An Oklahoma City man was arrested after police say he repeatedly shouted “war on white people” before running toward a passerby and punching him on a midtown sidewalk Monday. The encounter left the victim with swelling and redness beneath one eye, according to investigators.
Barry Ware faces assault and battery, racial harassment, and possession of a controlled dangerous substance charges, according to KOKH. The arrest followed an incident near NW 10th Street and Western Avenue, where police say the victim was walking when Ware began yelling and moved toward him.
Investigators allege Ware then threw multiple punches at the victim’s head. The responding officer documented redness and swelling below the victim’s left eye, turning what began as a shouted sidewalk confrontation into a case involving both violence and alleged race-based harassment.
Police also used Oklahoma City’s Real-Time Information Center to help corroborate the victim’s account, KOKH reported. No additional details about the alleged controlled substance or Ware’s bond were immediately available in the report.
Why The Racial Harassment Charge Matters
The racial-harassment allegation is not based on offensive speech alone. Oklahoma’s jury instructions for malicious intimidation or harassment say prosecutors must prove that a person assaulted, battered, or threatened someone with the specific intent to intimidate or harass that person because of race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, or disability, according to the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals.
That means the alleged punches and the reported racial language are likely to be central to how the charge is evaluated. The case remains at the accusation stage, and the charges against Ware are allegations rather than findings of guilt.
