Pro-cockfighting sheriff loses election, anti-cockfighting sheriff loses lottery

Atoka County voters voted Tony Head out of office, but multiple cockfighting champion Chris Bryant is out in Carter County

ARDMORE, ATOKA, Oklahoma––Newly elected Atoka County Sheriff Kody Simpson and Carter County Sheriff DJ Long, who were “elected” by random draw, will face their first tests of their willingness to enforce Oklahoma’s cockfighting law when they take office in January 2025.

Simpson, an Atoka police officer, in the June 18, 2024 Oklahoma primary election, “received 51.66 percent of the vote to unseat incumbent Sheriff Tony Head, who received 36.57 percent of the vote,” Faithanna Olsson reported for Non-docan Oklahoma-based project of the Sustainable Journalism Foundation.

“A total of 1,504 Atoka County residents voted,” Olsson writes.

“Accused of warning cockfighters”

Head, the ousted 12-year incumbent, “led the list of signatories to an April 2023 letter calling on the Oklahoma Legislature to reduce criminal penalties for cockfighting offenses,” Olsson recalled.

“Head was accused of tipping off cockfighting rings about possible raids and visits, as well as failing to enforce the law when cockfights were taking place,” Head said.

Who reported this? Not local Atoka County media.

ANIMALS 24/7 made on July 14, 2022, based on an extensive investigation conducted by Showing Animals Respect & Kindness.

(See Who told the Atoka County cockfighters the cops were coming?)

“Getting rid of Tony Head is good news”

“Getting rid of Tony Head is good news,” Kevin Chambers, Oklahoma state director of Animal Wellness Action, wrote via email.

“We have been raising the issue of cockfighting on social media in Atoka County over the past year and ANIMALS 24/7 “The article about him was widely circulated,” Chambers said.

Atoka County is represented in the Oklahoma State Capitol by Justin Humphrey, who has sponsored bills in recent legislative sessions to decriminalize cockfighting and previously led an effort to introduce a Bigfoot hunting season.

Carter County Drawing

In Carter County, DJ Long removed incumbent Sheriff Chris Bryant, known for his distinguished enforcement of Oklahoma's cockfighting law, from office following a June 28, 2024, election draw.

Each candidate received 2,569 votes in the Election Day poll.

A nine-hour manual recount by four counters and four counters failed to decide the votes.

Long has no visible history related to cockfighting.

Bryant was endorsed by former two-term Oklahoma Governor Frank Keating, a Republican, and by Animal Wellness Action Oklahoma.

Bryant organized three cockfights in the county

“Sheriff Bryant and his deputies have busted three cockfighting operations in the county,” explained a press release from Animal Wellness Action, “recently charging seven individuals for being spectators at an illegal cockfighting operation that was busted in April.

“This builds on the prior arrests of Catlin Gavitt and Darline Gavitt, who were charged with two felonies for operating a cockfighting facility and possessing and keeping birds for fighting,” Animal Wellness Action continued.

“Showing Animals Respect and Kindness and Animal Wellness Action received a tip about the April 20, 2024 cockfight in Wilson, Oklahoma, and shared that tip with Carter County officials, who acted on the tip about the illegal fight.

(See Alleged Cockfight Organizers Charged; Gamefowl Commission Chief Prosecuted.)

Leaders of the “Game Hunting Commission” unmasked

“Last year,” Animal Wellness Action continues, “Sheriff Bryant and District Attorney Melissa Handke worked to bring criminal charges against seven men, including Oklahoma Game Commission executive Anthony DeVore, 52, “for offenses related to illegal cockfighting.”

The Oklahoma Cockfighting Commission is a cockfighting advocacy group. Despite its official name, it has no delegated authority from the government.

“Four other people have been charged with misdemeanor offenses over an event dubbed the ‘Asian Gaffe Championship,’” Animal Wellness Action said, during which deputies allegedly seized about 60 fighting cocks and confiscated 20 vehicles and trailers in June 2023.

Chance Campo, then a district chief of the Oklahoma Game Commission, was arrested on the occasion.

(See Alleged Cockfight Organizers Indicted; Gamefowl Commission Director Sued

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