An Oklahoma woman has been arrested in connection with a series of vandalism incidents, including one in which an office of the
Chickasaw Nation was defaced with the words "Indians will be gassed" and "Savages."
Allison Christine Johnson, 45, is being charged with a complaint of terroristic threats, the police department in Norman said on Thursday. She was arrested there after allegedly vandalizing additional properties in that city.
"This arrest is the result of great team work between the NPD, the Oklahoma City Police Department, and the FBI," the
Norman Police Department said in a statement.
The
Chickasaw Nation office that was vandalized is located in Oklahoma City, about 20 miles away from Norman. The hateful words targeting Native people were accompanied by the initials "HH" -- presumably meaning "Heil, Hitler" -- along with a swastika and
another
symbol of White supremacy.
“I am appalled by these destructive acts of hate, and I strongly condemn both
counts which took place today,”
Rep. Tom Cole (R-Oklahoma) said in
a
statement
after the incident. “As a member of the Chickasaw Nation, I am absolutely
disgusted by the racist vandalism on my tribe’s Oklahoma City headquarters."
The Oklahoma Democratic Party headquarters in Oklahoma City also was defaced around the same time as the Chickasaw Nation office. According to news reports, racist and homophobic comments were spray-painted on multiple buildings in Norman this week.
"We’re pleased to report that 45 year-old Allison Johnson is now in custody. She will face charges for the graffiti/hate crime incidents in Oklahoma City as well," the
Oklahoma City Police Department said on Thursday.
Johnson turned herself in before being arrested, according to news reports. Her race is recorded as "W" for "White" in the
online system of the Cleveland County jail, where she is being held.
“The acts of bigotry and anti-Semitism displayed to the Chickasaw Nation in Oklahoma remind us that racism is still alive in this country,”
Rep. Deb Haaland (D-New
Mexico) said after the incident.
“It reveals an ugly reality that Native Americans and people of color still face today," added Haaland, who is one of the
first two Native women to serve in Congress. "Our communities deserve to feel safe, and we must condemn this behavior against any group of people.”
Read More on the Story
Norman police arrest woman in connection with racist graffiti
(The Norman Transcript April 4, 2019)
Woman wanted in connection with racist graffiti turns herself in to police
(The Norman Transcript April 4, 2019)
Norman police announce arrest in racist graffiti incident
(The Oklahoman April 5, 2019)
Arrest made after racist vandalism incidents in Norman and Oklahoma City
(The Tulsa World April 5, 2019)
Woman arrested in racist graffiti that targeted Democrats in Oklahoma
(NBC News April 5, 2019)
Arrest Made in Hate Graffiti
(The Associated Press April 5, 2019)
Oklahoma woman arrested after allegedly spray-painting swastikas, messages of hate on properties
(Fox News April 5, 2019)
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