Culture & the Family

Tulsa public defender’s pro-assassination post fuels outcry

September 12, 2025

Ray Carter

A public defender’s social-media post appearing to celebrate the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk has drawn public outcry and demands for her resignation.

In a short social-media post, Chance Bennett, a Tulsa County Assistant Public Defender, responded to the news of Kirk’s death with a one-word response: “Good.”

Bennett’s online bio also listed her pronouns.

In a press release, Tulsa County Sheriff Vic Regalado condemned the post.

“Charlie Kirk embodied the spirit of civil discourse,” Regalado said. “His murder, to silence him, is something you see in third-world countries, not America. I’m outraged and disgusted by the comments from a member of the Public Defender’s Office celebrating his death.”

Former state Rep. Jon Echols, a Republican who is running for attorney general in the 2026 election, also condemned the post in the same press release.

“It is profoundly troubling and entirely inappropriate for an Assistant Public Defender, whose responsibility is to uphold the principles of our legal system and guarantee equal treatment for everyone, to react to the murder of Charlie Kirk with anything but alarm, empathy, and repulsion. To express approval for this violence is to violate the fundamental tenets of the rule of law, human dignity, and civilized society.”

According to KTUL, the Tulsa County Public Defender’s Office issued a statement saying that Bennett’s views “do not reflect the views of the Tulsa County Public Defender’s Office.”

Tulsa County officials also distanced themselves from Bennett in a Sept. 11 statement on social media, saying, “The recent public comments made by an employee of the Tulsa County Public Defender’s Office do not reflect the values of Tulsa County. There is zero tolerance for political violence or for those who defend or celebrate it. Tulsa County remains committed to open, transparent government—leading with integrity and treating every citizen with respect.

“This individual is not a Tulsa County employee,” the statement continued. “Public Defenders are hired and paid through court funds administered under the authority of the Oklahoma Supreme Court, not through Tulsa County government. While Tulsa County may provide limited funding for technology and equipment, we have no role or authority over Public Defender personnel decisions.”

According to reports, Bennett subsequently tried to distance herself from her earlier statement and then shut down her Facebook page.