An Oklahoma City man is behind bars, facing multiple felony charges after he allegedly forced his way into a woman's home and brutally assaulted her.

Court reports indicate that a woman filed a protective order against Michael Don Brown, 27, last  month in Oklahoma County. On Friday, Brown was accused of violating that protective order by going to the woman's home, waiting for her to return from running errands, forcing her into her home, and assaulting her.

The woman told police that she had been in a relationship with Brown for about a year and a half before taking out the protective order. She said that after he pushed her into her home last week, the two began arguing, and the man choked her with a chain until she blacked out.

She says that when she regained consciousness, she was lying on the floor. Brown allegedly then bound her hands behind her back with the padlocked chain. She says he took her car keys and money from her purse and left in her car. 

He allegedly returned half an hour later, removing the chain from her hands and apologizing for the assault. The woman says that he asked her for a ride, and after she dropped him off, she went to a friend's house to call police.

Brown was arrested on multiple criminal complaints, including first degree burglary, domestic abuse by strangulation, kidnapping, first degree robbery, and violating a Victim's Protective Order causing injury. All of the crimes, with the exception of violating a protective order, are felonies.

  • First degree burglary, or breaking and entering into an occupied home with the intent to commit a crime, carries a penalty of 7 to 20 years in prison.
  • First degree robbery is robbery committed through force or fear of serious bodily injury. First degree robbery is punishable by a minimum of 10 years in prison.
  • Kidnapping, or confining, imprisoning, or transporting someone unlawfully against his or her will, carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
  • Domestic abuse by strangulation is a felony domestic violence charge. Conviction of domestic abuse by strangulation is penalized through a term of 1 to 3 years in prison.
  • Violating a protective order is a misdemeanor. Any person who violates a protective order and causes injury to any person granted protection in the order may be sentenced to a term of 20 days to one year in jail. A second or subsequent violation is a felony punishable by 1 to 5 years in prison.

Oklahoma, unfortunately, ranks high in domestic violence and violence against women. Often, an argument fueled by intense emotion can quickly escalate to violence when people do not have the tools to adequately deal with a frustrating situation. However, turning a verbal disagreement into a physical altercation does not solve anything; rather, it makes the situation worse by adding the possibility of serious criminal charges to the mix. Learn more about Oklahoma domestic violence laws.