Neighbor: Man Killed By Okmulgee County Deputy Would 'Knock Your Lights Out'

<p>We&rsquo;ve learned the man shot and killed by an Okmulgee County deputy was charged with murdering his wife. One neighbor was surprised he got out of jail.</p>

Thursday, February 4th 2016, 6:36 pm

By: News On 6


We’ve learned the man shot and killed by an Okmulgee County deputy was charged with murdering his wife and that he was out of jail on a $50,000 bond, wearing an ankle monitor.

2/3/2016 Related Story: One Dead Following Deputy-Involved Shooting Near Okmulgee

Video shows John Neuman in the Sequoyah County jail when another inmate used a container to attack Neuman - a judge released him after that.

Prosecutors said Neuman beat his wife to death in their home last May, but Neuman said her injuries were caused by him doing CPR on her when she quit breathing after drinking a fifth of vodka.

OSBI said Neuman crashed his semi into a pond Wednesday and fired shots at the paramedics, firefighters and officers who showed up to help him.

The district attorney's office objected to Neuman being released on bond.

2/4/2016 Related Story: OSBI: Man Killed By Okmulgee Deputy Was Murder Suspect

Neuman and his wife lived in Gore. One neighbor said she was surprised when he got out of jail just three weeks after being arrested.

"He would go off. He scares ya," said Ava Swimmer, who lived two houses down from Neuman.

She said her neighborhood is one where everyone knows their neighbor, but that everyone steered clear of Neuman.

"He goes by here and waves, not a one of us will wave at him,” she said.

Swimmer said she wasn’t surprised to hear about Neuman's death. She also said living near him was a nightmare, but that she loved his wife, Tanya.

"She took good care of her kids. She loved her kids," Swimmer said.

She said while Tanya tended to keep to herself, she would still confide in Swimmer often - telling her she was afraid to leave Neuman for fear of what he might do.

"He was a big man, I'm not talking little big, I'm talking big," she said. “He'll knock your lights out."

Swimmer said before she died, Tanya would run up and down the road while Neuman yelled at her calling her fat. She said many of those times she had bruises on her body and face.

She said the sheriff’s office responded to several domestic calls at the home over the four years they lived there, and some neighbors even witnessed him hitting her.

Swimmer said the day Tanya died she knew what had happened. She said she knew Neuman had finally gone too far, but said what happened next is what scared her the most.

“A friend of mine called and she says ‘Did you hear about John?’ And I said ‘What are you talking about?’ ‘He got out of jail.’ I said ‘What?! Are you serious,’” Swimmer said. “How do you do that and let him out of jail?"

She said it's not a surprising end to what was already a very tragic story.

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