OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – The Oklahoma Department of Corrections has acknowledged an incident involving an inmate hanging out of the back window of a van on an Oklahoma City interstate last week.
The incident happened Tuesday evening, according to witnesses who spoke with Nexstar’s KFOR. In multiple videos circulating online, you can see a man, who is clearly handcuffed, with the shirt of his prison uniform wrapped around his hands. The man is seen using his hands to plead with drivers out of a broken back window of a van with a Department of Corrections license plate.
“We thought it was a joke at first,” said witness Tiggin Martin. “It only lasted for about a minute or two until they pulled off the highway, but when we saw him, we were all like, ‘Oh, my God.’”
She said her sister Alexis Martin was driving the car at the time of the incident. Alexis Martin told KFOR the situation made her very anxious.
“You’re driving, you’re trying to pay attention to what you’re doing, but you’re kind of like, ‘What is this guy doing?’” said Alexis Martin.
She said she feared the inmate might try to leap onto her vehicle from the window or that she might accidentally hit him. She said that after the van exited the highway and they continued on their drive, she was surprised not to see any other reports outside of social media.
“There was nothing on it, and I was like, that’s crazy,” said Alexis Martin.
She told KFOR she eventually noticed multiple angles of the incident popping up on social media. Some viewers questioned its authenticity, adding that it may have been a prank or even part of filming for a project.
KFOR reached out to the Oklahoma Department of Corrections for comment Friday and received a statement. A spokesperson said the department did not plan to release the inmate’s name. It read, in part:
“During a routine transport, an inmate damaged the vehicle and was seen hanging out the back window. Our officers immediately recognized the situation, exited the highway and called for additional law enforcement support. The inmate was safely secured and transported without further incident. The Oklahoma Department of Corrections remains committed to transparency, accountability and ensuring the safety of all individuals in our care and all Oklahomans.”
Both Martin sisters told KFOR they would like to see something done in the future to make sure a similar incident does not happen.
“You should have had him in something a little safer for him and the person driving and the people around us,” said Alexis Martin.