Former OK County detention officer booked in detainee death

-- Facing two charges connected to suicide death day after Christmas, 2021

OKLAHOMA CITY (Free Press) — A former Oklahoma County Detention Center (OCDC) or Jail officer has surrendered for booking on one felony and one misdemeanor in the death of a detainee the day after Christmas in 2021.

Tuesday, the Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office issued an arrest warrant for Jesse Paul Kight, fired in December in connection to the suicide death of detainee Gabriel Yalartai on December 26, 2021. Kight’s address is listed in the City of Oklahoma City.

See our previous report:

Kight surrendered at the Jail at 1:18 p.m. Tuesday, paid $5,000 bail and was released.

Jesse Paul Kight booking photo May 18, 2022.

Kight was booked for:

  • “Falsify public records” – a felony
  • “Omission of duty by public official” – a misdemeanor

“Kight is accused of leaving his assigned post and failing to conduct required sight checks in his assigned area. He is further accused of forging the logbook by recording sight checks which he did not perform,” reads a press release by Mark Opgrande, the public information officer for the Jail.

Kight’s employment with the OCDC was terminated the next day on December 27, 2021.

Greg Williams, CEO of the Oklahoma County Detention Center, was direct in his statement about this situation.

“We are entrusted with the care and welfare of the detainees in our custody. When that trust is broken, we will work with law enforcement to hold people accountable.”


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Founder, publisher, and editor of Oklahoma City Free Press. Brett continues to contribute reports and photography to this site as he runs the business.