Basketball Court Altercation Leaves Man Injured

A Vian man was arrested Aug. 26 and charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, court records show.

Victor Kenneth Paul Patterson, 35, faces up to 10 years in the State Penitentiary on the felony charge.

On Aug. 25, Sallisaw police were dispatched to Alex Denton Park in reference to an assault that left one person injured.

The officers attempted to render first aid to a man, later identified as Donald Johnson, who had a laceration to the back of his right arm. Part of the knife blade had broken off and was still in the wound, records reveal.

The officers applied a tourniquet to Johnson’s arm as they waited for an ambulance to arrive. Because of the amount of blood loss, one of the officers took Johnson to the emergency room in his patrol car. 

An examination revealed that Johnson, who is also known as “Money,” had injuries to both arms, a laceration on his back and several small defensive cuts on his hands.

When asked what happened, Johnson reported that three weeks ago there had been an incident at the old Sallisaw Middle School gym and that Patterson, the alleged suspect, was drunk. Johnson said he hadn’t been back to the gym in three weeks because he and Patterson had exchanged words at that time.

Johnson said he decided to return to the basketball courts Aug. 25, and Patterson showed up. Patterson allegedly had his shirt off and a knife out when he walked onto the courts and wanted to fight. Johnson said he ran from Patterson but fell and Patterson reportedly jumped on him and started stabbing him.

Witnesses to the attack confirmed Johnson’s story. Police returned to the area in search of Patterson but could not find him.

On Aug. 26, Patterson came to the Sallisaw Police Department and spoke with a detective, telling him that he and “Money” had had words a few weeks ago. Patterson said he had felt threatened and pulled out the knife. He insisted the stabbing was in self-defense.

 Laura Brown, KXMX Staff Writer

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