A video circulating on social media showing a Henryetta police officer arresting a suspect in a gas station parking lot over the weekend has drawn public attention, prompting a response from Henryetta Police Chief Steve Norman.

According to a report aired by a Tulsa television station that interviewed Norman, the incident involved Ramone Hester, who police say had an active warrant related to a domestic violence case. Norman said body-camera footage shows the officer attempting to detain Hester, who repeatedly refused to comply and resisted arrest.

The video shared online captures only a short portion of the encounter, filmed by a passerby as the officer and suspect were already on the ground. Norman said the full body-camera video provides additional context, showing the suspect resisting and fighting with the officer before the portion seen online.

“We are human beings too, and we are trying to protect ourselves so that we can go home every night,” Norman said in the interview.

Police said officers had been searching for Hester for several weeks. Norman stated that when the officer located him and attempted to detain him to confirm the warrant, Hester refused and struggled with the officer. During the altercation, the officer reportedly suffered an injury, and the body camera was knocked loose.

Norman said the officer used defensive tactics, including forearm strikes, after the suspect continued to resist and would not give his hands up. He noted that officers are trained in such techniques through CLEET defensive-tactics training, particularly in situations where an officer cannot determine whether a suspect may be armed.

The chief also expressed frustration with how the incident has been portrayed online, saying short video clips can lack critical context.

“As things move this way, where you only see a certain portion of a video that appears to paint the officer in a negative light … it’s shallow,” Norman said, adding that many viewers do not see the full circumstances officers face during arrests.

A witness interviewed by the television station also said the viral video did not show the earlier portion of the encounter, during which the suspect allegedly resisted and attempted to get away.

Records cited in the report indicate Hester has prior convictions in Oklahoma and Kansas, including drug-related offenses, stolen property, stalking and robbery.

The department continues to emphasize that the incident is best understood in its entirety rather than through short social media clips.