SEQUOYAH, Okla. — Disagreements over traffic stop jurisdiction between the United Keetoowah Band Tribe (UKB), the Cherokee Nation, and the Sequoyah County Sheriff's Office are confusing many Oklahoma residents.
For more than a year, Sequoyah County Sheriff Larry Lane says he's been getting calls of unmarked black cars pulling people over. Lane says he recently found out it was the UKB, and that they don't have the authority to do that.
"A lot of our citizens have called and inquired, and I guess complained about these black SUVs making traffic stops for very minor traffic violations," said Lane. He said the pullovers by UKB have been happening in places like Gore, Vian, and near Lake Tenkiller.
One UKB attorney states that the UKB has "concurrent jurisdiction over the Cherokee reservation," said UKB Attorney.
The Cherokee Nation Attorney General Sarah Hill said that the UKB "simply doesn't. I know that they say that they do."
The UKB attorney responded saying, "I wholeheartedly disagree with the Cherokee Nation's stance."
Hill says these are infringements that could result in legal action. "These are attacks on the Cherokee Nation sovereignty, and we don't intend to let it go ... the UKB has no business performing law enforcement in Sequoyah County."
In the meantime, the UKB says it asked the U.S Solicitors Office for an official stance.
Hill says that if people get pulled over, she recommends letting local law enforcement know. "Go directly to the sheriff's office."
Sheriff Lane says any law enforcement activities by the UKB should be reported and documented to the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
Attorney General Hill also says if you were issued citations or issued fines by UKB outside its jurisdiction, you could take action to get a refund and expungement.
Watch 5NEWS on YouTube.
Download the 5NEWS app on your smartphone:
Stream 5NEWS 24/7 on the 5+ app: How to watch the 5+ app on your streaming device
To report a typo or grammatical error, please email KFSMDigitalTeam@tegna.com and detail which story you're referring to.