TULSA, OKLAHOMA – A Tulsa man was charged by Criminal Complaint today for assaulting a woman with a knife and threatening to kill her, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
Darian Rasean Morris, 25, of Tulsa, was charged with assault with a dangerous weapon with intent to do bodily harm in Indian Country.
The victim requested a ride from Morris on June 3, 2021. During the ride, Morris became angry and accused the victim of being disrespectful after she requested he make a stop at a retailer. According to the affidavit, Morris retrieved a knife from inside his vehicle and held it to the victim’s body, threatening to kill her if she didn’t quit her job. He stated that if she wanted to live, she should go with him and not return to work. The victim was eventually able to get away from the defendant and call 911.
This matter will proceed in U.S. District Court in Tulsa, where the Complaint is currently pending. A Complaint is a temporary charge alleging a violation of law. For the case to proceed to trial, the United States must present the charge to a federal Grand Jury within 30 days. Once a Grand Jury returns an Indictment, a defendant has a right to a jury trial at which the United States would have the burden of proving the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
The FBI and Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cymetra M. Williams is prosecuting the case. Ms. Williams is a prosecutor from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of New Jersey. She volunteered to assist prosecution efforts here in the Northern District of Oklahoma due to increased jurisdictional responsibilities regarding crimes involving Native American victims or defendants and that occur within the Muscogee Nation and Cherokee Nation Reservations.