Walmart assault case to go to Payne County District Attorney’s Office

STILLWATER —  Stillwater Police Officers responded to a welfare check at Walmart, 111 North Perkins Road, on Thursday, May 30, 2019, involving Nancy Nelson, of Douglas, OK, and several bystanders.

Nelson told officers she was attempting to move her car from a parking spot that was blocked by a shopping cart.  The woman who had blocked Nelson’ car attacked her when Nelson asked her to move the shopping cart. Nelson sustained minor injuries, and her glasses were damaged.

Officers interviewed two people at the scene who witnessed the attack, but not the alleged suspect, who left the scene before the officers arrived. Later that day, the alleged suspect came to the Stillwater Police Department and reported that Nelson was the aggressor and Nelson had assaulted her.

The officer assigned to investigate the case closed the case, citing that he was not able to definitively determine who the aggressor was in this incident. The case was never formally presented to the Payne County District Attorney’s Office for review or charges. However, Nelson thought it was.

When she called the District Attorney’s Office to learn the status of her case, she was told they didn’t have the case, or someone would call her back.

A local news station reported Nelson’s story and her frustration with not being able to learn the status of her case.

After learning of Nelson’s case, Stillwater Chief of Police Jeff Watts reviewed the file and available information. He reported that the SPD failed to submit the case to the D.A.’s Office for review or to advise Nelson that the case was closed.

Today, SPD presented the case to the District Attorney’s Office for review.

Chief Watts contacted Nelson and apologized for the frustration she has endured and took responsibility for the case not being presented to the District Attorney’s Office before now.

“I let her know we were taking measures to ensure this did not happen again,” he said.