Indian Country Today has since obtained body cam footage from the officers who responded, as well as the audio of the 911 call placed by an female employee of the store. The woman told police that she was working alone in Hibbett's and felt uncomfortable because there was a man with "weird dreads or something." Robedeaux at the time was wearing his hair long. "My husband was asked to leave for the mere fact that he was Native and had long, braided hair in the traditional Pawnee style!" Knife Chief wrote on Twitter on April 19. Authorities are offering a different account of the situation. A statement given to ICT describes Robedeaux as a "suspicious person" and claims officers initially "chose not to make contact" with him. Police say that changed after Robedeaux came out of a dressing room, where he had been trying on clothes. According to the statement from the Owasso police department, he became "increasingly agitated, resulting in the employee asking him to leave the store because he was creating a disturbance." Robedeaux was eventually arrested for an outstanding warrant connected to an old parking violation, Indian Country Today reported. He was released on bond, The World reported. After the video was posted on Twitter, Robedeaux said an executive from Hibbett Sports called him. He was told he could go back to the store but was not offered an apology, Indian Country Today reported. The company did fire its area district manager as a result of the incident, The World reported, but otherwise won't comment on Robedeaux's treatment. “I hope this sets a precedent for everyone to make this known, because Native people have been so quiet for so long,” Robedeaux told Indian Country Today. He has since cut his hair due to the way he was treated. "He cut his hair, shaved his head, almost immediately following this event because he was so defeated and dehumanized," his wife wrote on Twitter. Owasso is a city in the northeastern part of Oklahoma, just outside of Tulsa, where several tribes have lands. Nearly 7 percent of the population in Owasso is Native. About 5 percent of the population in Tulsa, the second-largest city in the state, is Native. Read More on the Story:Racial Profiling comes in many shades. This incident occurred at Hibbett Sports in Owasso, Ok. My husband was asked to leave for the mere fact that he was Native and had long, braided hair in the traditional Pawnee style! pic.twitter.com/BUaMr1mgZt
— Sarah Knife Chief (@ChiefKnife) April 19, 2018
Exclusive Video: Native man removed by police from Hibbett Sports after “weird dreads” 911 call (Indian Country Today May 24, 2018)
Video of man kicked out of Owasso Hibbett Sports 'because of my race' goes viral (The Tulsa World April 26, 2018)
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