ARDMORE, Oklahoma – Kevin Chambers from Animal Wellness Action reported that Chickasaw National Park Rangers caught J.C. Lewis Jr. during a traffic stop in Sulphur after checking his truck.
“They found six fighting roosters and cockfighting supplies, so he was arrested,” Chambers said.
Two days later, he stated that Atoka Police nabbed Khai Nguyen during a traffic stop.
“They found four roosters in his truck with blood on the carpet and gear for cockfighting,” Chambers said.
He says Nguyen and Lewis were supposedly carrying the roosters to use in cockfighting, which is illegal in Oklahoma.
Chambers says that two new bills will be presented in the next legislative session that would decrease the penalties for cockfighting to a misdemeanor, making it harder to enforce the law.
“Chambers said, ‘These are just ways to make it more difficult for police to do their work.'”
Oklahoma District 19 Representative Justin Humphrey wants to reduce the penalties for cockfighting, similar to how State Question 780 reduced penalties for drug offenses in Oklahoma. This would make cockfighting a less serious crime, but it would still be banned.
“You can’t ask us to reduce all these crimes, but we will choose which ones to ignore,” Humphrey said.
House Bill 1313 will be read for the first time in the House on February 3rd.
Lewis is currently at the Murray County Jail, and Nguyen is in prison in Atoka. Both are being charged with illegal cockfighting.
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