Bodycam Video Shows Suspect Grabbing Child As He Tried To Escape Oklahoma City Police

Oklahoma City Police released body camera footage showing an assault suspect appearing to grab a child to use as a hostage while trying to escape officers.

The incident happened at a motel on North Lincoln Boulevard on June 8. Officers originally responded to the area after getting a call that 24-year-old Tyrese Hill had assaulted someone and was reportedly armed with a pistol, according to an incident report from the Oklahoma City Police Department.

The bodycam footage showed one of the officers repeatedly yelling for Hill to show his hands. But the suspect then grabbed one of three children and went into an occupied motel room. The incident report said Hill “was using (the child) as a barrier from me and to safeguard himself from any use of force, essentially using her as a hostage or shield.”

The mother of the child was able to grab the girl back from Hill after he entered the motel room, according to the video. Police said Hill then closed the motel room door, with him and the guests still inside.

A few minutes later, Hill came out of the motel room, the video showed.

“I’m listening,” the suspect told police as he held his hands up and crouched to the ground.

“Keep your hands where they are!” an officer said.

“Yes ma’am,” Hill responded.

Police told the suspect to lie on his stomach several times before he complied, the footage showed. Officers then handcuffed him.

Investigators said they later learned that Hill had hit someone in the head with a large stick, causing the victim to lose consciousness. He was arrested for aggravated assault, kidnapping and burglary, according to the incident report.

At the time, Hill was already wanted for five felony warrants out of Oklahoma County, police said.