(Stillwater, Okla.) — A Cushing man who is accused of hitting a female relative in the legs with an axe and taking a phone from her as she tried to call police has been ordered to appear in court Wednesday on a two-count charge.
William Ray Doherty Sr., 64, could be incarcerated for 11 years if convicted of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and interfering with an emergency 911 phone call made by the woman.
The woman obtained an emergency protective order on Oct. 10 against Doherty, who was released from the Payne County Jail on Oct. 15 after posting $20,000 bail, court records show.
In her petition for the EPO, the woman wrote “we have been living with William Doherty since February 2013. In that time, he has accused me of stealing items within the home.
“He threatened previously that he would kill me for stealing from him, but as I never took anything, I never thought he would follow through on the threat,” the woman alleged in her petition.
“However, as I returned home on Oct. 9, 2014, he was waiting on the porch. He told me to leave my son in the car. Thinking that a pet had died, I did so.
“I approached him asking what was wrong. He claimed I knew and I said I did not know. He said he had $100 in his billfold. Because of past accusations, I immediately said I didn’t do it. I don’t know where it was.
“At that point, he held up the hatchet and I turned and ran for the car. As I tried to get in the car, he pinned with the door forcing me to squeeze into the vehicle,” the woman alleged in her petition.
“He then yanked the door out of my hand and stood in front of it preventing me from closing it to get away. He then punched me in the right eye and told me to get out of the car,” the woman alleged.
“After telling (him) to calm down (that) I didn’t do it, he started to hit me with the side of the hatchet and tell me to get out of the car or he was going to kill me,” the woman alleged.
“After several hits, my son climbed up next to me and started screaming, ‘No, don’t kill momma.’ I told my son to get back, scared for both myself and my son,” the woman alleged.
“I grabbed the handle of the hatchet trying to wrestle it away from William. My son climbed out the passenger door and ran around the car. I told him to get back in the car, and I got out of the car as we wrestled for the hatchet,” the woman alleged.
“While wrestling for the weapon, William fell. I let go and tried to run for the car. I tripped and William climbed on top of me holding me down,” the woman alleged.
“I attempted to knock him off, but he moved to sit on my chest putting his hand to my throat. I told my son to get my phone and hand it to me so I could call 911,” the woman alleged.
“William also said to hand him the phone, but my son told him no and put the phone it my hand. I tried to unlock it to dial, but William released my throat and started grabbing for the phone,” the woman alleged.
“I managed to get the hatchet away from him and held it away as far as I could. Then the neighbors arrived and told William to get off of me,” the woman alleged.
“I handed the hatchet to (a female neighbor) and William got off my chest. After a moment to recover, I got up, ran to my son, who was standing on the other side of the vehicle,” the woman alleged.
“I took his hand and we ran to (the female neighbor’s) house while she called 911. The police responded and William was taken to Cushing hospital because he passed out during questioning.
“I was also taken to Cushing hospital with injuries to both legs. The cut on my left leg has five stitches and a deep laceration to my right leg required eight stitches. Both cuts were about an inch long.
“I also have a scrape and bruising on my left breast and bruising to my face around my right eye.
“I am truly afraid for my life and that of my son. I never thought this could happen, but I fear now it could happen again in retaliation for calling the police,” the woman wrote in her petition.
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