CJ-2026-00015 - Randell Montanez v. Board of County Commissioners for Custer County

What's This Case About?

Let’s be real: nobody expects to get kidnapped and beaten by the cops during a routine traffic stop. But according to Randell Montanez, that’s exactly what happened in Weatherford, Oklahoma — a sleepy town best known for peanuts and panhandles, not police brutality spectacles. On February 17, 2024, Montanez claims he was pulled over on suspicion of driving while impaired, only to be violently yanked from his car, pummeled on the pavement, and essentially held hostage by multiple officers who allegedly turned a DUI check into a full-blown assault. Now, two years later, he’s suing nearly every branch of local law enforcement in Custer County, demanding a quarter-million dollars and a jury trial — because, as we all know, nothing says “justice” like airing your trauma in front of 12 strangers and a judge who just wants to get home before rush hour.

So who is Randell Montanez? He’s an Oklahoma County resident — not even a local to Custer County — which makes the whole thing feel even more like a wrong-place, wrong-time nightmare. The defendants? A whole alphabet soup of government entities: the Board of County Commissioners, the Custer County Sheriff’s Office, the City of Weatherford, the Weatherford Police Department, and four named officers — Justin Blatnick, Douglas Hale, Emmanuel Ruiz, and Dylan Ward — plus three mysterious “John Does” who may or may not have shown up late to the beatdown. The lawsuit paints a picture of a coordinated, brutal takedown led by Officer Emmanuel Ruiz, who allegedly pulled Montanez over, suspected impairment, called for backup, and then decided to skip the whole “due process” thing and go straight to fisticuffs.

Here’s how it allegedly went down: Ruiz approaches Montanez’s car, smells something suspicious (probably not roses), calls Hale for backup. Hale arrives. They start questioning Montanez — who, again, is just sitting in his car, presumably trying not to panic. Then, without warning or justification, Ruiz allegedly jerks Montanez out of the vehicle like he’s removing a stubborn weed from a garden. Once outside, the plaintiff claims Ruiz starts wailing on him — elbows, fists, the whole nine yards — right in the face and head. Montanez says he didn’t resist. Not a shove, not a curse word, not even a dramatic eye roll. He was, by his account, a passive participant in his own assault.

Then comes the part that sounds like it was ripped from a bad action movie: after being thrown to the pavement, Montanez says he was beaten while helpless, with Officers Ruiz and Hale using their training and body weight to pin him down — not to secure him, but to deny him any chance of compliance. Think about that for a second: the very training meant to protect citizens is allegedly being used to crush one into the asphalt. The lawsuit claims he suffered permanent injuries, ongoing medical costs, and enough mental anguish to fill a therapist’s lifetime caseload. And let’s not forget the cherry on top — Montanez claims he was kidnapped. Yes, kidnapped. As in, unlawfully confined and deprived of his freedom. This wasn’t just a rough arrest; in his telling, it was a full-on abduction by badge-wearing vigilantes.

Now, why is this in court? Legally speaking, Montanez isn’t just mad — he’s bringing the receipts (or at least the allegations). He’s suing for intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress — basically, “you broke my brain and you should pay.” He’s claiming assault and battery, which in plain English means, “they hit me on purpose and it hurt.” There’s also a negligence claim — arguing that the departments failed to train or supervise these officers properly, despite supposedly knowing they had a habit of turning traffic stops into MMA matches. And then there’s the big one: false imprisonment and kidnapping. That last one is spicy. You don’t throw around “kidnapping” lightly, especially when cops are involved. It suggests Montanez wasn’t just arrested — he was taken, against his will, without legal justification. If proven, that’s not just misconduct. That’s criminal.

What does Montanez want? A cool $250,000 — plus punitive damages, which are meant to punish the defendants, not just compensate the plaintiff. Is $250k a lot for a traffic stop gone wrong? Depends. If you’re a small-town cop, maybe. If you’re a city with insurance and taxpayer backing, it’s a rounding error — especially if this case goes viral and becomes a PR dumpster fire. But the real ask here isn’t just money. It’s accountability. It’s a jury saying, “No, officers, you don’t get to beat a man senseless just because you feel like it.” And let’s not overlook the fact that all the officers are being sued individually — meaning Montanez’s lawyers are arguing these weren’t official acts protected by qualified immunity, but personal, rogue actions. That’s a bold move. It’s like saying, “These guys weren’t wearing badges — they were wearing masks.”

Our take? Look, we’re not here to convict anyone — that’s what trials are for. But the sheer escalation of this situation is jaw-dropping. A traffic stop leads to a beating leads to a kidnapping claim? That’s not de-escalation — that’s a horror movie script. The most absurd part? The idea that multiple officers showed up and no one said, “Hey, maybe stop punching the guy in the head while he’s on the ground?” Or, “Should we, I don’t know, arrest him instead of turning this into a street fight?” And let’s talk about the John Does — three mystery cops who may have joined the pile-on. Are they the silent enablers? The ones who just watched? Or were they the ones handing out high-fives afterward? We may never know — unless someone’s body cam was rolling.

We’re rooting for clarity, if not justice. We want to know what really happened. Was Montanez impaired and combative off-camera? Or was this a case of unchecked power and institutional failure? Because if this lawsuit is even half true, then Weatherford doesn’t just have a bad apple — it has a whole rotten orchard. And if officers can allegedly kidnap and beat a man during a routine stop and face nothing more than a slap on the wrist, then we’ve got bigger problems than one man’s injuries. We’ve got a system that might be broken by design.

But hey — that’s why we have courts. And juries. And lawyers who aren’t afraid to demand answers. So grab your popcorn, Custer County. This one’s going to be a show.

Case Overview

$250,000 Demand Jury Trial Petition

Jurisdiction

District Court of Custer County, Oklahoma

Filing Attorney

Kimberly Rennie

Whitbeck Beglis, PLLC

Relief Sought

$250,000 Monetary

$1 Punitive

Plaintiffs

Randell Montanez individual
Rep: Kimberly Rennie, OBA #30417 and Jeramy Jarman, OBA #20508

Defendants

Board of County Commissioners for Custer County government
Custer County Sheriff's Office government
City of Weatherford government
Weatherford Police Department government
Justin Blatnick individual
Douglas Hale individual
Emmanuel Ruiz individual
Dylan Ward individual
John Doe 1 individual
John Doe 2 individual
John Doe 3 individual

Claims

#	Cause of Action	Description
1	Intentional/Neligent Emotional Distress	Plaintiff alleges that Defendants' actions caused him intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress.
2	Assault and Battery	Plaintiff alleges that Defendants acted intentionally with the intent of making harmful and/or offensive physical contact with him.
4	Negligence, Gross Negligence, Negligence Per Se	Plaintiff alleges that Defendants' actions and/or inactions resulted in damages to him.
5	False Imprisonment and Kidnapping	Plaintiff alleges that Defendants' actions constituted false imprisonment and kidnapping.

Petition Text

1,412 words

IN THE DISTRICT COURT OF CUSTER COUNTY STATE OF OKLAHOMA RANDELL MONTANEZ, Plaintiff, V. Case No. CJ-2026- BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS FOR CUSTER COUNTY; CUSTER COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE; CITY OF WEATHERFORD, ex rel.; WEATHERFORD POLICE DEPARTMENT; JUSTIN BLATNICK, Individually, DOUGLAS HALE, Individually, EMMANUEL RUIZ, Individually, and DYLAN WARD, Individually, JOHN DOE 1, Individually, JOHN DOE 2, Individually, JOHN DOE 3, Individually. Defendants. PETITION COMES NOW, the Plaintiff, Randell Montanez, (hereinafter referred to as “Plaintiff”) by and through his counsel of record identified below, and for his Petition and cause of action against the Defendants, Defendant Board of County Commissioners for Custer County, Defendant Custer County Sheriff’s Office, Defendant City of Weatherford, Defendant Weatherford Police Department, Defendant Justin Blatnick (herein referred to as “Mr. Blatnick”), Defendant Douglas Hale (herein referred to as “Mr. Hale”), Defendant Emmanuel Ruiz (herein referred to as “Mr. Ruiz”), and Defendant Dylan Ward (herein referred to as “Mr. Ward”), alleges and states as follows: JURISDICTION AND VENUE 1. Plaintiff is a resident of Oklahoma County, State of Oklahoma. 2. This Court has jurisdiction over this action and these parties pursuant to 12 O.S. § 2004. 3. Venue is proper pursuant to 12 O.S. § 137 and/or 12 O.S. § 134. 4. Defendant Board of County Commissioners for Custer Counter is a political subdivision of the State of Oklahoma. 5. Defendant Custer County Sheriff's Office is a political subdivision of the State of Oklahoma. 6. Defendant City of Weatherford is a political subdivision of the State of Oklahoma. 7. Defendant Weatherford Police Department is a political subdivision of the State of Oklahoma. 8. Defendant Mr. Blatnick, at all times relevant to this Petition, was a duly appointed, employed and acting within the scope of his employment as a Weatherford Police Officer, is being sued in his individual capacity, and to the best of Plaintiff's knowledge, is a resident of Custer County, Oklahoma. 9. Defendant Hale, at all times relevant to this Petition, was/is a duly appointed and employed Weatherford Police Officer acting within the scope of his employment. Hale, in his individual capacity, is a resident of Custer County, Oklahoma. 10. Defendant Ruiz, at all times relevant to this Petition, was/is a duly appointed and employed Weatherford Police Officer acting within the scope of his employment. Hale, in his individual capacity, is a resident of Custer County, Oklahoma. 11. Defendant Ward, at all times relevant to this Petition, was/is a duly appointed and employed Weatherford Police Officer acting within the scope of his employment. Hale, in his individual capacity, is a resident of Custer County, Oklahoma. FACTUAL ALLEGATIONS 12. On or about February 17th, 2024, Plaintiff was travelling around East Main and I-40 in Weatherford, Oklahoma. 13. Weatherford Police Officer Emmanuel Ruiz pulled over Plaintiff allegedly on the suspicion of impaired driving. 14. Defendant Ruiz alleged in his reporting that, he exited his vehicle and approached Plaintiff’s vehicle, he suspected Plaintiff was under the influence and requested another unit for backup. 15. After Ruiz requested backup, Defendant Hale, acting in the course and scope of his employment as a Weatherford Police Officer, arrived on the scene. 16. Ruiz and Mr. Hale, began interrogating Plaintiff when Defendant Ruiz, without justification and/or cause, forcefully attempted to unlawfully jerk Plaintiff from his vehicle. 17. Defendant Ruiz forcefully removed Ruiz from the vehicle, and in the process, Defendant Ruiz began striking the Plaintiff with his elbow or fist in Plaintiff’s face and head area, including the back of his head. 18. Plaintiff did not physically resist Defendants Ruiz and/or Hale in any manner. 19. The use of force by Defendants Ruiz and Hale were unprovoked, and the use of force unnecessary to gain compliance of Plaintiff. 20. After forcefully removing Plaintiff from his vehicle, Defendant Ruiz struck him at least twice in the head and face area. 21. Defendants physically restrained Plaintiff’s freedom of movement and forcefully threw Plaintiff to the pavement in the roadway. 22. Once helpless on the pavement, Defendants Ruiz and Mr. Hale began striking Plaintiff repeatedly while he remained in a defenseless position. 23. While beating Plaintiff, Defendants Hale and Ruiz used their body weight and training to restrain Plaintiff which denied Plaintiff the physical ability to comply with any commands. 24. The actions and/or inactions of Defendants caused permanent irreparable injury to the Plaintiff. 25. As a result of the injuries to Plaintiff, Plaintiff incurred, and continues to incur, medical treatment and associated costs related thereto. 26. As a result of Defendants actions and/or inactions, Plaintiff experienced mental and physical pain and suffering. 27. The named entity Defendants knew and/or should have known that the individual Defendants were prone to violence and/or misuse of the force continuum, and that such misuse would likely result in the injury to innocent citizens, like Plaintiff. 28. The named entity Defendants failed to properly train, supervise, and direct the behavior of the individual Defendants that their actions created the dangers faced by Plaintiff by the individual Defendants. 29. Each of the other named Defendants had a duty to protect the Plaintiff from injury. And each Defendant breached their duty to Plaintiff. COUNT I: INTENTIONAL/NEGLIGENT EMOTIONAL DISTRESS 30. Plaintiff incorporates by reference the above numbered paragraphs as if fully set forth herein. 31. The actions and/or inactions of the Defendants constitute negligent and/or intentional infliction of emotional distress on Plaintiff. 32. As a result of the negligent and/or intentional infliction of emotional distress caused him by Defendants, Plaintiff suffered damages. 33. As such, Plaintiff prays for damages in an amount in excess of $250,000.00, punitive damages, interest, costs, attorney’s fee and any such other relief as allowed by law. COUNT II: ASSAULT AND BATTERY 34 Plaintiff incorporates by reference the above numbered paragraphs as if fully set forth herein. 35. Defendants acted intentionally with the intent of making harmful and/or offensive physical contact with Plaintiff. 36 Defendants’ actions resulted in harmful and offensive contact with Plaintiff. 37. Defendants’ actions and conduct were reckless, egregious, and malicious, entitling the Plaintiff to an award of punitive damages from them. 38. As a result of the assault and battery of Plaintiff by Defendants, Plaintiff suffered damages. 39. Plaintiff prays for damages in an amount in excess of $250,000.00, punitive damages, interest, costs, attorney’s fee and any such other relief as allowed by law. COUNT IV: NEGLIGENCE, GROSS NEGLIGENCE, NEGLIGENCE PER SE 40. Plaintiff incorporates by reference the above numbered paragraphs as if fully set forth herein. 41. Defendants’ negligent, grossly negligent, and negligent per se actions and/or inactions resulted in damages to Plaintiff. 42. The actions and/or inactions of Defendants were so grossly negligent, performed knowingly, intentionally, and with such a willful disregard of the rights of Plaintiff as to entitle Plaintiff to punitive damages. 43. As a result of Defendants’ negligence, gross negligence, and negligence per se, Plaintiff suffered damages. 44. Plaintiff prays for damages in an amount in excess of $250,000.00, punitive damages, interest, costs, attorney’s fee and any such other relief as allowed by law. COUNT V: FALSE IMPRISONMENT and KIDNAPPING 45. Plaintiff incorporates by reference the above numbered paragraphs as if fully set forth herein. 46. Defendants actions constituted the false imprisonment and kidnapping of Plaintiff. 47. As a result of the false imprisonment and kidnapping of Plaintiff by Defendants, Plaintiff suffered damages. 48. Plaintiff prays for damages in an amount in excess of $250,000.00, punitive damages, interest, costs, attorney’s fee and any such other relief as allowed by law. WHEREFORE, Plaintiff prays for judgment against the Defendants in amount to be set at trial but exceeding $250,000 for the damages suffered together with punitive damages, attorney fees, interest, costs, and such other relief as authorized by law. Respectfully Submitted. Kimberly Rennie KIMBERLY RENNIE, OBA #30417 JERAMY JARMAN, OBA #20508 WHITBECK BEGLIS, PLLC 1001 NW 63rd Street, Suite 280 Oklahoma City, OK 73116 (405) 655-5733 telephone Attorney for Plaintiff [email protected] [email protected] ATTORNEY'S LIEN CLAIMED JURY TRIAL DEMANDED Verification (12 O.S. § 426) I state under penalty of perjury, under the laws of the State of Oklahoma, that the foregoing is true and correct, and that I am in agreement with the statements contained therein. Dated:__________17/02/26______________ in Edmond, OK____________________________________ (City / State) _____________________________________ Randell Montanez Verification Final Audit Report Created: 2026-02-17 By: Riley Darrow ([email protected]) Status: Signed Transaction ID: CBJCHBCAABAAmHg8atfIkD1hlbHBH0ZG0ZOMXLIn64r- "Verification" History Document created by Riley Darrow ([email protected]) 2026-02-17 - 7:11:52 PM GMT Document emailed to Randell Montanez ([email protected]) for signature 2026-02-17 - 7:11:56 PM GMT Email viewed by Randell Montanez ([email protected]) 2026-02-17 - 7:12:39 PM GMT Document e-signed by Randell Montanez ([email protected]) Signature Date: 2026-02-17 - 7:13:33 PM GMT - Time Source: server Agreement completed. 2026-02-17 - 7:13:33 PM GMT