Suspended officer says military medals damaged by police

By Donna Hales
Phoenix Staff Writer

July 09, 2008 11:57 pm

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Suspended Muskogee crime scene investigator Kris Ledford filed a complaint late Wednesday with the Muskogee Police Department over irreparable damage to military awards.
Ledford said a Purple Heart, Bronze Star and Ribbon Bar were damaged July 3 when Muskogee Police officers were executing a search warrant at his home.
The medals and/or their cases were damaged by stomping on them, he said. The Ribbon Bar was wadded up as if someone attempted to make a ball of it.
Defense attorney Chad Richardson had viewed the medals a matter of days before the execution of the search warrant and said they were in pristine condition at that time.
Prior to the search warrant execution, the medals were in a black bag in Ledford’s garage, he said.
Upon returning home after the search warrant was executed, Ledford said he discovered the medals had been removed from the bag and were severely damaged.
His wife, Taryn Ledford, was present when execution of the search warrant concluded and said the garage was not videotaped upon completion of the search.
The Ledfords named the Muskogee Police officer who they allege in the complaint was the last one to leave through the garage door.
The damage is alleged to have occurred on July 3 during execution of a search warrant on July 3 at his home in Broken Arrow.
Heel marks could be seen on the cases containing the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star.
Muskogee Police Chief Rex Eskridge said an investigation had been started because Richardson had made an verbal complaint before turning in the written complaint.
Ledford’s complaint asks for a board of inquiry and to testify under oath concerning all matters relevant to the complaint.