Three OKDHS Workers in Okmulgee County Honored by Commission for Human Services

OKLAHOMA CAPITOL -- Three employees of the Department of Human Services in Okmulgee County were honored by the Commission for Human Services for their actions in saving a pregnant woman and her small baby after an attack by the woman’s husband.
Receiving Commission Commendations at the meeting of the Commission on May 23 were Catherine David, Administrative Technician; Ronnie Duke, Child Support Investigator; and Dale Huckabay, Adult Protective Services Specialist.

On what began as a normal November day in the Okmulgee County Office, Catherine David was at a desk in an interview booth taking an application from a client.

A young pregnant woman carrying an infant burst into the booth screaming that her husband was going to kill her. Seconds later, the husband stormed through the reception area and into the booth trapping his wife, their child, David and the client.

The man attacked his wife causing their small baby to be thrown across the room onto the floor. He knocked his wife to the floor and continued to hit and kick her.

David, at risk to her own safety, stepped across the man and woman on the floor, scooped up the baby and fled from the room. She was followed by the client who gathered two distraught children in the reception area and moved them to safety. The young pair was the couple’s other children.

Duke rushed to the area and pulled the man off his wife, and Huckabay arrived to help restrain the man. The two workers could barely hold him until police arrived.

The OKDHS office is four miles from town, and officials said without the intervention of the OKDHS workers, the mother, her children and her unborn child might have been seriously injured or killed. These workers displayed bravery and disregard for their own safety in helping the mother and children.

Subsequent to this incident, a hearing to issue a protective order was held. At the hearing, in full view of the judge, the man again attacked his wife and threatened her life as he was led back to jail.

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