On Sunday, May 31^st , 2020, Seminole resident Lauren Cheatwood attended the Oklahoma City protest for Black Lives Matter. She arrived around 7 p.m. in downtown Oklahoma City. Cheatwood stated she was attending the protest to show her support peacefully.

The protesters chanted and held up their signs while abiding the law. Many police officers had barricades throughout downtown. Cheatwood said she noticed a change in the crowd after daylight. The protesters became more active by trying to move closer to the barricades.

Tear gas was used 6 to 7 times by police officers to move the crowd away from the barricades. The smoke caused coughing and eye irritation to her and many in the crowd. She saw a pedestrian break out a window of a local business with a rock. Cheatwood stated she did not see any other acts of violence at the protest. The tear gas was becoming stronger so she decided to leave the protest.

Walking to her car, she was approached by a police car. The police officer got out of the car and put handcuffs on Cheatwood and set her on the curb in front of the police station for about an hour. She said she was the only one put on the curb at that time.

According to Cheatwood, the police officer asked for her information and wanted to know if she was paid by anyone to be at the protest. She told the officer she had not been paid or asked by anyone to be there. She stated the officer told her he was going to arrest her for rioting but decided not too. Since a curfew was set due to the protest, she was written a citation for breaking curfew and released to go home.

Cheatwood returned to Oklahoma City on the following Tuesday for the protest and said it was much smaller and peaceful. She also attended the protest held in Seminole on Saturday, June 6 th .

“It was a very eye-opening experience. I believe I saw things that I wouldn’t have seen on social media or the news. I heard stories from people who had trouble with the cops or how being a few shades darker from someone else could result in you being treated very differently. I’m glad I did it because before this, I understood that cops can be bad but I never thought I’d see it with my own eyes,” said Cheatwood.