Deputies Searching For Person Of Interest After Crossbow Shooting

Deputies with the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office, along with agents from the OSBI, are looking for William Washee.

Deputies say a man went to the hospital with head injuries and said he was shot with an arrow from a crossbow. The victim said it happened at Washee’s house. The victim was in critical condition, but is expected to survive.

“He was able to pull the arrow out of his head on his own. I don’t know how he did that,” Undersheriff Jason Chennault said.

The sheriff’s office says the incident happened Friday night just east of Tahlequah. When deputies went to Washee’s house, they say he was not there. Deputies say they did find evidence consistent with the victim’s claim of being shot with a crossbow.

“It was obvious that the crime had taken place there,” Chennault said. “We were able to follow a trail of blood through to the neighbor’s house, so he did lose a lot of blood.”

Washee is facing several drug charges, and is known to law enforcement.

“We’ve never known him to be violent. But we have dealt with him quite a bit. Our deputies and investigators are very familiar with him,” Chennault said.

Right now, the sheriff’s office considers Washee to be a person of interest.

If you have any information on where Washee could be, call the sheriff’s office at (918) 456-2583, or call the OSBI tip line at 1-800-522-8017.