By TRENTON JUDD
Student Reporter
Two Oklahoma City men are in jail in Alva and a third man is hospitalized after an apparent stabbing at a local bar Saturday.
Bernard Meat, 20, and Ruben Butler, 23, were both charged with assault and battery with intent to kill and are currently being held in the Woods County Jail on $200,000 bail. Both could face life in prison.
The victim, Levi Shipley, 33, no address given, is in stable condition at OU Medical Center, with wounds to his upper torso and the back of his neck.
According to Woods County District Court documents, at about 1:30 a.m. Saturday Alva police were called to a reported stabbing at The Office, 406 Flynn St. Upon arrival, police saw a woman, identified as the victim’s wife, Chelsey Nicole Shipley, 26, running on Fourth Street near the Alva Fire Department.
Chelsey Shipley told police that she was running after men who fought with and stabbed her husband. Officers were unable to locate the men Shipley said she was chasing. Police then entered The Office and spoke to a woman, later identified as Roxanne Alvarez, 24, who was not cooperative with the officers. Alvarez was charged with obstructing an officer, a misdemeanor, and was taken to the Woods County Jail.
Police transported Chelsey Shipley to Share Medical Center to check on the status of Levi Shipley. Officers were unable to speak with him due to the severity of his condition. They returned to the bar and were able to view the surveillance video of the incident. They also located a witness who was able to identify the men on the video.
Police determined that Butler was in a house at 206 Barnes St. A team of officers arrived at the house and found four males inside, including a 17-year-old juvenile who was bleeding from an apparent stab wound. After the juvenile was taken away by ambulance, authorities continued to question the remaining men and Butler was arrested and taken to the Woods County Jail. By that time, Shipley’s condition had worsened and he was medi-flighted to the OU Medical Center.
Police contacted agents from the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation to help with the case. The OSBI agents and police reviewed the surveillance video again and were able to identify Butler and Meat; they determined that Meat had stabbed Shipley while Butler held him, according to court documents.
Police contacted Meat and asked him to come to the Woods County Sheriff’s Office to be interviewed by OSBI agents. After they interviewed him, Meat was arrested.
Another witness identified as Jose Ramirez, 39, 216 Barnes St., Alva, was arrested and charged with obstructing an officer after police said he lied about being at the bar.