A white car repeatedly rams another vehicle in an Oklahoma parking lot before the confrontation shifts into something more dangerous: a man running on foot while the driver circles back toward him.
The security video from the Sept. 23 encounter in Ponca City shows the driver moving toward the man as police arrive, then continuing after him while he runs around the property.
The chase ends only after another driver intervenes, striking the car as it closes in near an officer.
Now, prosecutors have formally charged the woman police arrested at the scene.
Closing In
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Ponca City police responded shortly after 9 a.m. to the area of North 14th Street after receiving reports of a hit-and-run. The other vehicle was left facing north in the southbound lanes when officers arrived, according to a Kay NewsCow account of the police report.
Police identified the other driver as Ruth Ann Harper.
Harper drove from the grass near the roadway toward the man and passed through a group of people who had been checking on him, according to the police account published by Ponca City News.
Another officer arrived and attempted to stop Harper, but police said she refused to stop and continued accelerating as the man ran around the property.
Someone Intervenes
The video shows the man eventually sprinting toward another officer as Harper’s vehicle approaches.
A bystander who had been watching the encounter then used another vehicle to strike Harper’s car, bringing the chase to an end.
Officers surrounded Harper’s vehicle, removed her and arrested her at the scene. Police said the man was not injured.
Harper initially faced preliminary complaints of multiple counts of assault with a dangerous weapon while police continued their investigation.
Charges Filed
Prosecutors have since filed charges stemming from the encounter.
A newly reported affidavit states that Harper and the man had been in a dating relationship for about two years before the relationship recently ended, according to KFOR.
Harper is charged with two counts of assault, battery, or assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, along with driving a motor vehicle while under the influence of drugs, reckless driving, malicious injury to property exceeding $1,000, and leaving the scene of an accident involving damage.
The charges are accusations, and the filing does not establish guilt.
This article has been updated to include newly filed criminal charges and additional information from the probable-cause affidavit.