Comanche Tribal Member, Lawton Police Officer Celebrates Retirement

On Friday, February 3, Sgt. Loui Pohawpatchoko retired from the Lawton Police Department (LPD). He Served 31 Years and 25 with LPD.

Pohawpatchoko said his highlight was serving under LPD's Special Operations. He said they served several search warrants.

"I was a detective undercover and I was cross-deputized by the DEA out of the Dallas office,” he said. “We served numerous search warrants. That was the time of my life and that’s the most exciting part of my career.”

Pohawpatchoko said it's everyone's dream to retire.

"You’ll know when it’s time to retire and I felt that it’s for me to go,” he said. “Though, I’ll endeavor in something else that I wanted to leave the department on good standing. I’m just happy to leave.”

He said he was himself and treated people the way they wanted to be treated while serving the Lawton area. 

"You have a big city and you just get out there and be who you are and you treat the people the way you want to be treated,” Pohawpatchoko said. “You treat them with respect because that’s the last thing they’re going to remember about you, is how you treated that person.”

There were plenty of stories being shared, and some of them included musical numbers. Pohawpatchoko said he is an Iron Maden fan.

"I love Iron Maden; I’m a rocker,” Pohawpatchoko said. “I play my own music, I enjoy it; I have a great time.”

He said the best car sing-along was Fight the Good Fight by Triumph.

“It’s one heck of a song, everyone needs to listen to it,” Pohawpatchoko said. “If you haven’t listened to Triumph Fight the Good Fight, it’s worth a listen.”

Pohawpatchoko gave his history of what Native Americans went through, not just him as a Comanche.

"I come from a line of warriors,” he said. “All the way from the Sand Creek Massacre (), Red Raven and my great grandfather (), which is Pohawpatchoko. And come from a big line of warriors and I enjoyed being one of the warriors for the Lawton Police Department.”

He said becoming a police officer was a calling.

"I didn’t choose this profession, it chose me,” Pohawpatchoko said. “I looked up to a man by the name of C.H. Brazil back in 1976 as a 14-year-old child and that’s when I first met him and I stumbled into him and in 1997 when I got hired on I had the privilege to work with him. I wanted to be a police officer just like he was. And that’s how the story all starts.”

Pohawpatchoko said the younger generation needs to have compassion.

"Times have changed,” he said. “Everything has changed from when I first got hired on and what we’re doing and what’s going on today in today’s society. The new ones that are coming on here with the police department, it doesn’t matter what police department, have a little compassion. Have compassion for your fellow man, for your fellow human. Go out there and do your job, but have compassion for that person. And make sure that whatever they need…I give the shirt off my back to anyone, to anyone, just to help them. Because the way you treated that person is the way that they’re going to remember you from here on out.”

His upcoming plans include vacations and spending time with family.