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http://www.okit.com/news/2001/Sept/hatecrime.html
Native American not found to be victim of hate crime
By Jim Gray
TULSA, OK. -- In what was characterized as a hate crime against an American Indian
mistaken as an Arab-American, new statements of witnesses say it was an actual case of
drunken road-rage between two Native Americans.
In the early morning hours of Saturday, September 15th, American Indians, Kimberly
Lowe, Sonja Watashe, Donny and Gibson Runningbear were reported as driving through the
streets of Tulsa when they became involved in a case of road rage with another
vehicle. Eventually the vehicles came to a stop and when Kimberly Lowe (21) got out of
her vehicle, she was run over and left for dead by two individuals who sped away in a
green vehicle.
Shortly after police arrived on the scene, Gibson Runningbear told police that some
"skinheads" had committed the crime accusing them of being Arab-Americans. One other
witness, Sonja Watashe, phoned Kimberly's mother Gloria to tell her the same story.
Since last Tuesday's bombing in New York and Washington D.C., there have been many
outbreaks of racially motivated attacks against people of color which fueled the story
to spread throughout Indian country.
But Sgt. Wayne Allen of the Tulsa Police Department said after questioning by Tulsa
Police detectives, Runningbear recanted this statement. Neither Watashe or Donny
Runningbear told police they heard racial remarks made by the other people who were in
the car, although that was their statement earlier to Kimberly's mother.
According to police reports, all four passengers had been drinking.
Tulsa Police Sergeant Wayne Allen told the Native American Times, "They had been
drinking quite a bit, because Runningbear, by his own admission, was passed out [in
the back of the vehicle]," he said.
Allen said the passengers became involved in an angry shouting match which resulted in
one of the cars being hit by the other. According to Allen, Kimberly pulled into a
parking lot and got out of the car. The driver of a green compact car then drove at
Kimberly Lowe while she was running away and hit her. It then went back and hit the
car that Kimberly had been in, said Allen.
Kimberly was transferred to local a hospital where she was pronounced dead.
The suspected driver and victim were both American Indians according to police
records. Edwin Doctor 23 of Tulsa, was placed in jail on Tuesday, September 18th, on a
complaint of first-degree manslaughter. When asked if their investigation gave them
any indication that this was racially motivated, "I don't' believe it all," said Allen.
Allen acknowledged that Runningbear had originally told police that it was racially
motivated but after questioning by the Tulsa Police, Runningbear later recanted that
statement.
Allen puts to rest any belief that the suspects were skinheads. Tulsa police do not
have an identity of the other person in the car, but they believe Doctor was the
driver of the green car that killed Lowe. Lowe's mother Gloria stated that she
believed her daughter might have known Edwin Doctor prior to the incident.
At a memorial service for Lowe on Monday, September 17 at the All Tribes Community
Church in Tulsa, Runningbear stood up and apologized to the packed audience of family
and friends for lying about the incident.
Lowe's mother, Gloria told the Native American Times that she did not know why Watashe
and Runningbear mislead her and the police, but believed that Runningbear was just
trying to tell them anything so he could be released and allowed to return to the
hospital.
"If anything good comes out of this tragic event, I hope it sends a message to any
young person out there to change their life, who may be involved in doing things they
know they shouldn't," said Lowe.
Services were held on Tuesday, September 18th for Kimberly Lowe at the Big Cussetah
Church east of Okmulgee. A memorial fund has been set up for Kimberly Lowe at the
Local America Bank in Tulsa.
----- Original Message -----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To: List, Cherokee Medicine ; List, Intertribal Village ; List, Lost Bird ; List,
Native American ; List, Sweetgrass ; list, tsalagi-unole
Sent: Thursday, September 20, 2001 4:27 PM
Subject: [Native_American] [Fwd: Fwd: [NativeCelebs] Digest Number 719]
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Ok, I am officially FURIOUS about this!! Something has to be done... anyone with
contacts to the media, PLEASE get this out in the open as quickly as possible!!!
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