want him to abscond."

Ruffin was charged June 26 in the burning of the sheriff's van. A second charge was filed July 2 in the bail bonds office attempted arson. Ruffin declared his innocence on Facebook Live before surrendering at the county jail.

The Oklahoman reported Ruffin has a large social media following.

Ru ff in was released on $750,000 bail July 9 after Black Lives Matter Oklahoma City posted bail for him and others, with financial assistance from a national criminal justice reform group.

At the courthouse July 9, state Rep. Ajay Pittman, D- Oklahoma City, said Ruffin had helped organize a round-table discussion in June that was attended by Gourley and moderated by Pittman.

Prater' s email was included in a public records lawsuit filed Monday by activist Jess Eddy in Oklahoma County District Court against the city of Oklahoma City.

A spokeswoman said the city would have no comment on the lawsuit.

Eddy said the city and police department had failed to respond in a timely or complete way to his requests for public records, including requests for communications among top city administrators as the unrest unfolded.

Prater' s email was included in a response to one request that was filled. But the text was blacked out.

A response to The Oklahoman's request for the same records also included the red acted email.

Eddy wrote the city attorney' s office in midDecember to say he believed blacking out the text of Prater's email was unlawful.

"The city cannot redact or with hold requested records without having and establishing a legal basis for doing so," he wrote.

Several days later and after an email exchange with attorneys in the city attorney's office, Eddy received the unredacted email.

Eddy is representing himself in his open records lawsuit.

In it, he says he believes city officials are delaying responses in retaliation for his making requests for public records and documents, and for his "public speech critical of the city" and for threatening litigation. Eddy has commented at city council meetings about the lack of response to his requests.

Eddy has sought records including electronic messages between the mayor and police chief, the city manager and police chief, and the city manager and police union leaders, as well as police disciplinary and use-of-force records. He sought all of the police chief's electronic communications throughout the five weeks of civil unrest, rallies and marches that occurred in Oklahoma City following Floyd's death in Minnesota.

Eddy writes that he first submitted public records requests Nov. 6. He sought more records Nov .30, pertaining to the Nov. 23 killing by police officers in south Oklahoma City of a 15-year-old boy. The boy was suspected in a gas station hold-up.

The city has denied requests for police officers' body-worn camera recordings of that incident.

Requests were made on behalf of the boy's family by attorney Rand Eddy, Jess Eddy's father, and by The Oklahoman.

The city attorney's office cited the ongoing review of the shooting by Prater's office in its denials.