The family of a man who took his own life last year is suing the City of Konawa and its police department, alleging that his death was due to the negligence and misconduct of the police chief and a police officer.

The lawsuit stems from the death of Tony Sanders, who fatally shot himself last summer. The suit alleges that “the direct and proximate cause of the death of Tony was due to the negligence and misconduct of Officer Summer Rogers and Konawa Police Chief Bryan Russell.” The lawsuit was filed by Lloyd Brent Palmer of Palmer Law PLC on behalf of Noland Paul Sanders, Special Administrator of the Estate of Tony Clifford Sanders.

According to the petition, on August 8, 2025, Tony was in mental distress and “obviously suicidal.” Rogers made contact with Tony twice; once while Tony was walking on a road in his underwear, and once at the residence of Tony’s parents. Rogers or an unknown female dispatcher at one point in a recorded conversation laughed and referred to Tony as “underwear boy.”

The petition states that Tony did not have any firearms visible during his first contact with Rogers, walking on a road in his underwear. After contact with Rogers, and receiving no help, Tony made his way to his parents’ house with assistance from his brother and natural father. Seeking to obtain help for Tony, one or more individuals at the house called 911.

The suit alleges that when Rogers arrived, Tony was “plainly suicidal” and secured himself in a vehicle where one or more firearms were in plain view. At one point, Rogers stated words to the effect she was “afraid of Tony and therefore would not act.” Rogers called Russell to the scene. Despite Russell seeing that Sanders was plainly suicidal and had one or more firearms in plain view, Russell failed to act individually and/or in concert with Rogers, the suit alleges.

“Even with two officers present, both Rogers and Russell failed to act to assist Tony. Both Rogers and Russell had a duty to assist Tony under the circumstances, to prevent his imminent suicide, to save his life. Russell not only failed to act, but under color of law ordered Noland Paul Sanders not to call the Lighthorse Police, also stating the Lighthorse Police also would do nothing. Because Russell had

Pictured above is Konawa City Hall. A lawsuit was filed last week that alleges “the direct and proximate cause of the death of Tony Sanders was due to the negligence and misconduct of Officer Summer Rogers and Konawa Police Chief Bryan Russell.” Sanders died by his own hand last August.

—File Photo ordered the family not to call the Lighthorse Police, members of the family of Tony did not attempt to call the Lighthorse Police,” the suit alleges.

According to the petition, Russell and Rogers drove away separately in their vehicles, abandoning Tony who was in “imminent danger.” A family member placed another call to 911. The family member was on the phone with the 911 operator when Tony fatally shot himself. The family member was begging 911 to send police other than the Konawa Police Department to save the life of Tony.

The plaintiffs say that after Tony’s death the Lighthorse Police filed a grievance or complaint of some type, and one or more members of the Lighthorse Police said had they been called to the scene, they would have assisted Tony. This was contrary to the statements of Russell. After the death of Tony, the weapons which were in the vehicle where Tony had secured himself, were taken out of the vehicle by authorities, and were photographed by a family member.

Material which was provided subject to the open records request by counsel for Plaintiff and the Special Administrator included police reports by Rogers and Russell.

“These police reports make mention of the date of the incident, but the reports themselves are undated. The reports are heavily ‘lawyered up’ in their wording and plainly not written by the officers themselves. The reports are full of false statements and key factual omissions about the actions and inactions of the two officers at the scene, Rogers and Russell,” the suit alleges.

The lawsuit also alleges: “The undated assertion of Ashley Cox that no police body camera footage exists of the events leading up to the death of Tony is not a credible statement, and arguments as to the existence of the material are contained, adequately, within an exhibit in the case. In addition to the arguments in an exhibit about the existence of body camera footage, it is relevant that on November 6, 2025, a report of the State Auditor found irregularities in the City of Konawa. Though not directly using words like ‘graft,’ ‘embezzlement,’ ‘incompetence,’ and “corruption,’ the meaning of the report by the State Auditor appears clear enough. In this context, an undated denial from the City of Konawa as to the nonexistence of guilty and inculpatory body camera footage is not credible.”

The suit further alleges that “because the City of Konawa has denied a proper State Open Records request for material subject to such a request, falsely denying the material exists when the material plainly exists, the City of Konawa is in violation of 51 O.S. §§24A.1-24A.32.”

The Plaintiff seeks $250,000 in damages for the loss of Tony’s life due to the actions and negligence of Rogers, Russell, and the City of Konawa, and “such other relief as this honorable court may see fit to, inter alia, address the inadequate mental health and crisis intervention training of the Konawa Police Department.”

The lawsuit was filed March 19 in Seminole County District Court. Defendants named include the City of Konawa, the Konawa Police Department, Officer Summer Rogers, Konawa Police Chief Bryan Russell, Ashley Cox, and John Doe.

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