Stillwater police arrest man for assaulting woman, running from authorities

STILLWATER, Okla. — Stillwater police arrested a man on Wednesday for assaulting a woman and running from authorities.

Police said they went to a home on Tuesday just before midnight where a woman told officers that Donald Laver threatened to kill her, hit her in the head with a pistol and fired the gun into a wall near her.

The woman tried to get away from Laver, but he continued to assault her and kept her from leaving the home.

The woman said Laver eventually left before police arrived, and she was taken to a hospital.

Police said on Wednesday, a Payne County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) deputy attempted to stop a red Chevrolet Avalanche for speeding. The deputy found the truck belonged to Laver who then drove away from the deputy.

PCSO pursued Laver until he lost control of his truck and slid into a ditch. He ran from the truck on foot.

Stillwater K-9, the Stillwater Multi-Jurisdictional Special Operations Team and Stillwater Emergency Management assisted in the search for Laver, and he was found around 12:15 p.m.

Police said Laver will face charges of domestic assault and battery with a deadly weapon, domestic assault and battery by strangulation, protective order violation resulting in physical injury, disrupting or preventing an emergency telephone call and threatening to perform an act of violence.