A Tulsa County judge finds a Tulsa Police lieutenant not guilty in a case where he was accused of helping cover up a 2020 gang-related shooting.

Marcus Harper had been charged with accessory and was accused of concealing evidence of a shooting that involved another officer's personal vehicle.

That other officer, Latoya Dythe, was fired from Tulsa Police and pled guilty to a separate crime of illegally buying her boyfriend a gun.

Lieutenant Marcus Harper has been on leave from Tulsa Police since 2020. He testified Thursday and said he never did anything to cover up the shooting, didn't conceal evidence and didn't help anyone avoid arrest. The judge said Harper did show lapses in judgment, but there's no evidence of any crime.

Harper walked out of the courtroom with a not guilty verdict after being under investigation for the last four years and charged with a felony.

"The hardest part of this, for the last four years I didn't say a word. I just took it, I just took it, but I took it like a man and I came out on my feet,” Harper said.

Rogers County prosecutors handled the case since Harper is a Tulsa officer. He was charged with helping a fellow officer and friend Latoya Dythe, of concealing evidence after her car was involved in a shooting. Dythe testified she loaned her car to her boyfriend's brother, who then got into a shootout near 61st and Peoria, and Dythe's car had bullet holes. Dythe called Harper for help, and he showed up in a police uniform, examined the evidence, interviewed those involved in the shooting, then left and never called the police or made a report.

"What you heard in the courtroom was there was absolutely no evidence that I committed a crime. Absolutely none,” Harper said.

Harper testified he didn't know what had happened when Dythe called him, and she didn't tell Harper the true story. Harper said he told Dythe to call police immediately and told Dythe's friends to tell the police the truth. Harper said he never looked inside Dythe's car for any evidence, went to work, and then told his boss about it the next day.

The judge ruled there was no evidence Harper helped cover up a crime. Tulsa Police say they can't comment on the case, since there is an internal investigation in progress.”

"At some point, I've got to go back to that hostile environment and try to continue on and wait for what's next, I know what's going to be next,” said Harper.

Although Harper is cleared of the criminal charge, Tulsa Police is still doing an internal investigation into his conduct and possible violations of departmental policy.

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Original story below...

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A Tulsa police officer has been found not guilty of being an accessory to a felony.

The judge, in this case, acquitted Lieutenant Marcus Harper on Thursday after he was accused of helping former TPD officer Latoya Dythe cover up the fact that her boyfriend's brother borrowed her car and was involved in a gang-related shooting. This case was handled by the Rogers County District Attorney's Office after the Tulsa County District Attorney's Office recused itself.

The Tulsa Police Department released a statement about the case saying that an internal investigation is still in progress;

"The Tulsa Police Department is unable to comment on the case, since there is an internal investigation in progress. At the conclusion of the investigation, we will provide details to the media and to the public."

Prosecutors say in August 2020, Harper and former officer Ananias Carson helped by taking shell casings out of the car, not making a report, and leaving before other officers showed up. Dythe was later fired and got federal probation for a separate case of illegally buying a gun for her boyfriend. Carson had already pleaded guilty and resigned from the department. Carson is serving a 1 year deferred sentence.

Harper was found not guilty on both counts of Accessory to a felony.

Previous Stories:

1. Trial Underway For Tulsa Police Lieutenant
2. Tulsa Officer Pleads Guilty To Lying To Purchase Gun For Boyfriend
3. Tulsa Police Officer Indicted On Federal Gun Charges

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