STILLWATER, Okla. — Two Oklahoma State University students are in shock after what appears to be a random act of violence just outside of the Stillwater campus.
From stitches in his eyebrow to multiple scrapes and even a broken ankle, Katlyn Loubiere lists the injuries her boyfriend Colby Parsons suffered in a fight in Stillwater.
It happened around 2 a.m. on Sept. 14.
"The reason it's so bad is because he was protecting me. I didn't get a scratch on me. It was all because he was protecting me," said Loubiere.
Their Friday night date turned violent when they ran into three strangers while walking to get some food along The Strip.
"Then we see these guys launch a beer bottle in our direction," Parsons said. "They just started cursing at us, screaming at us."
"I was trying to just tell them 'go away'," Loubiere said. "We said we just wanted a hot dog."
"Then one guy pressed up against [Katlyn], so I was looking at him, making sure he wasn't going to do anything," Parsons said. "Then a guy punched me in the face and started whaling on me."
Katlyn's mom sent us video showing a man punching Colby repeatedly. Two members of the AGR fraternity across the street recorded it. The video ends abruptly when the two members realize how serious the fight was.
Here's that video:
"Then the other guy got me in a chokehold that felt like forever," Parsons said.
Realizing the danger, the two young men ran over to pull the men off a battered Colby.
"I was talking to her and I said I didn't want a hot dog anymore, let's go home. And she said no, you need to go to the hospital," he said.
This is the picture Katlyn took of Colby right after the altercation.
While ER doctors sewed up Parson's eyebrow, Stillwater police arrested the three men for public intoxication.
On the afternoon of Sept. 17, the Payne County District Attorney charged Hunter Ray Meadows and Luke David Fields with misdemeanor assault and battery.
2 News wanted to learn more about the two men and found Fields is a Moore firefighter.
Moore Fire Chief Greg Herbster said Fields was honored as a recruit last year with a lifesaving award. However, he didn't know of the incident until we told him. Chief Herbster said his department will do an immediate investigation.
Colby and Katlyn don't know these men or why they were targeted.
"As a mom, you want to protect your kids as much as you can, and it's just devastating," said Katlyn's mom Sandra Skeen.
Their families are outraged and want justice.
"We will do whatever we need to do to make sure that happens so it doesn't happen to somebody else's kid," said Colby's mom, Tonia Parsons.
They told us they're also grateful.
"I'm just so thankful for those two boys who got out of that car and decided to help," said Sandra.
Now, Colby and Katlyn are dealing with the impact of this random violence.
"Now, at night, I close my eyes, and I see their face or his bloody face, and it's so scary," Katlyn said.
For Colby, that violence could have a longer-lasting impact.
"The doctor says it appears from the break that somebody stomped on it," he said.
It took surgery to repair his badly broken ankle.
"I had to get a plate that was like 'that' big and eight screws," he said. "It will be there permanently."
He plays on the OSU Lacrosse team, and it will be a while before he's back on the field. Colby hopes he heals up fast. He is missing class and hopes that won’t interfere with his plans to apply for medical school.
"Missing a lot of labs and exams that's going to be hard to make up," he said.
One thing's for certain — they said they'd be more alert and encourage others to watch out, too.
"You never think it's going to happen until it does. Then it hits," he said.
"I'm definitely going to walk in groups and be very smart about where we are going at night," Katlyn said.
Court records indicate the two suspects were notified of the misdemeanor assault and battery charges against them. They will have to appear in court in Payne County on Oct. 16.
Colby's mom said she's disappointed the two are only facing misdemeanor charges and hopes justice is served.
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