OKC Protester Charged With Unlawfully Handling A Firearm

A picture that was taken outside the Oklahoma City police headquarters has two local protesters in trouble with the law.

Oklahoma County District Attorney David Prater has charged Adriana Laws, 22, for posing in the photo with a gun.

Police said Laws was in violation of a state statute.

The picture that was posted on social media was taken on Monday outside the main entrance of the Oklahoma City Police Department.

The local protesters were holding an armed rally on the front steps of police headquarters.

“There were multiple individuals that appeared to be armed in that photo,” said Sgt. Megan Morgan, Oklahoma City Police Department. “There were two people armed who did not have their firearms properly holstered.”

Investigators recognized the 22-year-old protester in the photo. Laws has been at a number of protests around the city. She also recorded a recent traffic stop where she was arrested on a DUI warrant.

Laws now faces a charge for unlawfully carrying a firearm.

The day after the picture was taken, Prater filed the misdemeanor charge against Laws and recommended an arrest warrant be issued.

Police said the crime Laws committed was holding a gun for the purpose of a photo and not in self-defense or for target practice.

“The firearm was not holstered at the time for the photo, which is in violation of state statute,” Morgan said.

Police want to identify the man in the photo wearing the red bandanna. They said he s also in violation of the law.

Prater commented off camera about the quick turnaround of the charge against Laws.

He said it is not unusual to charge someone a day after investigators present him with the case.