NativeAmericanWomanSeeksRemovalofBaseballFansFakeHeaddressonNative

AmericanHeritageNightPoliceAssaultHerInstead

23June2014

OnNativeAmericanHeritageNight,agroupofSanFranciscoGiantsfanstookturnswearinga
NativeAmericanthemedheaddresspurchasedonline.ANativeAmericanwoman,April
Negrette,accompaniedbyamalefriend,KimballBighorse,alsoNativeAmerican,objectedand
approachedthemtoaskthattheydesist.Afterconsiderableandemotionaldiscussion,which
drewtheattentionofsecuritypersonnel,thefanseventuallyrelentedandevengaveherthe
offendingheaddress.NeitherMs.NegrettenorMr.Bighorsedrinkalcohol.

Afteranydangerofincidenthadpassed,andratherthanbeallowedtoreturndirectlytotheir
seatsafewsectionsover,thepairwereinsteaddirectedbysecuritypersonnelbehindthe
bleachers,whereagroupofpoliceofficersawaitedthem.Thepoliceinformedthepairthatthe
Giantshaddeterminedthemguiltyofunrulybehavior,thattheyweretrespassing,andthatthey
hadtoleave.Thepairprotestedandquestionedthereasoning.Oneofficeraskedforproofof
identificationfromthemalefriend,andwhenitwasproduced,forciblyremoveditfromthemans
possession,andrefusedtoreturnit.Anotherofficerdemandedthemanproducehisticket,
whichhedid,andthentheofficerforciblyremoveditandrefusedtoreturnit.Themantook
photographsofbothofficerswithhissmartphone.

Meanwhile,anotherofficerdemandedthewomangiveuptheheaddress,whichsherefused,as
ithadbeengiventoher.Theofficerandanotherforciblyremoveditfromherpossession.She
wastoldthatshewasclearlyintoxicatedacommonstereotypeofNativepeopleandthatif
sherefusedtoleave,thattheywouldphysicallyremoveher.Ms.NegreeteandMr.Bighorseboth
disputedthattheirbehaviorhadbeenunruly,andaskedwhethertheywereunderarrest,orifthe
policehadprobablecausetoarrestthem.Thepolicerespondedno.

ThetwoofficersthataccostedMs.Negrettethentwistedherarmsbehindherbackandnearly
liftedheroffthegroundbyhershoulderjointsastheybegantoforciblyescortheraway,asshe
screamedinpain.Mr.Bighorsemovedtofollowwithhissmartphone,andrecordedvideo
footageoftheirtreatmentofher.Policethenmaderepeatedattemptstophysicallyremovehim
aswell,evenashewasmovinginthesamedirectiontowardstheexitasthewomanwasbeing
forciblyremoved.Themanrepeatedlydirectedthemnottotouchhim,whichisclearlyaudiblein
therecordedvideofootage.

Seeingthemanrecording,thepoliceforciblyseizedtheman,attemptingtotakethemans
smartphone.Theyviolentlytookhimtotheground,whereatleast4officersheldhimdown,
handcuffedhimandsimultaneouslypriedthephoneoutofhishands.Theyrepeatedlytoldthe
mantostopresisting,whilerespondedthathejustwantedtokeephissmartphone.Hemadeno
otherefforttoresist.
Meanwhile,Ms.Negrettewasviolentlygrabbedandthrowntothegroundbyherhair,andwas
helddownandalsohandcuffed.Aspectatorrecordedvideofootage,inwhichitcanbeclearly
seenthattheofficerrepeatedlyliftedherbythearmswhileshewasseatedontheground,while
thewomanscreamedthatshewasnotresistinghimandtoreleasehisforciblegriponher.

Eventually,thepairweretakentoapolicevanfordetention.Ontheyway,Mr.Bighorsewas
askedhowmuchhehadhadtodrinkthatnight.Mr.Bighorserespondedthathasneverhada
drinkinhislife.Themanwasviolentlyfrisked,asofficersaggressivelysearchedhispocketsand
shirtseveraltimesover.Officersspreadhislegswidelyandpresseddownonthehandcuffs,
puttingconsiderablepressureonhisshouldersandback.

AstheMs.Negretteobserved,sheremarkedtothepolicethatiftheyweregoingtodothesame
toherthatshewantedafemaleofficersincetherewasnofemaleofficerpresent.However,a
maleofficeraggressivelyreacheddownherpantspocketsbothfrontandbackregardless.Upon
beingsexuallyassaulted,shetriedtosquirmaway,againinsistingonafemaleofficer.The
officerquicklywithdrewinresponse.

Theofficersfoundnothingthatwouldresultincriminalcharges,despitetheiraggressive
searching.Mr.Bighorsewashandcuffedanddetainedinthebackofapolicevanfortherestof
thegame,aperiodofapproximatelyanhour.Ms.Negrettewasdetainedinhandcuffsoutsidethe
vanasnofemaleofficerevershowedup.Meanwhile,thepolicecouldbeheardreviewingthe
sequenceofeventsamongstthemselves,oftenfailingtoreconciletheirconflictingaccounts.Mr.
Bighorseswifeaskedthepolicewhyherhusbandwasbeingdetained,andtheystruggledto
provideacoherentorcompellingreason.

Eventually,themanandwomanwerereleased,andpresentedwithstatementstosignthatthey
hadnotbeenplacedunderarrest,butratherweredetained.Theydidnotsignthestatements.

Meanwhile,theheaddresswasreturnedtothefans,andoneofthemwasphotographedwearing
itwhileenjoyingtherestofthegame.

Note:Aheaddressisasacredobjecttocertaintribalnations.Itoftenrepresentsthecoreof
thosetribalnationscultures.Ms.Negrettestated,Afakeheaddressisadirectrepresentationof
thetokenizationanddehumanizationofNativepeoplesandculturesandhasbeenclinically
proventohaveadversepsychologicaleffectsonourchildrenandpeople.Childrengrowup
believingthattheirculturesarenottobetakenseriouslyandthatit'sacceptabletoreduce
sacredobjectsoftheoriginalinhabitantsofthislandtopropsfortheentertainmentofothers.
Nativecommunitiesleadallcommunitiesinratesofdepression,youthsuicide,domesticand
sexualassault,poverty,lifeexpectancyandmosteveryphysicalandmentalillnessimaginable.
PerpetuatingthissystematicoppressionisnotsomethingforwhichIcouldsitidlybyand
endure.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LWo1h6q80