Woman Tasered in front of Bizzell Memorial Library
Marcin Rutkowski, The Oklahoma Daily
Officers from the OU Police Department and the Cleveland County Sheriff's Department inspect a vehicle that was driven by a driver who according to eyewitness accounts, drove up the wrong side of Asp Avenue and on to the sidewalk in front of the Bizzell Memorial Library Thursday night. The woman was taken into custody after being Tasered by authorities. Marcin Rutkowski/The Daily
A woman was shot by a Taser in front of the Bizzell Memorial Library after OU Police and the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Department chased her down Thursday night.
Witnesses on the scene said around 9:30 p.m., a car was driving the wrong way on Asp Avenue, south of Michael F. Price Hall, when the car took out a few traffic barriers, popped its tires and jumped the curb, stopping in front of the library.
“I was waiting for a friend to pick me up just outside of Price and then I noticed this car was driving up the wrong end of the [South Oval],” said Alex Van Heteren, management information systems senior.
Van Heteren said he saw the car take out two traffic barriers before turning the corner towards Bizzell.
The car was a white late-model sedan that Van Heteren said was heavily damaged after hitting the barricades.
Damage visible to the car on the scene was a missing bumper from the front of the car and a large gash on the driver’s side of the car. The front wheels of the car were worn down to their rims from the chase.
“She was driving on rims as she popped the curb and headed down the sidewalk,” said James Alexander, accounting and finance sophomore.
Alexander said just as the driver crossed the south entrance of the library, she stopped and got out of her car.
“She just stopped and started running from the police,” Alexander said.
“I was coming out of the library and I saw her run out of her car,” said Elijah Anderson, University College freshman. “One of the women officers ran after her and then she tasered her.”
Anderson and Alexander said the driver was threatened to be shot by a Taser a second time.
“It was a pretty loud pop when the Taser went off and then she screamed pretty loudly,” Anderson said.
Alexander said he watched the officers place the driver in the back of the car.
“She said she was in pain,” Alexander said. “Then she tried to lay down in the car and the police were upset because her legs were sticking out.”
All three witnesses said they heard the driver say she was pregnant as officers attempted to place her in the car after being placed into police custody.
“I think she’s just drunk,” Anderson said.
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