In a shocking incident in Oklahoma on Wednesday, a man survived a brutal assault where a flagpole was driven through his head. The attack, which took place at a Sonic Drive-In on 81st Street South, was reported to the Tulsa Police Department around 7:30 p.m. Upon arrival, officers discovered a man with a flagpole lodged in his head, the American flag still attached.
The police reported that the pole had entered the victim’s head below his jaw and exited near his right temple. Eyewitnesses at the scene identified Clinton Collins as the assailant, who allegedly charged at the victim with the flagpole and impaled his head. Collins was reportedly heard saying, “That’s what he gets. He deserved it.”
Tulsa Police Department officer Danny Bean described the scene as something out of a horror movie. He stated that Collins ran at the victim and stabbed him through the head, with the pole entering from the bottom and exiting through the other side.
Tulsa firefighters had to cut a section of the flagpole to fit the victim, who was still conscious, into the ambulance. Despite the severity of the injuries, the victim is expected to survive, although he is likely to lose an eye.
Collins, identified as a member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, remained at the scene until the police arrived. He was arrested on charges of maiming after a previous felony conviction, a crime that could result in a life sentence or more.
Tristen Catlin, a Tulsa resident, told local media that she had witnessed a similar incident involving a man she believes was Collins at the Tulsa Hills shopping center over the weekend. She described seeing the man repeatedly making a stabbing motion at another man who was trying to fend him off. Catlin expressed shock upon seeing the same man in the news days later, allegedly having carried out his threat.
The Associated Press reported that due to Collins’ tribal status and a 2020 Supreme Court ruling that prevents Oklahoma prosecutors from pursuing criminal cases against tribal citizens in certain parts of the state, it is currently unclear whether Collins will be tried in tribal court or U.S. District Court. As of Thursday afternoon, the U.S. District Court in Oklahoma had not listed a case against Collins.