A Moffett man who allegedly punched the mayor of Moffett in the face at the city park will be arraigned Aug. 12 in Sequoyah County District Court, Sallisaw.

Alfred Roy Bailey, 47, of Moffett is accused of lunging at Kathy Luper, the mayor of Moffett and a reserve police officer for the town of Moffett on July 15.

Luper was on a riding lawnmower and pulled up beside another person who was mowing. The two turned off the lawnmowers and were discussing what to do with the park next.

“Out of nowhere a guy comes running up from the side and with all his might swings as hard as he could just as I turned toward him to see what a noise was,” Luper said.

Bailey lives just behind the park that Luper and the other volunteers were cleaning up

“Everyone was in shock. It happened so quick. He came out of nowhere and didn’t say a word,” Luper said.

Luper said the force of the hit was so great it almost knocked her out of the lawnmower seat. She said he looked like he was preparing to lunge at her again and she grabbed a gun and pointed it at him.

According to Luper after she pulled out the gun Bailey fled on foot and was chased by several people.

According to the Sequoyah County Sheriff’s report, Bailey told deputies that he was carrying a plate of food when Luper drove within 20 feet of him on a lawnmower and turned it off. Bailey said Luper reached down and grabbed her purse and pulled out an object that looked like a pistol.

Bailey told deputies that he ran straight to her thinking she might shoot and “slapped the … out of her.”

“She dropped the purse,” Bailey explained and I took off running.”

Sequoyah County Sheriff Ron Lockhart said Bailey walked in the sheriff’s department around 10 a.m. July 16 and surrendered.

Charges were formerly filed against Bailey July 20 and Luper filed a protective order against Bailey on July 21.