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Attack on two women in bank parking lot results in misdemeanor warrant for Ozark 37-year-old male

Writer's picture: Dennis McCaslinDennis McCaslin


An apparent road rage confrontation last week led to a misdemeanor arrest warrant for a 37-year-old Ozark man who apparently assaulted two women in a bank parking lot on Albert Pike after a minor fender bender on charges of Assault in the Second Degree and Battery in the Third Degree-Purposely, according to the Sebastian County warrant website.


Branson Owens faces a $1500 bond on the charges after he attacked Courtney Purvis and Paige Goodleaf in front of their 18-month old son in the parking lot of Simmons Bank on Albert Pike. Owens, who actually admitted to the assault on his own Facebook page after the fact, was initially stopped after the incident and just given tickets even though Purvis and Goodleaf identified him to Fort Smith Police officers.


In the Facebook post, Owens stated "Some crazy s*** happened today someone hit car while I was and parked and sitting in it. I lost my f****** s*** next thing I know I'm at the window of the car Throwing punches I don't even remember getting out of my car"


Purvis said that around 4:15 pm on Friday, she was driving with Goodleaf as a passenger when she "bumped" the car driven by Owens.


" He got out and looked like he was coming to talk to me about it, and then he snapped,: said Purvis. "He literally knocked me out with his first punch. Then proceeded to punch me in the face and jaw four more times."


"Paige was trying to stop him and he punched her in the chest four or five times," said Purvis. "When I came to an,d was telling him to stop and trying to get him to stop he hit me four or five more times."


Purvis said she called police and Owens "peeled out" which apparently caught the attention of the officers and they stopped him in the parking lot of a medical clinic.


"Mind you my 19-month-old is in the back seat behind me this whole time and we were just trying to protect our baby and ourselves."


Purvis and Goodleaf both sustained injuries during the attack and required medical attention. Purvis came out of the ordeal with a black eye and several bruises.


Today in Fort Smith requested a copy of the incident report from the Fort Smith Police Department but was turned down by the FSPD on the basis of the incident was considered an "ongoing investigation".


However, the offense report was apparently reviewed early enough in the day on Tuesday to issue a warrant for the arrest of Owens. No copy of the offense report was made available to TIFS by close of business Tuesday.


"What if this guy had a gun?," asked Purvis. "He took off erratically and thankfully a cop pulled him over and when we caught up to them and told them the story, the guy got to walk away with two tickets for battery and fleeing the scene of an accident."


"I have had to live my life in fear because of this man and what he did to me," said Purvis. "Now we have to hire a lawyer tom try and get our medical expenses paid,"


Purvis and Goodleaf have set up a GoFundMe account to offset their expected expenses. You can donate to that account by clinking HERE.


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