03/08/2021
Vici Standoff
I have been asked many questions about the standoff so I will share what I know.
On February 24th the US Marshal’s Task Force attempted to serve a Canadian County arrest warrant based on allegations of Child Sexual Abuse for Michael Stambaugh in Vici. The Marshals along with OBN Agents watched Stambaugh’s residence until he left. Stambaugh drove to Auto Worx where the Marshal’s attempted to arrest Stambaugh in his vehicle. Stambaugh fled that scene and traveled back to his residence. The Marshal’s attempted to call Stambaugh from his residence, but when Stambaugh did not come out of his house the Marshals called for the Oklahoma Highway Patrol Tactical Team. The Tactical Team arrived in Vici and set up a parameter around Stambaugh’s residence. A short time after the Marshals gave control to the OHP Tactical Team Stambaugh ran out of the residence, armed with a firearm, and was shot and killed by Troopers.
The Dewey County Sheriff’s Office was first notified by the Vici School of a possible fight and people with guns a block South of the School. The Sheriff’s Office dispatched Deputies to the call. While the Deputies were on the way an OBN Agent from the Woodward office contacted Undersheriff Rogers to inform him that the US Marshal Task Force was in Vici and were calling the OHP Tactical Team. Rogers notified me of that call at the same time I received a call from the Vici School Superintendent. School Administration immediately put the facility on lockdown and worked with the Sheriff’s Office to ensure students were released from school safely. During the incident Sheriff’s Office personnel spoke to Stambaugh several times through phone calls in an attempt to resolve the situation created by the Marshals prior to Tactical Team Operational Control but were ultimately unable to do so. Our prayers go out to the family of Michael Stambaugh and to the Troopers who were forced to use deadly force.
Regarding this situation, the Dewey County Sheriff’s Office was not notified by Federal Agents of their intentions to conduct an operation in Dewey County to serve a State issued warrant. The Sheriff’s Office was not notified of their attempted arrest, pursuit or standoff prior to receiving a call from the School. Federal Agents, with the assistance of OBN, armed with a State arrest warrant, entered Dewey County and carried out a law enforcement operation. Federal Agents dictated the course of action in carrying out that operation and quickly packed up and left once it was over. Your Sheriff was never given a courtesy call prior to the operation and actually dispatched Deputies to the scene of a fight involving guns a block from the Vici School without knowing it was Federal and State Agents. These actions by Federal Agents are unacceptable. I have served as Sheriff since 2009 and as Undersheriff prior to that. During my tenure I have not utilized the OHP Tactical Team for a single incident. The reason for that is we have not had the need. We conduct our operations in a way that allows us to do our job without creating situations such as the one created by the Marshals. We spend time in our communities building trust and relationships which enables us to safely perform our job. Our job is to protect our communities not terrorize them. I think that community relationships, common sense and planning are critical components of effective law enforcement. Utilizing those principles, I have no doubt that the Sheriff’s Office could have served this arrest warrant without incident. There would not have been a law enforcement takeover of the town, the need to activate school lockdown procedures or the loss of a life. I have spoken to the Marshal for the Western District, Legislators, District Attorneys and other Sheriff’s to take steps to ensure this does not happen again. I appreciate the County’s continued support of their Sheriff’s Office and will continue to provide the level of service our communities have come to expect.
Sheriff L. Clay Sander
Disclaimer: I have conducted numerous prior operations with Marshals without incident and the job they perform is an important one. The OHP Tactical Team did the best job they could with the situation presented to them.
