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A Black activist says he was the victim of an 'attempted lynching' as a group of white people threatened to 'get a noose'

Jul 7, 2020, 22:05 IST
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Vauhxx Booker speaks during a community gathering to fight against racism on July 6.Jeremy Hogan/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
  • Vauhxx Booker, a member of the Monroe County Human Rights Commission in Indiana, says he was the victim of an "attempted lynching" on July 4.
  • Booker posted a series of videos on Facebook on Sunday, in which a group of white people can be seen yelling at Booker and pinning him down on all fours near a tree.
  • Booker said that the group threatened to "break his arms" and yelled "get a noose" after he accidentally crossed over on to private property near Lake Monroe.
  • The Indiana Department of Natural Resources was called to the scene after another group of people intervened, but no arrests were made.
  • The agency told local outlets it is investigating the incident further.
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Indiana authorities are investigating after a black man said he was the victim of an "attempted lynching," part of which was recorded and posted to Facebook.

Vauhxx Booker, a member of the Monroe County Human Rights Commission, shared several clips on Facebook on Sunday in which a group of white people can be seen yelling at him and pinning him up against a tree. No one in the group seen attacking Booker has been publicly named by police.

In a caption for the videos, Booker said that the incident happened on July 4 at a reservoir called Lake Monroe, near Bloomington, Indiana.

"I don't want to recount this, but I was almost the victim of an attempted lynching," Booker said. "I don't want this to have happened to me or anyone. It hurts my soul and my pride, but there are multiple witnesses and it can't be hidden or avoided."

He said a group of five white men attacked him, threatened to "break his arms," and yelled "get a noose" after he accidentally crossed over on to private property.

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"The five were able to easily overwhelm me and got me to the ground and dragged me pinning my body against a tree as they began pounding on my head and ripped off some of my hair, with several of them still on top of my body holding me down," he said in his Facebook post. "They held me pinned and continued beating me for several minutes seemingly become more and more enraged as they kept trying to seriously injure me and failing. At one point during the attack one of the men jumped on my neck. I could feel both his feet and his full bodyweight land hard against my neck."

Video footage showed Booker on all fours next to a tree, held down by a white man. One person nearby can be heard saying "please let him go."

Another video showed a man calling someone off-camera a "nappy headed b----" and "stupid f------ liberal f----." he can be heard telling the group: "We were having a great time and you invited us."

Booker says the attack ended when another group of people intervened

Booker said the attack only stopped when a group of "white allies" intervened. He says he experienced cuts, bruises, and a minor concussion in the incident.

He said that he called 911, but no arrests were made.

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In a statement to The Washington Post, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources confirmed that it had responded to a 911 call on July 4 at Lake Monroe, but officials didn't arrest anyone. The agency told the Indy Star it's continuing to investigate the incident.

"The Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Law Enforcement Division is working diligently with the Monroe County Prosecutor's Office to ensure a lawful resolution," the agency told the Indy Star. "This matter remains under investigation and no further information will be released at this time."

Protesters shutdown the intersection of Kirkwood and Walnut Street in Bloomington, Indiana, during the demonstration. Protesters are demanding justice for Vauhxx Booker, who was allegedly attacked at Lake Monroe on Saturday the 4th of July 2020.Jeremy Hogan/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

The office for Bloomington Mayor John Hamilton expressed "outrage and grief" over the incident, saying in a Facebook post that it was an example of "the persistence of racism and bias in our country and our own community."

Katharine Liell, an attorney for Booker, told the Indy Star that she believes the attackers will be arrested. She also thanked the group who intervened and saved Booker from being attacked.

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"I truly believe that Vauhxx would have been killed by those animals if people weren't there," Liell said. "I believe those people had lynching on their minds."

A peaceful protest was held in Bloomington on Monday, in which demonstrators called for charges against the men involved. A car drove into demonstrators at one point during the protest, and at least one person was hit, according to CNN.

Expanded Coverage Module: black-lives-matter-module
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