A former Oklahoma police officer convicted of raping multiple Black women has been sentenced to 263 consecutive years in prison.
Last month, Daniel Holtzclaw was found guilty on 18 of 36 rape and sexual assault charges. A judge issued his sentence earlier this week.
The 29-year-old’s attorneys filed a motion requesting a new trial, stating that DNA evidence found on victims could have been transferred nonsexually and “several [women] who came forward were found to be liars who were looking for their piece of the pie.” The request was denied.
Between 2013 and 2014, Holtzclaw was accused of sexually assaulting more than a dozen Black women. He was fired from his post as officer after numerous women filed charges against him. His sentence began immediately after appearing before a judge.
Earlier this year, one of his accusers said she was raped by a Black man in a deposition video, which called into question the integrity of the investigation into Holtzclaw. The video detailed one of his accusers interviewing with state officials.
“I have never seen him before trial,” said Sherry Ellis Smith, an accuser of Holtzclaw in the video. “That’s when I finally seen who they accused of raping me.”
She continued: “It was a Black man. He was in a black and white police car.”
The statement led Holtzclaw’s attorneys to believe that the accusations made against him were false and said that her testimony “exposes how OCPD railroaded Daniel by soliciting sexual assault allegations and pinning them on him.”
“Those issues were raised and were rejected by the jury after hearing sworn testimony and viewing exhibits during trial. We try our cases in a courtroom and before appellate courts; not in the media,” said David Prater, Oklahoma County’s district attorney.
