The trial has begun for former officer Daniel Holtzclaw, the Oklahoma City policeman who has been charged with sexually assaulting and raping 13 Black women, reports BuzzFeed.
Holtzclaw, who was fired from the force in January, is facing an all-White jury—eight men and four women—despite the fact that all of the women he allegedly assaulted were Black. Three Black men were reportedly dismissed from jury duty before the trial began.
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An aspiring professional football player, Holtzclaw has been accused by 13 Black women of sexual assault. According to reports, Holtzclaw would routinely approach Black women and run their names to see whether they had records. He would then assault the women, many of whom had outstanding warrants, assuming that they wouldn’t report him and risk being arrested. He was arrested in August 2014 and is facing 36 charges of rape, oral sodomy and sexual battery.
Holtzclaw’s trial is expected to last through the month.