Kent Jackson, the athletic director and football coach at Anadarko High School, is facing three misdemeanor charges following a confrontation that began with a minor traffic collision earlier this month. Anadarko Public Schools has suspended him with pay while the matter is investigated, and he is due back in court in January.
According to kfor.com, Anadarko police officers were called shortly after 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 16 about a man allegedly trying to assault another man. The charges against Jackson include assault and battery, threatening to perform an act of violence, and leaving the scene of an accident, the station reports.
A Sideswiped Mirror Sets Off the Confrontation
The alleged victim, identified by kfor.com as Matthew Lewis, said he was driving home with his 7-year-old son when Jackson clipped his side mirror. Per the same account, the truck kept going after the mirror was hit, but Lewis went home on the same road he’d been driving.
According to an affidavit cited by okcfox.com, the truck turned around near Lewis’s driveway and then pulled in behind him. Jackson pulled into the driveway and began cursing at Lewis, the affidavit states, and the station reports that Jackson then grabbed Lewis’s jacket and attempted to push him to the ground. Two witnesses told an officer they heard Jackson threaten to wring Lewis’s neck, per the seed report from News 9.
Jackson gave police a different version of the physical altercation. He told officers that Lewis got in his face, so he pushed him back, okcfox.com reports.
Jackson Was Gone When Officers Arrived
By the time an officer reached the scene, Jackson was no longer there, according to News 9. The outlet reports that his wife’s car was later found at an abandoned residence near Country Club Road, where an officer noted a grocery sack containing a beer can inside the vehicle.
An officer then observed Jackson arriving home in the passenger seat of his truck. Per the officer’s account relayed by kfor.com, Jackson appeared unsteady on his feet and had slurred speech, and he also smelled of alcohol.
Arrest, Bond and an Upcoming Court Date
Following the investigation, an arrest warrant was issued for Jackson, okcfox.com reports. News 9 reports he was arrested in Caddo County on complaints of assault and battery, threatening an act of violence, and leaving the scene of an accident involving damage.
Accounts of his release vary. kfor.com reports he was released the same day without having to pay any cash bail up front, while the Oklahoman reports he is free on a $5,000 bond and set to return to court on Jan. 20.
School District Suspends Him With Pay
Anadarko Public Schools suspended Jackson with pay while the matter involving him is investigated, okcfox.com reports. The district said in a statement that the move is a precautionary measure and does not represent a determination of wrongdoing, the station notes. Per Anadarko schools, the suspension will continue through the length of the investigation.
Jackson has worked at Anadarko High School since 2004 and has led the football program to notable success, guiding it to the Class 3A state title in 2011 and the 4A championship in 2013, according to the Oklahoman. This season, the team carries a 3-5 overall record and sits at 2-3 in District 2A-I-2, the paper reports.
