Man arrested in Bryan Co. cockfighting bust identified

SHERMAN, Texas (KXII) - Deputies say 68-year-old Michael Bedford helped aid people in getting away from authorities by pulling the paneling away from the gate and directing cars out.

The Bryan County Sheriff’s Office said they were called to a property in Allison Saturday night, where they saw groups of people running into the woods.

They said between two to three hundred people were there.

They found a barn where a cock-fighting arena was set up.

Bedford was charged with obstruction and possession of a firearm after a felony.

President of Animal Wellness Action, Wayne Pacelle said Oklahoma is the major cock-fighting center in the United States.

“It is a felony and our hats are off to the Bryan County Sheriffs office for stopping this fight in progress and for going after these law breakers,” Pacelle said.

Pacelle doesn’t think there should be more laws put in place for animal fighting but instead suggests better enforcement of the laws.

It’s also illegal to raise and ship out fighting roosters in Oklahoma, if it is proven that fighting is their purpose, although in 2020, the state was one of the top exporters of game fowl used in illegal cockfights in the country.

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