An Oklahoma woman is accused of escaping her restraints, picking the assault rifle, and opening fire from the police vehicle after being arrested. The incident that was caught on camera took place nearby Oklahoma City.
Deputies claimed that the lady, 36-year-old Rachel Zion Clay, was just being held because of unpredictable behaviour and would not be jailed. Grady County Undersheriff Gary Boggess told KOKH-TV about the incident: “While in the back seat of a patrol car, she was able to get her wrist free from the handcuffs and the handcuffs were put on properly.”
According to Boggess, the woman was able to reach inside the console of the patrol car and take a gun. She discovered the gun switch, unlocked the gun lock, and was able to grab an AR-15 rifle. “There are several switches, one is a gun switch to unlock the gun lock. She succeeded in inserting a bullet into it, setting it ablaze, and firing roughly 10 rounds at our deputies and a civilian.” Boggess added.
The woman can be seen holding the gun and firing it through the back window in dashcam footage from the police cruiser. Clay locked herself inside the vehicle and eventually gave herself up after more than three hours. She tested positive for methamphetamine, according to authorities. According to the police, the citizens and the officer both suffered non-life-threatening wounds and have since been discharged from the hospital.
Boggess stated that in an effort to protect his deputies, his administration is currently adopting procedure modifications. One of them, he continued, “is our console where it actually said ‘gun’. She was able to see that. That’s going to be replaced. We’re going to put a switch someplace else in the vehicle to lock our gun. It’s a freak deal. It’s one of these … I’m not going to say one in a million, but you know, it’s one of those deals that, you know, once it happens, then you go back and try to make sure it never happens again. That’s what we’re looking at.”
Clay is currently being jailed on a $1 million bond while being prosecuted on three counts of shooting with the intent to murder.
(with inputs from agencies)
