Bullet bounces off plate in Oklahoma man’s neck, saving his life

Investigators say a metal plate in an Oklahoma man’s neck saved him from paralysis or worse when he was shot.

Robert Thurman told 911 dispatchers Friday that his sister Gretchen Thurman shot him, The Tahlequah Daily Press reported.

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Undersheriff Jason Chennault says the bullet apparently hit a metal plate in Robert Thurman’s neck and ricocheted out and went through a door frame. Authorities say Thurman ran out of a mobile home and into a field after he had been shot.

According to investigators, the metal plate in Thurman’s neck was inserted as a result of a car crash some years ago.

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Authorities say Deputy Derrick Grant arrived at the scene and found Thurman and his sister in the field.

“If not for that metal plate, he may have been paralyzed, at the least,” Chennault said.

Thurman’s sister was jailed for aggravated assault and battery with a deadly weapon, but was released Saturday after posting a $25,000 bond. Chennault says investigators are still determining what led to the shooting incident.