Two former Wilson Police Officers were convicted of murder on November 5, 2021, in connection with the 2019 death of a 28-year-old Jared Lakey. It all began in Wilson, Okla., 41 miles east of Marshall County.
On July 4, 2019, two officers - Joshua Taylor and Brandon Dingman were dispatched to the Wilson Police Department for a disturbance. Once on the scene, Taylor and Dingman attempted to subdue Lakey.
According to reports, Lakey was not complying to the officers' commands, so both officers used their tasers in attempt to tamper the situation. The reports stated that the problem was not that the officers used their tasers, it was the number of times the officers used their tasers. Between the two officers, they allegedly used their tasers on Lakey 53 times.
A short time later the officers, along with a Carter County deputy, were able to get the suspect in custody. However, Lakey soon became unresponsive after he stopped breathing and passed away.
This event spurred the Carter County Sheriffs Office to request an investigation be open and have the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigations to get involved. Almost a year after the incident, July 1, 2020, the Carter County District Attorney’s Office issued arrest warrants for Taylor and Dingman for Second-Degree Murder.
Taylor, a 25-year-old male and Dingman, a 34-year-old male, both of Wilson, Okla. were found guilty of Second-Degree Murder and Assault and Battery with a Dangerous Weapon. The sentencing hearing is set for December 2, 2021. The jury recommended 10 years in prison for each.