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Tag: Plank

  • Judge orders dismissal of criminal case against man accused of murdering OK County deputy

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    An Oklahoma County judge has denied a request to allow a man accused of killing a sheriff’s deputy in 2022 more time to receive competency restoration treatment, saying a doctor failed to administer the man court-ordered medication.

    Oklahoma County District Judge Kathryn Savage ordered the criminal case against Benjamin Plank to be dismissed “without prejudice,” meaning the charges can be refiled against Plank if he is determined to have regained competency later on. For now, he will be civilly committed.

    Plank was charged with first-degree murder after Oklahoma County Sgt. Bobby Swartz was fatally shot while serving an eviction notice Aug. 22, 2022. Plank is also accused of shooting at three other deputies during the incident in south Oklahoma City. One of the deputies who was shot, Mark Johns, nearly died from his injuries.

    Plank was examined by forensic psychologist Scott Orth, who found that Plank had numerous delusional beliefs stemming from mental illness. Savage then ordered Plank to undergo competency restoration treatment.

    Plank has spent most of the past three years at the Oklahoma Forensic Center in Vinita, undergoing court-ordered competency evaluation and treatment. Plank was first admitted there on April 6, 2023.

    But court records show that Plank refused to take psychotropic medication despite a court order allowing medicine to be administered to him involuntarily.

    Related: Murder case on hold after OK County sheriff’s deputy fatally shot. Here’s what we know

    Oklahoma Forensic Center in Vinita

    Notes from his progress at the Oklahoma Forensic Center, cited in the recent court order, showed that Plank’s own insight into his legal situation had begun to improve as of June 26, 2024. But he was transferred internally to another unit after doctors found he was using contraband marijuana, which they worried could interfere with his prescribed medication.

    Court filings also said that Dr. David Mitchell, a psychiatrist at the Forensic Center, treated Plank between June 2024 and January 2025. The doctor described Plank as being medication-compliant for five months ― until Mitchell attempted to increase his medication dosage, to which Plank would not agree. As of February 2025, Plank was refusing his medication again, according to the progress notes.

    Mitchell also testified that, after the transfer, Plank had “reverted back to a more consistent pattern with his other beliefs.” These included delusions that family members were involved in a pedophile ring and that they were involved in a conspiracy with law enforcement and public defenders to silence him.

    More: Man accused of killing Oklahoma County deputy to be treated for ‘delusions’ before trial

    Oklahoma statute limits competency restoration efforts to two years. Prosecutors argued that doctors with the state’s Department of Mental Health had failed to comply with Savage’s previous court order by not forcing Plank to take the medication, and that the length of his treatment should be extended so that he might eventually be able to stand trial.

    Plank’s public defenders countered that the reasonable time period statutorily-allotted for competency restoration had passed and that Plank should instead be civilly committed.

    Senate Bill 1089, passed by the Oklahoma legislature earlier this year, modified state law to allow any duration of treatment during which an individual refuses medication to not count against the competency restoration period. That revised law, however, will not take effect until November.

    According to the order issued Sept. 2, Savage ruled that the state’s mental health department did not provide the necessary court-ordered treatment to Plank. She also said that current law allowed her no exceptions to consider extending the two years for competency restoration.

    “There is no legal justification within these criminal proceedings to continue holding the Defendant at the Oklahoma Forensic Center for competency restoration based on Dr. Mitchell’s failure to comply with the (previous) Order,” Savage wrote. “Therefore the State’s Motion is denied.”

    Orth, the forensic psychologist, said that without medication — with or without Plank’s consent — he would “not predict competency restoration to likely be even remotely successful.”

    A spokeswoman for the state’s Department of Mental Health said the agency will abide by the court’s order.

    In a statement to KOCO-TV, the family of Bobby Swartz said they were “heartbroken, furious, and in shock” over the court’s ruling Tuesday.

    “There is no justice here,” the family said in its statement. “For three years, we’ve lived with the pain of losing my father in the most violent way possible. Every day, we remember his courage, his dedication, and the life he gave protecting others. Knowing the man who killed him might never face justice is unbearable.”

    The Oklahoman also reached out to the office of Oklahoma County District Attorney Vicki Behenna for comment. A spokeswoman said that the DA is reviewing the judge’s order and determining next steps.

    This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Criminal case for man accused of murdering sheriff’s deputy dismissed

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  • This Supercharged Plank Delivers Cardio and Core Work – No Equipment Required – POPSUGAR Australia

    This Supercharged Plank Delivers Cardio and Core Work – No Equipment Required – POPSUGAR Australia

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    You’ve got your jumping jacks dialed, and you know how to do a plank . . . but have you tried plank jacks? This intermediate bodyweight move has likely cropped up in your workouts at some point – and whether you loved or hated it, it has some impressive benefits.

    You get all the strength benefits of a plank (think: a strengthened core, shoulders, back, and legs) plus the benefits of cardio. All this, using just your bodyweight.

    That said, plank jacks are not easy, and it’s important to do them right so you don’t increase your risk of injury. In some cases, that can mean modifying the move to a low-impact version. To help you do exactly that, keep reading for how to do plank jacks correctly, plank jack variations to try, and tips for incorporating them into your workout routine.

    Experts Featured in This Article

    Cristina Chan is a F45 Training trainer and teaches classes at F45 Training Dana Point.

    Benefits of Plank Jacks

    This core-plus-cardio move will get you sweating, raise your heart rate, work your arms and legs, and build strength in your core. Add a resistance band around your legs, and you’ll fire up your glutes as well. Yes, this simple bodyweight move can do all that.

    Take it from F45 Training trainer Cristina Chan: “Plank jacks are a combined cardio and core-strengthening exercise that helps increase core strength and stability as well as cardiovascular strength.” Reminder: Core stability is hugely important whether you’re a pro athlete or just going about your daily life since it creates a stable base from which your limbs can move safely and effectively.

    Because plank jacks offer a way to get your heart rate up without equipment or even standing up, they’re a great cardio option for those who are working out at home or want to stay off their feet due to injury or space.

    How to Do Plank Jacks

    No matter which type of plank jacks you try, be sure to keep your shoulders over your wrists, your hips down, your arms locked out, and your core engaged, Chan says. Because this is a pretty difficult move, it’s a great option to incorporate into HIIT workouts or when you want to do some cardio at home. You can try it for the indicated number of reps below, or try it for a set amount of time: for example, a 30-second interval of work followed by 30 seconds of rest.

    Here’s how to do the classic version of plank jacks:

    • Start in plank position with your shoulders over your wrists, your body in one straight line, and your feet together.
    • Like the motion of a jumping jack, jump your feet out wide and then back together. Try to keep your pelvis steady and don’t let your hips rise toward the ceiling or dip toward the floor.
    • Do a total of 30 plank jacks. That’s one set. Do three sets total.

    Plank-Jack Variation: Low-Impact Plank Jacks

    Whether you’re a beginner, returning to workouts after a break, or dealing with an injury, this low-impact variation of plank jacks is a great place to start.

    • Start in plank position with your shoulders over your wrists, your body in one straight line, and your feet together.
    • Step your right foot out to the side, then step your left foot out to the side.
    • Then step your right foot back to center and your left foot back to center.
    • Try to keep your pelvis steady (don’t let it rock from side to side) and don’t let your hips rise toward the ceiling or dip toward the floor.
    • Alternate which foot you start with for each rep.
    • Do a total of 20 reps. That’s one set. Do three sets total.

    Plank-Jack Variation: Resistance Band Plank Jacks

    Add a mini resistance band or hip band around your thighs (easier) or ankles (harder) to recruit your glutes more during this move. If jumping your feet out is too difficult, try stepping your feet out like in the low-impact version explained above. (You’ll still feel it in your glutes and core, promise.)

    • Start in plank position with your shoulders over your wrists, your body in one straight line, and your feet together. Loop a small resistance band around both legs.
    • Jump your feet out wide, resisting the pull of the band, and then back together. Try to keep your pelvis steady and don’t let your hips rise toward the ceiling.
    • Do a total of 20 reps. That’s one set. Do three sets total.

    Lauren Mazzo was the senior fitness editor at PS. She is a certified personal trainer and fitness nutrition specialist through the American Council on Exercise. Prior to joining PS, she worked for six years as a writer and editor for Shape Magazine covering health, fitness, nutrition, mental health, sex and relationships, beauty, and astrology.

    Related: Wake Up Sleepy Glutes With These 10 Bodyweight Butt Exercises

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