Deer rescues woman from attack OXFORD, Ohio, March 1 (UPI) -- Police in Ohio said a startled deer became an accidental hero when it scared off a man who was attempting to choke a woman and drag her away. Oxford Police Sgt. Jon Varley said the woman left a party early Sunday in the 500 block of Poplar Street and a man "tried to choke her and drag her" by her purse straps and "told her to be quiet," The Cincinnati Enquirer reported Thursday. Varley said a deer that was apparently sleeping nearby suddenly jumped up and started running, causing the assailant to become spooked and flee. Varley said the woman suffered red marks and bruising from being choked and punched in the forehead but did not require medical treatment.