Police ID Suspect In Hockey 'Hate Crime' Against Native American Kids

[DonViejo]

Source: TPM

By AHIZA GARCIA Published JANUARY 29, 2015, 2:46 PM EST

Police said they have identified one of the men involved in an alleged verbal and physical attack on 57 Native American children at a hockey game in South Dakota and are investigating it as a hate crime, KOTA reported Wednesday.

The case involves potential charges of assault, hate crime and child abuse, Rapid City, S.D. Police Chief Karl Jegeris told the station.

The children were attending a Rush hockey game on Saturday as part of a school event when belligerent fans reportedly began pouring beer on and shouting racial slurs at them. According to one of the chaperones, the fans told the students to "go back to the rez."

After the incident, the students were escorted out of the arena by chaperones and on Tuesday the school's board filed a complaint with Rapid City police, KOTA reported.

-snip-



Read more: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/native-american-sd-hockey-hate-crime

[irisblue]

1. Good!

what a miserable excuse of a man....picking on kids

[cpwm17]

2. I'm glad the police are taking this seriously.

Shouldn't there have been someone to remove the unruly fans during the game? Perhaps it wasn't properly reported at the time.

[Blue_Tires]

3. That's my question as well...

There could be a lawsuit against the arena for lax security...

[Tribalceltic]

14. Chaperones have a duty

to get the kids to safety first. Fear may have induced them to leave the premises immediately. They did the right thing.

They may also have attempted to report the problem to the arena staff, and been ignored because the staff recognized the "skyboxers" as VIPs.

I wish we had more on this story.

I used to escort developmentally disabled adults to a minor league hockey game on a regular basis. All of the staff, concession staff, security, and even the players would be wonderful to us. That was a wonderful experience.


This arena needs to be put on notice, and it's policies examined very carefully. Especially if receives taxpayer funding.

[sheshe2]

4. Good, I hope they get the rest of them as well, Don.

What they did to those children was vile. I hope every last one of those charges stick.

[Downwinder]

5. Lets see the Perp Walk.

[dhill926]

6. good deal...

and wouldn't be surprised if he turns on his buds for a little leniency perhaps...

[snort]

7. Cavemen

belong in caves.

[Cha]

8. Attorney Mato Standing High, who is representing four families whose children were involved in the

incident, said they want justice.

That's what I want too.. Justice for these kids..

Mahalo Don!

[matt819]

9. I just hope

that the police and prosecutors take action and not just sweep the whole incident under the Zamboni.

The description of this incident sounded horrible.

[bluedigger]

10. That police chief looks like he is too young to drink.

Hope they find the rest of the dirtbags and throw the book at them all.

[SciFiRK]

11. A really serious problem but,

Where's Billy Jack when you need him?

[maindawg]

12. This is not unusual

In these very red states that have american indian populations.
Its no surprise but its unacceptable. This has to change. Its bigoted populations ,not just a few bad men. These men are the norm in these deeply red states that elect nutcases to congress. Its deep rooted prejudice that is in these peoples blood. Its always been this way. And its much much worse than that. These prejudices have erupted in bloodshed literally as well as through attrition. Because of myths.
Lies, and silly stereotypes. And people suffer and die because these god fearing christians treat they fellow man like shit.

[glinda]

24. Extremely true. Not just the Red States though.

Even in MN. there are many incidences of mistreatment. I think you know that though. Does not matter that we have several Tribes here....And "welcome" maindawg.

[Judi Lynn]

13. Have to hope this is one time justice will convincingly prevail.

These kids need to see that justice will protect them, regardless of what the past has shown. No time like the present.

We really want to find out how this thing will be resolved.

As earlier mentioned, we need to see the faces of the racists in their perp walks. They shouldn't be able to hide from the public.

Hope this experience will NOT serve to bring the children down emotionally, or contribute to any loss of self-esteem. They need to see the criminals recognized and punished publicly for their sub-human, criminal behavior.

[randr]

15. As the population of South Dakota expands due to rapid growth in the energy field

an increase in problems related to this growth is predictable. The cost of economic expansion, especially in the energy field, comes with an increase of family violence, alcohol and drug abuse, and an increase of intolerance. Communities across our Nation have been witness to the plight of temporary boom town disruption and have had to deal with these issues.

[uppityperson]

18. The oil boom is in ND, not SD.

[rocktivity]

16. Great news -- and not unexpected

In yesterday's thread about this, it was mentioned that Eagle Sales, the local Anheuser Bush beer distributor, rented their sky box to the perps. Both are looking at a heaping helping of bad publicity -- along with the venue's security.


rocktivity

[frylock]

17. I'm going to go out on a limb here, and guess that these idiots were delivery drivers..

for Eagle Sales. I have a friend who does that for the Anheuser-Busch distributor out here. It's a great job, with many wonderful perks, such as outings like the one described in the OP. These racist fukcwads will hopefully find themselves gainfully unemployed, post-haste. In another thread, it was reported that they have decided to charge these cretins with 57 counts of child abuse, and that they have already identified one of them. They are fukced, and that just makes my day.

[glinda]

25. THIS Anheiser Bush that is attacking one of the Native Americans' symbols????

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/872/023/837/

[Judi Lynn]

29. Thanks for adding this link. n/t

[rocktivity]

20. The venue has released a formal statement

with, oddly, an anonymous postscript from Eagle Sales (link):



Not good enough, Eagle Sales -- you know who rented your skybox to. Here's their online contact page -- looks like company president Tom Helland is the high man on the totem pole (if you'll pardon the expression):
http://www.abwholesaler.com/group05/eaglesalesblackhills/TalkToMe/OurTeam

And the venue has some questions to answer about the actions of their security team: were they outnumbered, or were they too scared of upsetting any VIPs?


rocktivity

[kiri]

21. Responsibility Matters. Anheuser-Busch brews its products to be enjoyed responsibly by adults.

Note the above text at bottom of the page. Indeed, "Responsibility Matters".

Sad that the page you nicely offered does not give email addresses. Email makes it easier to send a message.

[rocktivity]

22. DING DING DING -- Kiri, you're our grand prize winner!

Sad that the page you nicely offered does not give email addresses. Email makes it easier to send a message.

Sad, but not accidental -- you ain't seen nothing yet.

http://rapidcityrush.com takes you to a splash page with the statement: you have to go to http://rapidcityrush.com/home to get "inside." So I'm certainly not surprised that I couldn't find any emails on the contact page...but I did find [e-mail], who is in charge of -- WAIT FOR IT! -- luxury seating!


rocktivity

[rjsquirrel]

23. Actually

Anheuser Busch knows full well that its product is frequently consumed by people too young to drink, and more to the point, by people addicted to alcohol. The conduct of the beer distributors in marketing to Native Americans -- and it's especially bad in South Dakota -- and directly exploiting alcoholic addiction is well documented. For Native communities, alchohol is poison and the single biggest enemy of positive, progressive reclaiming of sovereignty, dignity, and power.

A-B are drug dealers. Nothing less. The drug they deal is poison in small doses. It causes degradation and human misery on a scale not even close to comparable with any other addictive substance. It's worse than meth, heroin, or cocaine, and far worse than marijuana or peyote in terms of physical effects and social damage.

A-B has been making a fortune selling beer to alcoholics since prohibition ended. They are not much better than tobacco companies for the way they not only ignore, knowingly, how their product is abused and the damage it does in many communities, but directly exploit marginalized communities for their despair and whatever bits of cash can be shaken out of the pockets of the poor and addicted.

So properly, if A-B and Eagle Beverages wish to make a difference and restore some reputation, how about they fund a major addiction treatment effort in Indian Country, and stop selling cheap poison for outrageous prices to addicted, sick people right at the borders of distressed communities that need those people to be healed and restored.

[brewens]

28. I worked for a Budweiser distributor for 15 years. We made our money selling alcohol junkies their

shit. No two ways about it. All the drink responsibly bullshit was just a legal disclaimer. We knew it was the people that are pounding beers and getting drunk all the time that kept us in business.

[exboyfil]

26. If Eagle Sales is interested in salvaging their reputation

Then they should run the chaperones and students through the Skybox in a series of games giving them unlimited food and drink (non-alcoholic of course). Also pay the expense of getting the students to the game.

As for the miscreant who poured the beer (it is reported that he is not an employee). He should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. The Eagle Sales employee who says he was unaware of it?

[Wellstone ruled]

27. This will be a big

financial hit to Eagle. BTW,the Native American Casino south of Rapid does business with Eagle. Anyone familiar with Western South Dakota is aware of what the real story is between the Indian Nation and the Anglo community. What really is sick is how the Rethugs use the Native American Community as their whipping boy.

[glinda]

30. see #25 also

[glinda]

31. ID ONE????? ONE????????? BS. So they found "one" person they don't mind

blaming things on????? My stomach hurts.

[Jefferson23]

32. Same thoughts here too. n/t

[rocktivity]

33. 5/30/15 UPDATE: Man Accused of Hurling Beer, Racial Slurs at Native American Kids Will Not Face Jail

Indian Country Today: The man who is suspected of hurling beer and racial slurs at a group of Native American kids at a hockey game in Rapid City, South Dakota in January will not face jail time, a judge said Thursday.

After a lengthy investigation by Rapid City Police, Trace O’Connell was eventually charged with disorderly conduct, and would have faced up to 30 days in jail if convicted. But on Thursday, Fourth Circuit Magistrate Judge Eric Strawn removed the possibility of any jail time...based...on a review of the case as well as O’Connell’s lack of a criminal history.

Landeen said he was disappointed by Strawn’s decision... O’Connell has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

And why not some probation? A ban on drinking, as well as being banned from the venue, is only fair!


rocktivity