A woman was taken into custody on January 20 after reportedly trying to ignite a man’s oxygen tank and brandishing a knife at him at the Jeltz Senior Center in Oklahoma City.
Police officers were called to the center on Monday at around 9:33 pm in response to reports of an assault, as stated in a police report.
As officers arrived at the center, they were greeted with a chaotic scene in the common room. Amidst the chaos, Marketta Bates, the suspect, was spotted sitting at a table. People were screaming all around, adding to the tense situation.
The victim stood at a distance from Bates, while his oxygen tank rested on the ground, leaking liquid.
The witnesses were initially uncooperative, but according to the victim, Bates attempted to set his oxygen tank on fire. Bates argued that she was acting in self-defense, as the victim had allegedly thrown the tank at her.
During her detainment, Bates informed the officers that she was carrying a knife inside her bag. Law enforcement confirmed the presence of a 10-inch fixed-blade knife with a gray rubber handle in her backpack.
According to the victim, he was in the common area, selling clothes when Bates came in and demanded to know the whereabouts of her mother’s phone. It seems that Bates had the belief that the phone had been stolen.
According to reports, Bates allegedly grew agitated with the victim after he requested her to lower her voice while she was engaging in a heated argument with other residents.
The victim reported that Bates tried to light his oxygen tank, which was connected to his breathing tubes. He promptly disconnected the tubes, and fellow residents stepped in to help.
According to the police, the footage obtained from OCHA security confirmed the victim’s description of the incident. However, the video did not capture Bates holding the knife.
According to investigators, the victim provided a detailed description of the knife that was discovered in Bates’s backpack.
Bates was taken into custody and processed without any issues on the subsequent allegations:
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- Assault with a Dangerous Weapon
- Attempted Arson
Bates previously had a felony conviction in Oklahoma County for Assault with a Dangerous Weapon and Unlawful Possession of Cocaine.