Oklahoma Prosecutor Releases Dramatic Video Of Fatal Shootout At Bail Bonds Office

An Oklahoma bondswoman was acquitted of first-degree murder last week for the fatal shooting of one of her clients last year. After her acquittal, the Payne County District Attorney's Office released surveillance video of the shooting, which reveals how the events unfolded.

Chasity Carey, 42, shot Brandon Williams, 38, in her office in an attempt to revoke his bond and arrest him, KTUL in Tulsa reported. Carey’s young son was present and was helping his mom in her attempt to take Williams, who had been charged with drug possession and burglary, into custody.

After some seemingly amicable chatter between Williams and Carey’s son, Carey shuts the door of her office and asks Williams to put his hands behind his back. He doesn’t comply.

“What’s going on here? [...] I’m not getting in no cuffs.”

Meanwhile, Carey’s son stands nearby holding handcuffs. Williams starts to walk away and tells Carey, “Don’t put your hands on me.”

Some of the struggle is seen off camera to the left and then Williams veers off camera to the right. Carey can be seen reaching into her desk to pull out a gun. She fires.

"Mom, you just shot him,” her son said. He is clearly distraught.

She replies, "I did."

Carey’s attorney said she shot him in self-defense, according to KJRH in Tulsa. Prosecutors claimed Carey shot Williams in the back.

When the “not guilty” verdict was read last week, Carey cried and hugged her lawyers, according to NewsOK.

“I was afraid he was going to shoot my son,” Carey had told the jury. “I felt like we were going to be killed. […] I've never been that scared before.”

The prosecution, however, argued that it’s never okay to shoot someone in the back.

Laura Thomas, the District Attorney for the county where this shooting took place released a statement which reads in part, “I stand by my decision to file Murder 1st degree in this case based upon the evidence presented to me.  A Manslaughter charge was not appropriate at the time of filing. It is the jury’s job to determine what facts are or are not important to them and render a verdict.  That is what they are selected to do. Although there are many flaws in the criminal justice system, we have the best in the world, and I would not want to be a part of any other.  I am grateful for the service of each and every one of our jurors and do not and will not criticize their verdicts."

[Photo: The Payne County District Attorney's Office]