Skip to Content
Everything Else

OKC Storm Chaser Shares Controversial Thoughts on How to Handle Protests

3:40 PM EDT on June 2, 2020

Back in 2017, while grading a pre-season installment of Severe Weather Live! Theatre, I let the Oklahoma masses know about a young upstart storm chaser with a badass name – Chance Coldiron. He immediately became one of my favorites to watch criss-cross Oklahoma backroads.

Here's what I had to say at the time:

I know it’s only the preseason, but Chance Coldiron is developing into one of Mike Morgan’s most trusted storm chasers. The young buckaroo tracked down the center of storms like he was Daniel Day Lewis in The Last of The Mohicans. He was so close to one EF-0 tornado that he got caught in what Mike Morgan called “dust swirls.” It may be early, but KFOR may want to give Chance his own Dominator. He’ll need it to combat that more powerful tornadoes that may strike come May.

Unfortunately, it looks like my glowing review may have been a jinx!

Chance didn't last very long on Channel 4. Not satisfied with playing second fiddle to Mike, Emily and Marc Dillard, he made the jump to the severe weather purgatory of Channel 25, seeking an answer to the age-old question - "If a storm chaser spots a tornado and nobody watches it, does it make a train sound?"

Then, last week, Chance made the mistake of sharing some authoritarian, not-very-sensitive views on Facebook regarding how to handle protests when they arrive in Oklahoma. He apparently deleted the comments, but not before someone took a screenshot, shared them all over Facebook and notified Channel 25:


Yeah, even if it's in diabolical jest, that's not the right way to respond to a comment about people protesting in your hometown, especially if you're a public figure who works in the news media. I'm sure your buddies in the local militia may find it funny – and you'll gain a loyal viewer in Carol Hefner – but that's about it.

That being said, Chance is entitled to his opinion. If he thinks protests and other acts of civil disobedience require a deadly response from law enforcement, so be it. As long as he's consistent in his values, applies them uniformly and fairly to everyone, and is absent of any prejudice or bias, who am I to judge his views, regardless of how deranged they may be?

Oops. Never mind. Fuck him.

Anyway, I have no clue if Chance is still with Channel 25. If he hasn't done so yet, he may want to hit up Jim Gardner to see about issuing an apology, otherwise he may end up chasing clouds and thunder for the Epoch Times. Actually, that sounds like his dream job, so I could be giving Chance bad advice.

Either way, I'm now looking for a new storm chaser with a new badass name to call my favorite. It will probably end up being Buck King. Don't let me down, Buck.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter