A Farmer Arrested for Going 5 Seconds over His Time Limit at Data Center Meeting

Claremore, Oklahoma resident Darren Blanchard was arrested and charged with trespass after speaking approximately five seconds past a three-minute public comment limit at a February city council meeting about Project Mustang, a proposed 300-acre data center campus. Bodycam footage of the incident, obtained after an initial $1,750 fee was reduced to $120, shows the officer ordering his arrest as Blanchard attempted to submit documents. The incident has raised concerns about how the city handled public dissent regarding a major infrastructure project whose terms were largely finalized before the public comment period.