Staff Report
MONROE COUNTY — The Indiana Department of Natural Resources is investigating an alleged hate crime involving a lynching threat that occurred on Lake Monroe July 4.
In a viral Facebook post, Vauhxx Booker, 36, a member of the Monroe County Human Rights Commission, who is originally from Columbus, said he was attending a lunar eclipse viewing party at Lake Monroe on Saturday when he was assaulted by a group of white men.
Booker, who is Black, said a dispute over crossing private property occurred before he learned that the event organizer didn’t own the property. He said an attempt to “smooth things over” led to a group following him down a trail, where he was jumped from behind.
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Five white men overwhelmed him and he was pinned against a tree as someone said “get a noose,” Booker told investigators. Booker said he struggled to breathe, and was beaten for several minutes. He said suffered a minor concussion, cuts, bruises and had patches of his hair pulled out. His social media post also said that he later learned that some of the individuals also yelled “white power” during the incident.
Video of a physical altercation and argument was included in Booker’s social media post. One video clip that he posted shows a white man holding Booker up against a tree and another depicts a different man yelling profanity and racial slurs in regards to Booker.
In his post, Booker said he called 911 who transferred him to DNR.
According to the Associated Press, law enforcement officers with the Indiana DNR responded and are investigating, said Capt. Jet Quillen. A final report will be forwarded to the Monroe County Prosecutor’s Office, Quillen said.
The DNR has provided no other details about what happened or whether any arrests have been made.
“The Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Law Enforcement Division can confirm our officers responded to this call for service,” a statement from the agency said Sunday. “The incident is under investigation and the final report will be forwarded to the Monroe County Prosecutor’s Officer upon completion.”
Bloomington Mayor John Hamilton and Bloomington City Clerk Nicole Bolden issued a statement Monday expressing their “outrage and grief” over what they said was a racially motivated attack while State Sen. Mark Stoops, a Bloomington Democrat, said he was “horrified by the racist attack” and called on Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb to investigate and suspend the Department of Natural Resources officers who responded to the scene for failing to make any arrests, according to the Associated Press.
“This is not just an issue of violence,” Stoops said in a statement Monday. “This is clearly a hate crime and must be treated as such.”
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The Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Law Enforcement Division responded to a call for service regarding a battery on July 4, 2020 at approximately 8 p.m. on private property adjacent to Monroe Reservoir property.
DNR is investigating after a 911 call was transferred to Indiana Conservation Officer Central Dispatch. Additional investigation and interviews are underway.
The Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Law Enforcement Division is working diligently with the Monroe County Prosecutor’s Office to ensure a lawful resolution. This matter remains under investigation and no further information will be released at this time.
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