A fleeing suspect stabbed an Oklahoma Metropolis police officer within the eye with a shard of glass, intense bodycam footage reveals.
The clip launched Friday by Oklahoma Metropolis cops reveals residents flagging down the officer after witnessing Christopher McPheeters, 32, toss something at one other police cruiser.
The cop, recognized solely as Officer Web page, will get out of his car and approaches McPheeters as he begins to stroll away.
“Come right here,” Web page tells McPheeters, who ignores the command and begins to run in the course of the March 18 encounter.
Web page chases McPheeters throughout a avenue earlier than taking him to the bottom, setting off a violent wrestle throughout which the suspect minimize the officer a number of occasions within the face and stabbed him within the eye with a jagged piece of glass, the footage reveals.
Web page proceeds to defend himself regardless of restricted imaginative and prescient and as blood falls from his face onto McPheeters, who's finally subdued and brought into custody.
“Hey, he minimize me with a bit of glass,” a breathless Web page tells different cops on the clip.
Oklahoma Metropolis Chief of Police Wade Gourley launched the footage whereas noting a “vital improve” in assaults on regulation enforcement officers lately, citing FBI statistics displaying an almost 60 p.c soar from 2020 to 2021.
Web page was critically injured and practically misplaced his eye, Gourley mentioned.
“He might have been killed,” Gourley mentioned. “When Mr. McPheeters was interviewed, he said that his intent was to kill the officer. You’ll see within the video — this was a really violent encounter. I simply need the general public to know a bit of bit extra of what our officers are coping with.”
McPheeters, who had a warrant out for his arrest, had been beforehand convicted of assault and battery on a police officer, Gourley mentioned.
“When our officer went out on this particular person, he had no concept what he was encountering,” Gourley mentioned. “All he knew is he had a person that he was being flagged down by some people and this particular person was clearly in some kind of state of affairs the place he was indignant and simply wanting a confrontation.”
Three Oklahoma Metropolis cops have additionally been wounded by gunfire up to now two years, Gourley mentioned. A type of officers was shot of their ballistic vest by a suspect who was sentenced to 6 years in jail as a part of a plea deal.
“He might spend as little as three to 4 years in jail for taking pictures at a police officer,” Gourley mentioned. “Our officers are having to take care of all kinds of very troublesome conditions and oftentimes the people that they take care of are violent.”
McPheeters remained in custody Tuesday on the Oklahoma County Detention Heart on costs together with assault and battery with a harmful weapon and aggravated assault and battery on a police officer. It’s unclear if he’s employed an legal professional who might touch upon his behalf.
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