Vian man stabbed in altercation

A Sayre man has been charged with a felony charge of assault, battery, or assault and battery with a dangerous weapon after he reportedly stabbed a Vian man during a reported altercation at a Vian residence.

Wilbur C. Poindexter, 64, was formally charged on Feb. 3 in Sequoyah County District Court and received a $10,000 bond. He is now scheduled for a March 8 felony disposition docket before Associate District Judge Kyle Waters, according to court records.

Vian Police officer Amy Guzman reported just after 8 p.m. on Jan. 24 she received a call from dispatch regarding a stabbing at the corner of Mayfield and Rogers Streets.

Guzman and officer John Buszek arrived to find Tyler Poindexter, Tara Fields and Cy Finley standing in the driveway. Tyler Poindexter appeared to have a wound to his right arm and said that his uncle, Wilbur Poindexter, had allegedly thrown a knife at him, stabbing him in the arm.

Wilbur Poindexter was reported to be inside a bedroom and as the two officers were about to make entry, Sequoyah County Sheriff’s deputy Mark Choate arrived and the three made entry together. Authorities yelled to Wilbur Poindexter, who was inside a bedroom but he would not come out. The officers then made their way in where they found him huddled in a bed, appearing to shield something underneath his coat. He told police if they’d didn’t turn their flashlights off, he was “going to kill them,” according to the probable cause affidavit.

When he was asked where the knife was, Poindexter said he didn’t have a knife. After police told him to take his hands out of his coat several times, he wouldn’t comply so the three officers were forced to bring their tasers out.

When asked to show his hands, Poindexter reportedly told the officers “no and to just shoot him,” according to the affidavit. Choate fired his taser and Poindexter began pulling at the probes, followed by a second tase from Buszek and a third from Guzman, but the probes did not all make contact with Poindexter’s skin. He then pulled a knife out and threw it at Choate, barely missing the deputy’s face. Both Vian officers pulled their service weapons and Guzman reported seeing blood on Poindexter’s jacket and neck, and later on she noticed blood on the end of his ponytail. Choate holstered his weapon and drive stunned Poindexter again but it had little to no effect on him, according to the affidavit.

Choate pulled him to the ground and they reportedly struggled as the deputy tried to gain control of Poindexter’s arms. Buszek then helped Choate get Poindexter under control since he was allegedly laying on top of the knife. Choate was able to handcuff him and take him into custody while another ambulance was called to the scene.

Since only one ambulance was available, Tyler Poindexter was transported in one of the officer’s units for treatment of his injuries. Guzman reported she then rode with Wilbur Poindexter in the ambulance to the hospital, and the probes were removed from his chest. Police also reported finding a 4-inch folding knife in Wilbur Poindexter’s pocket, along with bullets, lip balm, pecans and pliers, which were all taken into evidence, according to the affidavit.

Wilbur Poindexter reportedly refused to cooperate with the emergency personnel and the doctor after arriving at the hospital, so he was transported on to the Sequoyah County Detention Center.

Witnesses told Guzman that Wilbur Poindexter had been drinking and was “talking to himself and not acting right.” The witnesses said Wilbur Poindexter and Tyler Poindexter had gotten into an argument because he had slapped the female witness and allegedly threw a knife at her, which landed in a pillow beside her. He then reportedly took the knife and threw it at Tyler Poindexter, according to the affidavit.

Tyler Poindexter told authorities the female witness was uncomfortable around Wilbur Poindexter. He also said Wilbur Poindexter had allegedly became belligerent and had hit the female witness several times but she had fought back, which resulted in Wilbur Poindexter throwing the knife at the female, and then at him.

After authorities went back to the residence, they reported finding a 4 to 6-inch knife blade that had broken off from the handle underneath a pile of blankets in the floor.

If found guilty of the charge, District Attorney Jack Thorps said it is punishable by imprisonment for up to 10 years in the penitentiary or one year in the county jail.