Woman breaks out of handcuffs and shoots at police with their own assault rifle

**Warning: distressing content**

A woman managed to break free from her handcuffs and shoot police with their own assault rifle.

Officers from Grady County Sheriff’s Office in Oklahoma were responding to a call from homeowner Dale Moses after Rachel Zion Clay began to behave erratically.

Police detained the 36-year-old and placed her in the back of their patrol car, handcuffed on the back seat.

However, as two officers were speaking with Mr Moses, Clay was able to break free from her restraints and reach into the front of the car and grab an AR-15 assault rifle.

She then turned round and began firing out of the rear window at the officers and Mr Clay, hitting him in the chest.

One of the attending officers was also injured during the incident, which saw them run for cover as a volley of gunfire came from the car.

Grady County Sheriff's Office

After a five-hour stand-off, Clay eventually gave herself up, coming out of the car and lying on the ground.

She was arrested and charged with three felony counts of shooting with intent to kill, and was held on a $1 million bond.

Both Mr Moses and the officer were treated and their injuries were said to be non-life-threatening.

Grady County Undersheriff Gary Boggess confirmed the handcuffs had been put on properly.

He said: "She was able to reach up on our consoles. There are several switches; one is a gun switch to unlock the gun lock, and she found it, unlocked the gun locker, and was able to receive retrieve an AR-15 rifle.

"Then she was able to figure out how to put a round in it, put it on fire and she fired approximately 10 rounds at our deputies and a civilian."

KTUL

He explained that changes to protocol would be made as a result of the incident.

Boggess went on: "One, I will say is our console. Where it actually said gun and she was able to see that, that's gonna be replaced. We're gonna put a switch someplace else in the vehicle to lock our gun."

Adding: "It's a freak deal. It's one of these, probably, I'm not gonna say one in a million. 

"But you know, it's one of those deals that, you know, once it happens then you go back and try to make sure it never happens again. And that's what we're looking at."

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Topics: US News, Crime, Police

Dominic Smithers

Dominic Smithers is the News/Agenda Desk Lead, covering the latest trends and breaking stories. After graduating from the University of Leeds with a degree in French and History, he went on to write for the Manchester Evening News, the Accrington Observer and the Macclesfield Express. So as you can imagine, he’s spent many a night wondering just how useful that second language has been. But c'est la vie.

@SmithersDom