An Oklahoma copper theft suspect shocked a deputy by diving headfirst through a closed window during an attempted escape—but left behind a key clue that helped authorities find him.
The incident occurred Oct. 1, when Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office deputies were called to a vacant home on Sunset Lane to investigate a burglary in progress, according to details released with the agency’s bodycam footage.
Deputies said they found Rayven Lee Wooten, 24, of Nicoma Park, inside the residence, allegedly removing copper wire from a dishwasher.
Rayven Lee Wooten stands inside the vacant home during an encounter in which a deputy repeatedly ordered him to turn around and get on his knees Oct. 1. (Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office)
The video released by the sheriff’s office shows a deputy confronting Wooten and repeatedly instructing him to remove his hands from his pockets, turn around and kneel.
“You’re not listening,” the deputy warned. “Turn around and get on your knees. You will get shot.”
Rather than follow the commands, Wooten ran through the kitchen and launched himself headfirst through the closed living room window, drawing a startled expletive from the deputy.
“He just bailed out the window. He’s on foot,” the deputy reported over the radio.
Bodycam video shows an Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office deputy confronting suspected copper thief Rayven Lee Wooten inside a vacant home Oct. 1. (Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office)
Wooten managed to get away at first, but deputies said he abandoned a backpack containing his driver’s license. That identification helped investigators track him down.
The sheriff’s office later offered its own take on the suspect’s dramatic escape attempt.
“A suspect took the phrase ‘Make a break for it’ a little too literally!” the agency wrote while sharing the video, adding that Wooten “missed his calling as a Hollywood stuntman.”
The footage also prompted online viewers to comment on the deputy’s stunned response and the apparent oversight that led investigators to Wooten.
Bodycam video captures suspected copper thief Rayven Lee Wooten diving through a closed window to escape an Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office deputy. (Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office)
“So he did all that, then left his identification behind lol,” one commenter wrote.
“The deputy’s reaction … total disbelief,” another person commented.
“Being flabbergasted and the frustration of unlocking the front door = priceless,” a third viewer wrote.
Officials said Wooten faces charges of burglary, resisting arrest and obstructing an officer.