Background: Body camera footage shows Donald Chadwell being detained (Edmond Police Department). Inset: Donald Chadwell (Edmond Police Department).
In Oklahoma, a man faces allegations of attempting to take his mother’s car forcibly, during which he reportedly hit her head against the dashboard and tried to ignite her hair.
Donald Chadwell, aged 48, was taken into custody on September 19 on charges of domestic assault or battery, as per documents obtained by Law&Crime. The Oklahoma County District Attorney’s Office is reviewing potential charges.
Police responded just after 6 p.m. to the call of a domestic disturbance at 700 Country Club Drive in Edmond, Oklahoma. The alleged victim, a 74-year-old woman, and the suspect’s mother, was one of the callers to 911, as reported by local CBS affiliate KWTV.
The mother described her son’s aggressive behavior as he tried to “set her hair on fire” and steal her vehicle. Witnesses noted to the police that he was “pulling” her by the hair and pushing her head against the car’s dashboard.
Upon arrival, the officer observed the woman outside, pointing towards her son, who was about 400 feet away. The report noted that Chadwell was holding a blue lighter and had what appeared to be a strand of her hair in his hand.
The suspect, during the interaction, was quick to speak out, reportedly saying, “Man, my mom is crazy.” He claimed she had taken his car. His mother explained she had hidden the car due to his alcohol issues and frequent driving under the influence.
The officer then learned the mother and son lived on the same road where they stood. The mom then drove home without her cellphone, which the officer retrieved from Chadwell’s pocket.
Chadwell said he was at the neighborhood clubhouse making a call, requesting a ride from his mom to a nearby high school football game in Oklahoma City. His mom arrived, and he got in, but an argument ensued because he wanted to know where his car was, according to the report.
The mom allegedly bit one of his fingers — an injury that the officer later saw — and Chadwell said “all he remembered was that the two were yelling” before he “went black.” The next thing he remembered was the officer approaching him in his patrol car, the court document goes on.
When the officer asked him about allegedly trying to light his mom’s head on fire, he “stated that he did not know what I was talking about.” When asked later why there was a “large pile” of his mom’s hair in the car’s passenger seat, he reportedly attributed it to her being “old” and that her “hair falls out.”
The suspect also accused his mom of having a “God complex” and using “her wealth as a form of control over him.”
The mother told a different story. She accused her son of being “mentally ill” and needing help. She said he had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder but was not on medication.
She said that when he got in her car to go to the football stadium, he immediately stated: “You’re gonna give me your car.” He then allegedly pulled her hair, leading to her “flying back and forth” and her tooth being chipped. He also allegedly smashed the windshield of the car.
Witnesses appeared to corroborate this account — saying they saw Chadwell pulling his mom’s hair and “banging her head into the dashboard of the car,” per the report. The woman was “screaming for help” but reportedly didn’t want to exit the car in fear of her son stealing it.
Chadwell was placed in the city of Edmond’s jail shortly after. State records show he had a previous arrest in 2022 for transporting liquor in an open container, DUI, and possession of a dangerous controlled substance, though those charges are listed as having been dismissed.
