Black Lives Matter OKC Calls For Chief's Resignation, Meeting With Mayor

Black Lives Matter OKC wants the city's top cop out and aren't happy with how his officers handled the weekend protests.

It's just one of several demands from the group.

In addition to an apology from Mayor Holt and Chief Wade Gourley, Black Lives Matter OKC is calling for the resignation of Gourley.

48 hours after bubbling tensions came to a head, organizers for Black Lives Matter called for change.

“We demand an apology from Police Chief Wade Gourley and Mayor David Holt and ask for the immediate resignation of Chief Gourley,” said Rev. T. Sheri Dickerson.

While demonstrators with Black Lives Matter OKC remained peaceful during their call for justice Saturday and Sunday, upon nightfall, believed outsiders did not.

“We are not asking for people to cause damage to structures,” said Dickerson.

Dickerson and several members spent the day cleaning up damage. She said while they don't condone what was done it was the actions of officers, by Chief Gourley, that changed the tone of their peaceful protest.

“Some of the officers were the ones that escalated the situation there was no call out and it escalated throughout the night,” said Dickerson. BLM is calling for the release of some protesters, discipline or termination of officers, an OCPD citizen complaint board and justice for a number of African Americans shot or killed by OKC police or the sheriff's office.

Dickerson Is now giving Mayor Holt and other city leaders 24 hours to speak up.

“White silence is completely offensive, and so when we don’t hear our leaders speaking about the atrocities that are happening to those standing in protest, we have a problem with that,” said Dickerson.

Leaders are also calling for a grocery store to be built in northeast Oklahoma City. 

Mayor Holt plans to visit with leaders of Black Lives Matter Tuesday.