24-06-2025
How police are preparing for OKC Thunder NBA championship parade
Law enforcement agencies across the Oklahoma City metro are coordinating for what could be the biggest party in the city's history.
Authorities expect as many as hundreds of thousands of people to pour into downtown Tuesday, June 24, to celebrate the Thunder's NBA Finals victory at the Champions Parade.
Due to the large-scale nature of the celebration, OKC police have asked for help from law enforcement agencies in surrounding communities and the broader state, including the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety and the Oklahoma National Guard.
Department of Public Safety spokeswoman Sarah Stewart said the agency was helping implement a traffic plan, with increased Oklahoma Highway Patrol troopers Tuesday along major highways coming in and out of OKC.
City council members for Yukon, a suburb west of OKC, also approved members of its police force to assist with the parade. Yukon Police Chief John Corn said partner agencies held meetings right up until Friday, June 20, as various OKC departments planned the event, which became a reality Sunday night when the Thunder secured the title.
"It's quite elaborate planning," Corn said.
More: Half a million are expected downtown for the championship parade. How are businesses preparing?
The Moore Police and Norman Police departments, stationed in suburbs south of OKC, and the Edmond Police Department, headquartered just north, also have been asked to assist.
Moore spokesman Clint Byley said members of Moore police would be present in downtown OKC as part of the South Metro SWAT Team, a multi-jurisdictional unit that also includes Norman police and the Cleveland County Sheriff's Office.
For OKC police, Tuesday's parade will come less than 48 hours after another major event — Sunday night's championship game at the Paycom Center downtown. Police also planned ahead for that event, blocking off inbound traffic into downtown OKC's Bricktown area late Sunday immediately after the team's win.
OKC police Sgt. Gary Knight said that, given the historic nature of the celebration, police saw few issues Sunday night into Monday downtown.
"It was pretty peaceful, and we had a lot of people out there, but there was nothing major that happened," Knight said. "As far as police work goes, people behaved themselves, for the most part, really well."
Police did respond to a shooting around 10:30 p.m. Sunday on the east side of Scissortail Park.
Knight said a teenager was shot and had injuries that were not life-threatening.
While there was concern on social media about the shooting's possible connection to the championship given the park's proximity to the Paycom Center, Knight said the incident was not related "in any way, shape, form or fashion to the game or the post-game celebration."
One person was initially detained in connection to the shooting, but Knight said no arrest had been made as of early Monday.
After Sunday night's game, some fans of the team were videoed jumping for joy into the Bricktown Canal. The city's Parks and Recreation Department later advised residents against doing so. While the parks department did not mention it directly, many on social media recalled a tragic situation when a man died and another was injured after being electrocuted by a broken light at the Bricktown Canal in 2018.
"Listen, we get it. THUNDER UP! But you guys: stop jumping in the canal," the parks department said in social media posts Monday. "First of all, it's against the rules. Second of all, our nanobubble scrubber technology is still working to clear the water. And there is, um, a ways to go before that's all good."
More: What could an Oklahoma City Thunder victory parade look like?
The city's various departments have also been at work for weeks to plan Tuesday's parade, ever since the Thunder made the NBA playoffs in early June. City management announced Monday that city offices would close and most city services would be unavailable on the day of the parade.
"Conducting City business in person downtown will be almost impossible on parade day, so I decided to close," City Manager Craig Freeman said in a statement. "Closing will also make more parking available for the thousands of people attending the parade. Plus, many of our Utilities, Parks and Public Works crews are needed to support parade operations."
Ahead of the parade, OKC Police Chief Ron Bacy encouraged people to bring the "best versions of yourself" to the celebration, adding that the Thunder had represented the city well in the NBA competition and that residents should want to match the team's efforts.
"We want to make sure that we represent them the way that they've represented us on the biggest stage: with dignity, with class, and with respect," Bacy said.
More: Security efforts are ramping up at Paycom Center as the Thunder enters NBA Finals
He also said that attendees should have a plan before they arrive on how to reunify if they end up lost or separated from their party.
"Again, we want everyone to stay safe," Bacy said. "If you see something, say something."
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: NBA Championship parade: How OKC police are preparing for the party
