Published: July 05, 2008 02:56 pm      

Stabbing spoils a peaceful holiday

A man has been stabbed during a Fourth of July domestic dispute in Pittsburg County, while traffic offenses were considered low as the long holiday weekend continued on Saturday.

The Pittsburg County Sheriff’s Department is continuing to investigate the stabbing, said Undersheriff Richard Sexton.

“A man and a woman got into a domestic dispute in the Longtown area” on Friday night, Sexton said.

He called it a “domestic dispute that escalated into a physical situation.”

“The wife stabbed the husband,” he said.

The man who was stabbed was transported from the site by medical helicopter and taken to a hospital, Sexton said.

He said officers who answered the call rendered aid to the man until the helicopter arrived.

They also interviewed the spouse believed to have stabbed her husband and interviewed other witnesses, he said.

Sexton said the sheriff’s department is not releasing any names at this point of the investigation.

Meanwhile, Lt. Jeff Sewell with the Oklahoma Highway Patrol Troop D headquarters in McAlester said near noon on Saturday that the number of accidents and offenses had been relatively low in the six counties covered by Troop D.

Based on statistics kept beginning on July 4, Sewell said there had been four arrests for driving under the influence and 39 speeding arrests.

Eighteen drivers were cited for not wearing seat belts and another one cited for a child restraint violation.

“We’ve had no DUI accidents, which is a very positive thing,” Sewell said. “Normally, we would have had some at this time.”

The number of offenses at that point was considered low, Sewell said.

“The reason, I think, is people are doing better,” he said. “They’re getting designated drivers and not acting foolish.”

“We’ve only had two accidents so far,” both with minor damage,” Sewell said. “One was in Hughes County and the other one in LeFlore County.”

In addition to those counties and Pittsburg County, the other counties covered by Troop D are Latimer, Seminole and Okfuskee counties.

Sewell noted that OHP troopers had been among law enforcement officers helping with traffic control following the fireworks display at the Southeast Expo Center. He said drivers did very well, especially when exiting the Expo Center in large numbers after the fireworks display.

“We appreciate their patience,” Sewell said. “We didn’t have any problems at all.”

City police answered 21 calls for illegal fireworks, said McAlester Police Det. Capt. Don Hass.

Police made seven arrests, he said.

Meanwhile, Lt. Sewell with the OHP noted near noon on Saturday that the long holiday weekend had not yet been completed.

“We’re going to be out in force again on Saturday and Sunday” trying to keep the highways safe, he said.

Contact James Beaty at jbeaty@mcalesternews.com.