News outlets report that New England Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs has been charged in Massachusetts with felony strangulation or suffocation and misdemeanor assault and battery after a former private chef accused him of slapping and choking her during a pay dispute at his home. You’re probably seeing the headlines and wondering what a similar situation would look like under Oklahoma law. In this post, we’ll walk through the accusations, then translate them into Oklahoma assault, domestic abuse, and strangulation statutes so you can see what’s really at stake here.

Accused of Assault or Strangulation in Oklahoma?

If you’ve been accused of assault, domestic abuse, or strangulation in Oklahoma, you don’t have to guess what comes next. Reach out for a free consultation at 405-633-3420 or use our secure contact form. The earlier you get an Oklahoma criminal defense lawyer involved, the more options you usually keep on the table.

What’s Alleged in the Stefon Diggs Case

According to reports, the alleged victim worked as a private chef in Diggs’ Dedham, Massachusetts, home. She told police that after a text exchange about back pay, Diggs entered her bedroom angry, slapped her across the face, tried to choke her using the crook of his elbow around her neck, and threw her on the bed. She says she had trouble breathing and felt like she could black out. Police later filed charges for felony strangulation or suffocation and misdemeanor assault and battery, and he now faces an arraignment date in Massachusetts.

Diggs, through his attorney, “categorically denies” the allegations and says they grew out of a money dispute with an employee. That denial matters. You’re seeing a one-sided story in the headlines, but the courtroom is where the actual evidence gets tested. The same thing would be true if you faced a strangulation or domestic abuse allegation in Oklahoma.

How Oklahoma Law Treats Similar Allegations

Domestic abuse by strangulation

Oklahoma has a specific felony called domestic abuse by strangulation under 21 O.S. § 644(J). The State has to prove an assault and battery by strangulation or attempted strangulation against an “intimate partner” or a “family or household member” as defined in 22 O.S. § 60.1. Oklahoma’s uniform jury instructions break this down into elements: willful and unlawful use of force or violence, against a qualifying relationship, and done by strangulation or attempted strangulation.

Oklahoma law also defines “strangulation” broadly as any form of asphyxia, including closing blood vessels or airways in the neck or closing the nose or mouth through external pressure. That means a claim that someone wrapped an arm around your neck and made it hard to breathe is exactly the kind of allegation prosecutors might use to justify a strangulation charge here. A first conviction can bring one to three years in the Department of Corrections and fines up to $3,000, with much higher exposure on a later conviction.

Whether a case like Diggs’ would qualify as “domestic abuse” in Oklahoma depends on the relationship. Our law covers current or former spouses, dating partners, co-parents, people related by blood or marriage, and people who live or have lived in the same household. If your accuser is an employee who also lives in your home, prosecutors may argue that the “household member” language applies. If not, they may lean on other assault or aggravated assault statutes instead. We dig into those in more detail on our Oklahoma assault, battery, and domestic abuse charges page.

Assault and aggravated assault and battery

Oklahoma starts with simple definitions. An assault is a willful and unlawful attempt or offer to do bodily harm with force or violence. A battery is a willful and unlawful use of force or violence upon another person. Those come from 21 O.S. §§ 641–642 and the related jury instructions. Even the slightest non-consensual touching can be enough to satisfy the battery piece if the State proves it was unlawful.

Things escalate when prosecutors claim “great bodily injury.” Under 21 O.S. § 646, aggravated assault and battery involves an assault and battery that inflicts great bodily injury on another person. That usually means more than bruises or soreness. Courts look for injuries that are serious, not trivial, and that create a real concern for life, health, or limb. So, in a choking case, the level of bruising, breathing problems, and any lasting symptoms can become a huge battle at trial.

Witness intimidation and obstruction

Reports in the Diggs case mention discussions over money and a proposed non-disclosure agreement. In Oklahoma, paying someone what you legally owe them and asking for confidentiality isn’t automatically a crime. However, if prosecutors believe you tried to threaten, intimidate, or corruptly persuade someone not to report a crime or testify, they may look at witness intimidation or related obstruction offenses under 21 O.S. § 455. Those are serious felonies that can stack on top of the underlying assault case. We cover those kinds of charges in more depth on our obstruction of justice crimes in Oklahoma page.

Massachusetts vs. Oklahoma: How Would This Be Charged Here?

Massachusetts uses a felony strangulation or suffocation statute with a separate misdemeanor assault and battery count. Oklahoma could reach the same kind of conduct through different labels. If the alleged victim is a qualifying intimate partner or household member, the State would likely file domestic abuse by strangulation under 21 O.S. § 644(J). If prosecutors think the relationship doesn’t fit that statute, they may instead charge aggravated assault and battery under 21 O.S. § 646 or even assault and battery by means likely to produce death under 21 O.S. § 652 when the choking is especially dangerous.

Either way, you’re dealing with a felony that carries prison time, fines, and long-term consequences for your record, gun rights, and career. In Oklahoma, a felony domestic abuse or aggravated assault conviction can also affect how judges view you in future cases, including protective order hearings and custody disputes. That’s why we always analyze not only the current charge but also how a plea or conviction will echo across the rest of your life.

Oklahoma Criminal Procedure Issues Highlighted by the Diggs Case

Delayed report and credibility battles

In the reports, the chef waited about two weeks before going to police and at first didn’t want to press charges. Oklahoma jurors notice that sort of timing. Prosecutors may argue that victims of domestic or power-imbalanced violence often delay reporting because they’re scared, worried about money, or fear retaliation. A defense lawyer uses the same facts very differently. We point out inconsistencies, possible motives to exaggerate, and changes in the story over time. Those credibility fights often decide whether a jury feels comfortable finding guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

Evidence, texts, and probable cause

Police in Oklahoma only need probable cause to arrest you. That’s a low standard compared to “beyond a reasonable doubt.” In a case like this, probable cause might come from the accuser’s statement, visible injuries, and screenshots of texts about money or the alleged attack. At trial, though, the State must prove every element from the jury instructions, including willfulness, lack of justification, the relationship, and the strangulation piece, all beyond a reasonable doubt.

Text messages, NDAs, and any voicemail or social media posts can cut both ways. They may show anger and potential threats, or they may highlight a financial motive and efforts to settle a contract dispute. An Oklahoma defense attorney will fight to suppress unfairly prejudicial material, challenge how police gathered digital evidence, and push back when the State tries to spin every message as proof of guilt. Where your case is filed can also matter, and our Oklahoma state criminal courts guide walks through those differences.

How an Oklahoma Defense Lawyer Attacks a Strangulation or Assault Case

When you’re accused of strangulation or domestic abuse in Oklahoma, the first job is to lock down your side of the story and any favorable evidence. We look for security video, doorbell footage, Uber records, and witnesses who can describe what they saw before and after the alleged incident. In a money-dispute scenario like the one reported in the Diggs case, we also dig into contracts, payment history, and any demand letters. Those details can support a jury argument that the accusation is leverage in a financial fight, not a real description of what happened.

Next, we drill into the elements. Did your conduct really fit the Oklahoma definition of “strangulation,” or was it a brief physical struggle with no real interference with breathing? Did the relationship actually fall under the domestic abuse statute, or is the State stretching the “household member” category? Are the injuries close to “great bodily injury,” or are we looking at a misdemeanor-level battery at most? Tight element-by-element analysis is often where felony charges get reduced, dismissed, or beaten at trial.

Key Oklahoma Legal Terms Explained

Assault. A willful and unlawful attempt or offer to do bodily harm to another with force or violence.

Battery. A willful and unlawful use of force or violence upon another person.

Strangulation. Any kind of asphyxia, including closing the blood vessels or air passages of the neck or blocking the nose or mouth through pressure on the head or neck.

Great bodily injury. Serious, not trivial, injury that creates real concern for life, health, or limb; it’s more than everyday bruises and scrapes.

Probable cause. Facts and circumstances that would lead a reasonable officer to believe a crime was committed and that you committed it; it’s a much lower bar than proof beyond a reasonable doubt.

FAQs About Assault and Strangulation Charges in Oklahoma