Former Rare Staff
A retired Morgantown sheriff’s deputy is charged with battery after a video showed him in a violent road rage altercation with a woman.
Videos by Rare
William Sothen, 63, and Amber Generally, 21, confronted each other verbally after following each other throughout the West Virginia town. Morgantown Police Chief Ed Preston reported that Generally exited her vehicle and verbally confronted Sothen, who was on a motorcycle. Sothen then shut the door of Generally’s vehicle as she attempted to re-enter. He placed his hands around her neck and brought her to the ground as the two began to struggle with each other. An off-duty West Virginia University officer was seen separating the two as police arrived on the scene.
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Generally reportedly sustained an ear injury when one of her earrings was ripped out. She also had a scrape on her leg. Sothen, who is a retired Harrison County Sheriff’s Deputy, turned himself in after a warrant was issued.
Though Sothen is the only one being charged, Preston indicated that both people had the choice to de-escalate the situation before it became physical.
“I know people around my age — we literally video everything — so I did not think it was going to turn into what it did but I’m happy I captured it all on video so it can be used and police can figure out what happened,” said the 19-year-old who captured the incident. Both Generally and the young woman who shot the video reportedly asked for it to be taken down, but the third-party source who initially leaked it has yet to do so.
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