Oklahoma police chief arrested, accused of selling methamphetamine

HUGHES COUNTY, Okla. — UPDATE, 5/26/22: Calvin City Attorney Lloyd Palmer has confirmed to FOX23 that Chitwood has resigned from his position.


Calvin Police Chief Joe Don Chitwood has been arrested on suspicion of distributing and using methamphetamine.

Spokesperson for the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics (OBN) told FOX23 the chief was taken into custody Thursday after a search warrant on May 3rd.

“The chief was arrested without incident a search,” said Spokesperson Mark Woodward, “It resulted in the location of a small amount of methamphetamine.”

According to an affidavit it says a senior agent “utilized an Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics confidential informant to purchase methamphetamine from Calvin Police Chief Joe Chitwood.”

“We had received information about a month ago circulating that this individual possibly buying and selling individual in Hughes county,” said Woodward.

The affidavit goes on to say that the conversation was recorded and listened to by a district attorney investigator and that during the conversation the informant “informed Chitwood that he or she had some cash and was needing some expletive.” Based on training and experience it says “some expletive “refers to methamphetamine.”

The affidavit says Chitwood and the informant spoke again and he wanted the informant “to come to his residence to pick it up.”

Around 4:51 the informant went to the residence and the person standing outside was “identified by a special agent as Chitwood from photographs.”

The affidavit said agents eventually “took custody of a small glass container containing a crystal-like substance” It was later field tested and it had a positive reaction for methamphetamine.

“He was arrested and looking at charges of distributing methamphetamine,” said Woodward.

The police chief is just arrested on suspicion of distribution based on a search warrant and has not been presented any formal charges. Officials from the town hall in Calvin said he posted a $25,000 bond and has additional supervision.

He is set for a court date on May 24, 2022.

FOX23 asked if he is still the police chief, and the town attorney says that everyone is innocent until proven guilty and they will wait for more information before any official action is taken.

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