'You're about to get tased': Body cam footage shows OKC purse snatching suspect take down
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR)- A 33-year-old man was arrested in late June for allegedly robbing three women of their purses. Newly released body camera footage shows a glimpse of how metro officers took him down.
An Oklahoma City Police Officer responded to a robbery by fear/force on June 27 near NW 4th Street.
The victim told the officer she was walking in a parking lot on her way to church when a hooded man snatched her purse and ran off, according to a police report.
Officers located surveillance video from the area that showed the suspect grab a skateboard as he ran away. He's then seeing fleeing on the skateboard.
Later that night, another call came into the Oklahoma City Police Department from a woman stating her purse was snatched and a male was seen leaving with a skateboard.
Within 20 minutes, officers found a man in the area of NE 4th Street matching the descriptions provided by the two victims.
Initially, officers chased the suspect on foot for multiple blocks.
Oklahoma City Police released body camera footage of the suspect's capture Tuesday afternoon.
The video is under two minutes long. For the first minute, an officer can be seen driving, presumably chasing the suspect.
The officer then swings his driver side door open, jumps out, and knocks the suspect off his skateboard.
The two are seen wrestling as the officer tries to keep the suspect face down on the ground.
The suspect managed to get back on his feet as the officer tells him, "You're about to get tased. You're about to get tased."
The officer deploys his taser, but the suspect appears unfazed.
The suspect runs to the other side of the road as he takes off his hoodie.
"Get on the ground!," yelled the officer.
"You shot me?," asked the suspect.
As the suspect grunts and jogs back towards the officer's vehicle, another electrical shock is deployed.
The suspect falls straight down on the ground after the second tase.
"You got me. Lock me up now. I'm tired," said the suspect.
At least three more officers run over to the suspect. One arrests the suspect, William Lazarus.
The body cam footage ends shortly after that.
Lazarus now faces several charges, including:
- Second degree robbery
- Receive, possess or conceal stolen property x2
- Interfering with official process - obstructing an officer
- Interfering with official process - resisting an officer
- Flight to avoid Riverside Co.
A black purse can be seen lying next to Lazarus as he's being arrested.
While conducting an investigation into the two robberies, a larceny call was generated a couple of blocks south of Broadway and Sheridan.
A third woman stated a black male snatched her purse from her. She described the purse as black and said a pair of Buick keys were inside.
After officers looked through the purse found on Lazarus when he was arrested and finding the car keys, they confirmed the purse as belonging to the third victim.
As of Tuesday night, Lazarus is still in the Oklahoma County Detention Center.
His bond is set at $100,000.