The Tulsa police department says that Keith Kimmel, the “IM GAY” license
plate activist found dead in a Norman apartment Wednesday, was
“aggressive” with officers who responded to reports that he caused a
disturbance at a gay club
early Saturday.

The late Kimmel, who sued the Oklahoma Tax Commission in February after it rejected his application for a personalized license plate that read “IM GAY,” filed a formal complaint against police Monday. He said that he suffered injuries such as abrasions (pictured), and insults about his sexual orientation and weight from police officers called to End Up, a gay club where he allegedly was disruptive. Officers took him to a hospital emergency room early Saturday.

Kimmel was found dead Wednesday inside an apartment in Norman. According to KTUL in the video below, the timing has sparked questions about whether his death was related to the injuries he claims to have sustained in the encounter with police.

A Tulsa police spokesman interviewed by KTUL said, “From the onset of our contact the individual was verbally aggressive, was physically aggressive, was not cooperating in the least. He was taken into custody at that point.”

Police in Norman await an autopsy on Kimmel to determine the cause of death. As of Thursday afternoon, the autopsy had yet to be performed.