Oklahoma suspends student-athletes 'pending investigation' following Thursday incident

Norman police responded to an alleged robbery involving a firearm, and one suspect was detained and released

John E. Hoover | Apr 16, 2021

Oklahoma suspends student-athletes 'pending investigation' following Thursday incident /

At least two University of Oklahoma student-athletes were allegedly involved in a police incident on Thursday night in Norman and have been suspended by the OU athletic department.

Their names have not been formally disclosed, but a source told SI Sooners they are members of the football team.

“We are aware of a matter that may involve OU student-athletes and are monitoring the situation closely,” the OU athletic department told SI Sooners in a statement. “The student-athletes in question have been suspended pending the outcome of an ongoing investigation. We have no other information to share at this time.”

Norman Police Department Capt. Brent Barbour described the incident to SI Sooners.

“Last night (Thursday, April 15), somewhere just after 10 o’clock, we responded to a reported robbery in the 2600 block of Classen Boulevard,” Barbour said.

“During the robbery, one subject (an alleged victim) was injured, and did not require transport to the hospital.

“We were able to locate one potential suspect a short time later. That person was detained without any incident and later was interviewed by our investigation officers and was released.”

Barbour said no arrests were made and “we have identified” up to two more alleged suspects.

“I believe three (total alleged suspects),” Barbour said. “I have heard two, and I have heard three. Three is what we’re going with.”

Barbour said the robbery call included reports of a “firearms violation.” Multiple units responded to detain the alleged suspect in the parking lot of a nearby restaurant, according to Barbour.

Barbour said there is no “danger to the community” and said investigators believe “everybody involved is acquainted in some way.”

“As far as names of anybody involved,” Barbour said, “since it’s still an ongoing investigation and nobody was arrested, I can’t release those just yet.”

Published Apr 16, 2021

JOHN E. HOOVER

John is an award-winning journalist whose work spans five decades in Oklahoma, with multiple state, regional and national awards as a sportswriter at various newspapers. During his newspaper career, John covered the Dallas Cowboys, the Kansas City Chiefs, the Oklahoma Sooners, the Oklahoma State Cowboys, the Arkansas Razorbacks and much more. In 2016, John changed careers, migrating into radio and launching a YouTube channel, and has built a successful independent media company, DanCam Media. From there, John has written under the banners of Sporting News, Sports Illustrated, Fan Nation and a handful of local and national magazines while hosting daily sports talk radio shows in Oklahoma City, Tulsa and statewide. John has also spoken on Capitol Hill in Oklahoma City in a successful effort to put more certified athletic trainers in Oklahoma public high schools. Among the dozens of awards he has won, John most cherishes his national "Beat Writer of the Year" from the Associated Press Sports Editors, Oklahoma's "Best Sports Column" from the Society of Professional Journalists, and Two "Excellence in Sports Medicine Reporting" Awards from the National Athletic Trainers Association. John holds a bachelor's degree in Mass Communications from East Central University in Ada, OK. Born and raised in North Pole, Alaska, John played football and wrote for the school paper at Ada High School in Ada, OK. He enjoys books, movies and travel, and lives in Broken Arrow, OK, with his wife and two kids.