In the complex world of family law, the stakes are incredibly high. As a parent, I've found myself navigating the intricate and often painful realm of custody battles where it sometimes feels like the system is stacked against those it is meant to protect: our children. My primary concern is to ensure that children's safety and well-being are prioritized above all else. This is why I'm calling for mandatory body camera recording of all police contacts in situations where parental rights or custody are discussed.

In many cases, crucial conversations regarding custody can occur in the absence of proper oversight. This lack of transparency not only leaves room for misinterpretations but could potentially compromise the rights of parents and the safety of the children involved. By mandating body camera usage, we can ensure these encounters are recorded and can be reviewed if necessary, reinforcing accountability and transparency in these critical discussions. Additionally, no Level 2 exemption should apply when a parent invokes their rights; every conversation should be documented for the child's protection.

Moreover, we need to address the often overlooked issue of conflicts of interest within the guardian ad litem (GAL) system. A GAL who is embroiled in legal disputes with any party they oversee must be compelled to disclose such conflicts and be removed from the case. Maintaining impartiality is paramount when the future of a child is at stake.

We must also forbid the use of sealed or stolen documents in custody proceedings. To prevent the manipulation of justice, any incident involving such documents should either result in a mistrial or invoke serious sanctions against those responsible.

An independent oversight board must be established to handle GAL complaints, separate from the current process managed by the State Bar Association. This external body would lend credibility and trust to a process that is critical for family welfare.

This petition is not just a call for reform; it's a plea for the protection of children, ensuring their voices are heard and their rights safeguarded. Please join me in urging policymakers to implement these necessary changes. Sign this petition to make a real difference in the lives of countless children caught in the crossfire of custody battles. Your signature can be the catalyst for a system that serves justice and humanity with integrity.

Sign the petition and demand reform.

OKLAHOMA FATHER ALLEGES POLICE ASSAULT, STOLEN SEALED

DOCUMENTS,

AND COORDINATED MISCONDUCT BY COURT OFFICERS IN

CUSTODY CASE

Federal Civil Rights Lawsuit Filed in Western District of Oklahoma;
Oklahoma County Sheriff's Office Opens Burglary Investigation;
Family Court Judge Recuses for Perceived Bias After Father Finally Heard

EDMOND, OKLAHOMA -- An Oklahoma father, Zachary Waller, has filed a federal civil rights

lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma (Case No. CIV-
2026-988-SLP) alleging that an Oklahoma City police officer threatened him with felony arrest in

a civil custody dispute, physically assaulted him when his phone died and recording stopped, and
that his body camera was deliberately not activated during the encounter. Simultaneously, a
parallel criminal investigation by the Oklahoma County Sheriff's Office has been opened into the
alleged theft of sealed court documents from Waller's home and their subsequent distribution by a
court-appointed Guardian ad Litem and the opposing party's attorney in active custody
proceedings.
Waller, a father of multiple children and owner of a roofing construction company, says the events
that began March 13, 2026 represent a coordinated effort to deprive him of his parental rights
through police coercion, evidence fabrication, and the weaponization of stolen sealed
whistleblower documents -- all while the family court system failed to intervene. The presiding
family court judge recently recused himself for perceived bias after Waller was finally permitted to
speak at a hearing for the first time after nine months of proceedings.

'I did everything right that day. I filed a police report. I filed an emergency motion with
the court. I notified the GAL in writing. I called 911 when she showed up with an officer

who was already waiting around the corner. And that officer told me I would be
arrested for a felony if I didn't hand over my son -- in a civil custody matter, with no
warrant, with his body camera off. When my phone died, he pinned me against my own
front door. The moment my daughter handed me a phone through the door and I started
recording again, he immediately backed away. That sequence tells you everything.'
-- Zachary Waller, Plaintiff

THE MARCH 13, 2026 INCIDENT
According to documents filed in federal court and confirmed by city records, on March 13, 2026,
Waller made a formal police report to OCPD Officer Ryan Goodger regarding child endangerment
and fire danger in the household of the mother of his minor son. Waller filed an emergency court
motion the same day and notified the court-appointed Guardian ad Litem in writing. That evening,
OCPD Officer Brandon Cobb (Badge No. 2406) arrived at Waller's Edmond home within sixty
seconds of Waller's 911 call -- a response time Waller says is impossible through normal dispatch
and consistent with pre-positioning.
Waller alleges that Cobb, who arrived alone and without his body camera activated, told him: 'I am
going to put you in jail and charge you with a felony if you don't turn the child over.' Waller has
video of this threat. When Waller's phone later died and recording stopped, Waller alleges Cobb
physically pinned him against his front door and placed his body camera against Waller's face in a
manner simulating drawing a firearm. When Waller's daughter passed him a replacement phone
through the door and recording resumed, Cobb immediately de-escalated.
Watch Commander Kelly later told Waller he had reviewed 'body cam from officer of only what
the officer wanted recorded' and found no wrongdoing -- an admission, Waller alleges, that the
review was of footage Cobb himself controlled. Head litigation attorney Sherri Katz and the Chief
of Police subsequently reviewed the footage and cleared Cobb, according to Waller.
The City of Oklahoma City confirmed receipt of Waller's preservation demand in writing on March
16, 2026, but has refused all production requests, citing a state juvenile confidentiality statute.
Waller's litigation hold specifically identified the squad car's dash camera and belt microphone
audio -- which operate independently of the Axon body camera and cannot be disabled by a call
classification. The City has confirmed through its own records officer that all materials will be
produced on court order.

'The squad car's dash camera was running the entire time. The belt audio was running.
None of that is affected by whether the body camera is activated. The City knows what's
on those recordings. That's why they won't produce them voluntarily.'
-- Zachary Waller

THE STOLEN SEALED DOCUMENTS
In a parallel development, the Oklahoma County Sheriff's Office has opened a burglary
investigation, Case No. 202601204, assigned to Lieutenant Michael Belanger, into the alleged theft

of sealed court documents from Waller's home. The documents in question are the official
transcript from a sealed Canadian County Guardianship proceeding, Case No. PG-2018-121 -- a
sealed case involving a different child from a prior relationship, in which Waller engaged in
whistleblower activities and received a permanent favorable custody ruling.
Waller says he is the only person who ever received a copy of the transcript, which he obtained
through a formal court petition in 2020. The Canadian County court clerk has confirmed no other
person petitioned for the document's release. The other party in the Guardianship case has
confirmed she never provided the transcript to the opposing party in the current custody case.
Despite this, the sealed transcript subsequently appeared in written court filings by the opposing
party's attorney in the Oklahoma County custody case, and the court-appointed Guardian ad Litem
-- who is also a defendant in Waller's federal civil rights lawsuit -- read from it in open court on
May 1, 2026, over a timely objection by Waller's then-attorney that is preserved in the court record.
When Waller's attorney demanded to know on the record where the document was obtained, the
attorneys refused to answer. The prior judge declined to compel a response.
That judge has since recused himself for perceived bias. Judge Charles Gass in Canadian County
has issued both criminal and civil contempt citations against the Guardian ad Litem, the opposing
party, and the opposing party's attorney, with a hearing scheduled for June 29, 2026.

'They stole a document from my home that was sealed by a court, used it to portray me
as mentally unstable in a custody proceeding, refused to say where they got it, and the
judge at the time accepted it over my attorney's objection. The same judge later recused
himself. Another judge has now issued criminal contempt citations against all three of
them for the same conduct. And an Oklahoma County Sheriff's detective is investigating
the burglary. This is not my word against theirs anymore. This is documented.'
-- Zachary Waller

THE CURRENT SITUATION
As a result of the proceedings described above, Waller has been restricted to twenty-eight hours of
parenting time per month with his minor son and has been denied overnight access for
approximately eight months. He alleges his son remains in a household against which Waller filed
two formal police reports and which a DHS on-call worker identified as presenting a safety risk on
the evening of March 13, 2026 -- a finding that was subsequently altered in DHS records in
circumstances Waller believes involved coordination with the Guardian ad Litem. A subsequent
DHS investigation independently confirmed the safety concern, Waller says.
The Guardian ad Litem has recommended that Waller undergo a $10,000 psychological
evaluation. The prior court ordered the evaluation with the opposing party and the Guardian ad
Litem -- both defendants in Waller's federal civil rights lawsuit -- as the collateral sources
providing information to the evaluator.
Waller has filed formal complaints with the Oklahoma Bar Association against the Guardian ad
Litem, the opposing party's attorney, and the Guardian ad Litem's husband -- himself a licensed
attorney who Waller alleges threatened him financially to drop his legal claims and stated he

personally knew the newly assigned family court judge and expected a favorable ruling. The
Oklahoma County Sheriff's Office has been advised of those threatening communications.

'My son is with the household a DHS worker said was unsafe. I am the parent who filed
every report, served a litigation hold within twenty-four hours, filed an FBI complaint
within forty-eight hours, subpoenaed the video that proved the false battery charge
against me was fabricated, and built a documented record that contradicts everything
they have told the court. I am the one who is restricted to twenty-eight hours a month.
That has to change.'
-- Zachary Waller

FEDERAL LAWSUIT AND DEFENDANTS
The federal civil rights lawsuit, Case No. CIV-2026-988-SLP, names the following defendants: the
City of Oklahoma City; OCPD Officer Brandon Cobb; DHS worker Darryl English (since
terminated from DHS, default judgment proceedings pending); Guardian ad Litem Miranda Long;
and Alexa Acord (the opposing party in the custody case). The lawsuit alleges violations of the
Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments, including unlawful seizure, excessive force, unreasonable
search of a minor child, deprivation of parental rights without due process, and civil conspiracy.
Darryl English, the DHS worker who arrived at Waller's home on March 13, 2026, is alleged to
have conducted an unauthorized physical examination of Waller's nine-year-old daughter without
parental consent, forcibly seized Waller's phone, and subsequently altered his investigative
findings in coordination with the Guardian ad Litem. English has since been terminated from DHS.
He was properly served and failed to appear in the federal case; default judgment proceedings are
underway.

RELEVANT CASE NUMBERS AND CONTACTS
Federal Civil Rights Case: CIV-2026-988-SLP, U.S. District Court, Western District of
Oklahoma, Judge Scott L. Palk
Oklahoma County Family Court: FP-2022-263 (prior judge recused; new judge assigned)
Canadian County Contempt: FP-2013-32, Judge Charles Gass (hearing June 29, 2026)
Oklahoma County Sheriff Burglary Investigation: Case No. 202601204, Lt. Michael Belanger
FBI IC3 Complaint: Submission ID bf0fb2dc8baa492d917917f798ed81a4

ABOUT ZACHARY WALLER
Zachary Waller is a father and entrepreneur based in Edmond, Oklahoma. He is the owner and
operator of Qual Con, a roofing and construction company. He is representing himself pro se in the
federal civil rights action and in state court proceedings. He is not affiliated with any political

organization. He is seeking accountability for documented misconduct by state actors and court
officers, and the safe return of his children to his care.

DOCUMENTS AVAILABLE
The following documents are available to credentialed media upon request:
- Federal Second Amended Complaint (Case No. CIV-2026-988-SLP)
- City of Oklahoma City written confirmation of litigation hold (March 16, 2026)
- FBI complaint confirmation
- Oklahoma County Sheriff's Office case confirmation (Case No. 202601204)
- Canadian County contempt citations (Judge Gass)
- OBA complaints against Long, Schamel, and Buergler
- Video evidence (available for review, not for broadcast without consent)

MEDIA CONTACT
Zachary Waller
405-702-3364