This is the WFHB Local News for Friday, July 10th, 2020.

Later in the program, you will hear from city councilman Jim Sims on the ‘Black Lives Matter’ mural overlay in People’s Park. You will hear the city arts commission discuss future plans for the mural.

Also, you will hear about the Black Market Firebombing in 1968 by members of the Ku Klux Klan. Today, the site stands as People’s Park – where a mural was overlaid with the words ‘Black Lives Matter.’

But first, your local headlines.

On Wednesday, Governor Holcomb responded to a question about DNR officers’ conduct at the 4th of July racist assault at Lake Monroe. Our correspondent Aaron Comforty filed this report.

 

Police released the hit-and-run passenger who cleared the way for a car attack on protestors in Bloomington. Officers questioned the passenger but did not arrest him. That’s according to a press release from the Bloomington Police Department. The department did not publish the man’s identity. In videos taken at the scene of the hit and run, the man is seen getting out of the passenger side of the car, he then threw a scooter off to the side that protesters placed in the middle of the street as a makeshift barricade. He slammed the door shut as he got back in the car and, moments later, the driver rammed through the protest.

Recent developments in the car attack have brought to light that Christi Bennet, the driver in the car attack on protesters in Bloomington, has a criminal record with twelve entries that includes multiple charges of stalking while armed with a deadly weapon and intimidation. Bennet’s record, in relation to her $500 bond, has caused some activists to question the appropriateness of the bond amount.

 

The Monroe County Commissioners discussed an Interlocal Memorandum of Understanding with Ellettsville. County Attorney Dave Shilling said the MOU was regarding building inspections during their July 8th meeting.

Shilling said the agreement is for a one-year period. He said Monroe County Building Department would continue to perform class one inspections of non-residential buildings. However, he said Ellettsville would have a building inspector present during the inspection.

Shilling said the County Building department has some concerns. He said the county would rather receive class one building applications.

Shilling said the county department would rather the County determine service fees than the Town of Ellettsville and obtain entire service fees. He said the county is willing to have an Ellettsville inspector.

Commissioner Julie Thomas requested Ellettsville inspector training validation to ensure the safety and quality of inspection. Commissioners continued the MOU until a later meeting.

Indiana saw 748 new positive cases and 9 new deaths from novel coronavirus. That brings the state total to more than 50,000 positive cases and 2,555 deaths. The state issued over 550,000 total tests. 9.1 percent of total tests came back positive.

Monroe County reported 14 new positive cases on Friday. New deaths were left blank on the Indiana State Health Department’s Covid-19 dashboard..

Brown County reported 43 positive cases of Covid-19 since testing began in March.

One resident has died in the county since the virus began. As of Friday, the county reported one new positive case. 583 total tests were issued in Brown County.

The Ellettsville Plan Commission approved a Starbucks development off of State Road 46 during their July 9th meeting. Director of Planning Services Kevin Tolloty said the dive through lane would hole up to 15 vehicles. He said new trees will be planted. He said the developer Monon Retail Holdings is out of Indianapolis. Engineer Trent Baxter described the development.

Baxter said construction would be complete 180 days after the permit is granted.

Today,

Bloomington Police Department Release Hit-and-Run Passenger

Police released the hit-and-run passenger who cleared the way for a car attack on protestors in Bloomington.

Officers questioned the passenger but did not arrest him. That’s according to a press release from the Bloomington Police Department.

The department did not publish the man's identity. In videos taken at the scene of the hit and run, the man is seen getting out of the passenger side of the car, he then threw a scooter off to the side that protesters placed in the middle of the street as a makeshift barricade.

He slammed the door shut as he got back in the car and, moments later, the driver rammed through the protest.

Recent developments in the car attack have brought to light that Christi Bennet, the driver in the car attack on protesters in Bloomington, has a criminal record with twelve entries that includes multiple charges of stalking while armed with a deadly weapon and intimidation.

Bennet’s record, in relation to her $500 bond, has caused some activists, such as No Space for Hate, to question the appropriateness of the bond amount. 

Your Daily Coronavirus Briefing

Indiana saw 748 new positive cases and 9 new deaths from novel coronavirus. That brings the state total to more than 50,000 positive cases and 2,555 deaths. The state issued over 550,000 total tests. 9.1 percent of total tests came back positive. 

Monroe County reported 14  new positive cases on Friday. New deaths were left blank on the Indiana State Health Department’s Covid-19 dashboard.. 

Brown County reported 43 positive cases of Covid-19 since testing began in March. 

One resident has died in the county since the virus began. As of Friday, the county reported one new positive case. 583 total tests were issued in Brown County. 

Gallery Walk to Hold A Virtual Artist Panel

Photo courtesy of Visit Bloomington.

Today, July 10th Gallery Walk will hold a virtual artist panel. The First Friday Gallery Walks were put on hold in March of this year due to concerns of COVID-19. Today at 5 p.m., the organization will hold a virtual art and activism panel discussion via the Gallery Walk Facebook page. 

A mix of artists and activists will, “discuss how art, in all its different forms, plays a role in our society and the world.” The panel will include local artists, Nefertiti Morris, Terin JD, and Aaron "Ezi" Underwood.

Bloomington Police Department Release Hit-and-Run Passenger

Police released the hit-and-run passenger who cleared the way for a car attack on protestors in Bloomington.

Officers questioned the passenger but did not arrest him. That’s according to a press release from the Bloomington Police Department.

The department did not publish the man’s identity. In videos taken at the scene of the hit and run, the man is seen getting out of the passenger side of the car, he then threw a scooter off to the side that protesters placed in the middle of the street as a makeshift barricade.

He slammed the door shut as he got back in the car and, moments later, the driver rammed through the protest.

Recent developments in the car attack have brought to light that Christi Bennet, the driver in the car attack on protesters in Bloomington, has a criminal record with twelve entries that includes multiple charges of stalking while armed with a deadly weapon and intimidation.

Bennet’s record, in relation to her $500 bond, has caused some activists, such as No Space for Hate, to question the appropriateness of the bond amount. 

Your Daily Coronavirus Briefing

Indiana saw 748 new positive cases and 9 new deaths from novel coronavirus. That brings the state total to more than 50,000 positive cases and 2,555 deaths. The state issued over 550,000 total tests. 9.1 percent of total tests came back positive. 

Monroe County reported 14  new positive cases on Friday. New deaths were left blank on the Indiana State Health Department’s Covid-19 dashboard.. 

Brown County reported 43 positive cases of Covid-19 since testing began in March. 

One resident has died in the county since the virus began. As of Friday, the county reported one new positive case. 583 total tests were issued in Brown County. 

Gallery Walk to Hold A Virtual Artist Panel

Today, July 10th Gallery Walk will hold a virtual artist panel. The First Friday Gallery Walks were put on hold in March of this year due to concerns of COVID-19. Today at 5 p.m., the organization will hold a virtual art and activism panel discussion via the Gallery Walk Facebook page. 

A mix of artists and activists will, “discuss how art, in all its different forms, plays a role in our society and the world.” The panel will include local artists, Nefertiti Morris, Terin JD, and Aaron “Ezi” Underwood.

Baby boxes provide a safe and anonymous way for mothers or providers to surrender their infant without giving out personal information or being seen. Infants must be no more than 30 days old.

When a baby is placed in the box, a delayed silent alarm is triggered and will alert firefighters in the station. The alarm also alerts the Monroe County Central Dispatch to make sure the baby is picked up right away.

The Safe Haven Baby Box is administered and protected under the Indiana Safe Haven Law, which “enables a person to give up an unwanted infant anonymously without fear of arrest or prosecution.” No information such as date, birth or medical is required of the person leaving the baby unless there are signs of abuse.

After babies are dropped off they are given full medical treatment if needed and then taken into Child Protective Services and placed with a caregiver.

Safe Haven Baby Boxes Inc. was founded by Monica Kelsey, who herself was abandoned as an infant. The goal of the Organization is to educate others on the Safe Haven Law and save the lives of innocent babies from abandonment. This is also to protect mothers or parents from being seen and make it easier to let go of their child if they are in a difficult position of taking care of them.

There is also a 24 hour hotline for women to receive counseling and assistance from Safe Haven. Since the start, Safe Haven has referred over 500 women to crisis pregnancy centers, assisted 6 adoption referrals and has had 76 legal Safe Haven surrenders. Since the first box was installed in April of 2016, there have been no dead abandoned infants in the state of Indiana.

Bloomington Fire Chief Jason Moore said that in the past, firefighters would have to personally receive a surrendered child from a parent and that the process was never anonymous also saying, “Every City of Bloomington Fire Station is already a safe place and a designated location where someone could use the Indiana Safe Haven Law to surrender a newborn.” 

Since the baby box’s installation, Moore stated, “To know that we may not have to go on another call when there’s a dead infant, [is] going to be really good for our morale and our mental health.” 

This Safe Haven baby box will be the 32nd in the United States and the 28th in Indiana. Safe Haven has all locations listed on their website. Among the 28 in Indiana there are also 3 in Ohio, and 1 in Arkansas. 

The idea for placing a box in Bloomington specifically was introduced by co-owner of the Funeral Chapel, Eric Powell. In May of 2018, Powell was called in as a Monroe County Coroner to an abandoned apartment in Bloomington where a 26-week-old baby was found dead. 

After hearing about the option of Safe Haven baby boxes, Powell and his wife, LeeAnna made efforts to create one in Bloomington. The Powells contacted Monica Kelsey of Safe Haven and Sherwood Oaks Christian Church helped by covering the service fee of $10,000. 

Two years later the Powells are happy to announce that Bloomington has a place to safely take in infants if needed.

Baby boxes provide a safe and anonymous way for mothers or providers to surrender their infant without giving out personal information or being seen. Infants must be no more than 30 days old.

When a baby is placed in the box, a delayed silent alarm is triggered and will alert firefighters in the station. The alarm also alerts the Monroe County Central Dispatch to make sure the baby is picked up right away.

The Safe Haven Baby Box is administered and protected under the Indiana Safe Haven Law, which “enables a person to give up an unwanted infant anonymously without fear of arrest or prosecution.” No information such as date, birth or medical is required of the person leaving the baby unless there are signs of abuse.

After babies are dropped off they are given full medical treatment if needed and then taken into Child Protective Services and placed with a caregiver.

Safe Haven Baby Boxes Inc. was founded by Monica Kelsey, who herself was abandoned as an infant. The goal of the Organization is to educate others on the Safe Haven Law and save the lives of innocent babies from abandonment. This is also to protect mothers or parents from being seen and make it easier to let go of their child if they are in a difficult position of taking care of them.

There is also a 24 hour hotline for women to receive counseling and assistance from Safe Haven. Since the start, Safe Haven has referred over 500 women to crisis pregnancy centers, assisted 6 adoption referrals and has had 76 legal Safe Haven surrenders. Since the first box was installed in April of 2016, there have been no dead abandoned infants in the state of Indiana.

Bloomington Fire Chief Jason Moore said that in the past, firefighters would have to personally receive a surrendered child from a parent and that the process was never anonymous also saying, “Every City of Bloomington Fire Station is already a safe place and a designated location where someone could use the Indiana Safe Haven Law to surrender a newborn.” 

Since the baby box’s installation, Moore stated, “To know that we may not have to go on another call when there’s a dead infant, [is] going to be really good for our morale and our mental health.” 

This Safe Haven baby box will be the 32nd in the United States and the 28th in Indiana. Safe Haven has all locations listed on their website. Among the 28 in Indiana there are also 3 in Ohio, and 1 in Arkansas. 

The idea for placing a box in Bloomington specifically was introduced by co-owner of the Funeral Chapel, Eric Powell. In May of 2018, Powell was called in as a Monroe County Coroner to an abandoned apartment in Bloomington where a 26-week-old baby was found dead. 

After hearing about the option of Safe Haven baby boxes, Powell and his wife, LeeAnna made efforts to create one in Bloomington. The Powells contacted Monica Kelsey of Safe Haven and Sherwood Oaks Christian Church helped by covering the service fee of $10,000. 

Two years later the Powells are happy to announce that Bloomington has a place to safely take in infants if needed.

This is the WFHB Local News for Wednesday, July 8th, 2020.

Later in the program, you will hear reporting from a demonstration, where a red Toyota Corolla drove into several protesters near the Monroe County Courthouse square. You will hear from Vauhxx Booker, eyewitnesses, a medic and several other demonstrators. WFHB Correspondent Nicholas DiBrita has more in today’s feature report.

But first, your local headlines.

Photo courtesy of University of Michigan.

Nine new cases of COVID-19 were reported in Monroe County yesterday. Statewide, the number was 455 people. That's according to the Indiana State Department of Health, which also attributed two new deaths in the state due to COVID-19.

The new numbers bring Indiana’s total number of COVID-19 deaths to 2,539. If you want to get a free COVID-19 test near Bloomington, there are two Optum testing sites available, one at the National Guard building on South Walnut.

The other site is almost an hour away in Switz City. The Switz City site welcomes Bloomingtonians and has a much shorter wait-time. Make sure to register beforehand and don’t forget your patient ID.

The Richland Bean Blossom School Board discussed and approved their reopening school plan during their July 6th meeting. Superintendent Jerry Sanders said face covering regulations changed in the new reopening plan.

Sanders said students and staff can choose to wear facial coverings at all times. He said health experts have shown a growing recommendation for face coverings. Community member Jordan Noonfelt said mandating masks in school is dangerous and unnecessary for students.

Noonfelt said masks should be optional. Band Director Aaron Wells said band members will wear masks. Athletic Director Mick Hammett said the athletics will NOT travel for scrimmage or host youth camps. He said coaches will maintain cleanliness.

Sanders said students can choose between in person or virtual leaning. He said the online academy students from grades kindergarten through 5th grade will have a designated virtual teacher and a support teacher.

Sanders said the online academy will follow the same schedule as in person classes. He said grades 6 through 12th would use apex for online learning. He said apex is student paced with assistance from a support teacher. Sanders said hand sanitizer will be supplied in every classroom. He said registration is a semester long commitment.Sanders said registration will begin July 10th.

Vauhxx Booker speaks at the Monroe County Courthouse on Tuesday. He said the DNR left "clear and present danger" (Photo courtesy of Indy Star).

The FBI opened a hate crime investigation into the July 4th racist assault on Vauhxx Booker.

That’s according to Booker's attorney, Katherine Liell, who made the announcement on Tuesday afternoon in front of the Monroe County Courthouse.

Liell said the incident was, "clearly racially motivated."

In a Facebook post on Monday, Liell wrote that the case is also under active review by the Monroe County Prosecutor's Office, which spoke with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources as a part of its review.

She wrote, “The prosecutor called in [the] DNR who will be forced to answer some tough questions.”

Liell was referring to officer conduct at the scene of the assault which has become the subject of public scrutiny after audio, video, and eye-witness accounts indicate that the responding officers did not check to see if Booker required medical attention and did not arrest the alleged attackers despite the present video evidence and multiple eye witness corroborations.

The Bloomington Redevelopment Commission approved an addendum to an agreement with CSO Designs for the 4th street garage design. Assistant City Attorney Larry Allen said the garage footprint had to chan...

This is the WFHB Local News for Wednesday, July 8th, 2020.

Later in the program, you will hear reporting from a demonstration, where a red Toyota Corolla drove into several protesters near the Monroe County Courthouse square. You will hear from Vauhxx Booker, eyewitnesses, a medic and several other demonstrators. WFHB Correspondent Nicholas DiBrita has more in today’s feature report.

But first, your local headlines.

Nine new cases of COVID-19 were reported in Monroe County yesterday. Statewide, the number was 455 people. That’s according to the Indiana State Department of Health, which also attributed two new deaths in the state due to COVID-19.

The new numbers bring Indiana’s total number of COVID-19 deaths to 2,539. If you want to get a free COVID-19 test near Bloomington, there are two Optum testing sites available, one at the National Guard building on South Walnut.

The other site is almost an hour away in Switz City. The Switz City site welcomes Bloomingtonians and has a much shorter wait-time. Make sure to register beforehand and don’t forget your patient ID.

The Richland Bean Blossom School Board discussed and approved their reopening school plan during their July 6th meeting. Superintendent Jerry Sanders said face covering regulations changed in the new reopening plan.

Sanders said students and staff can choose to wear facial coverings at all times. He said health experts have shown a growing recommendation for face coverings. Community member Jordan Noonfelt said mandating masks in school is dangerous and unnecessary for students.

Noonfelt said masks should be optional. Band Director Aaron Wells said band members will wear masks. Athletic Director Mick Hammett said the athletics will NOT travel for scrimmage or host youth camps. He said coaches will maintain cleanliness.

Sanders said students can choose between in person or virtual leaning. He said the online academy students from grades kindergarten through 5th grade will have a designated virtual teacher and a support teacher.

Sanders said the online academy will follow the same schedule as in person classes. He said grades 6 through 12th would use apex for online learning. He said apex is student paced with assistance from a support teacher. Sanders said hand sanitizer will be supplied in every classroom. He said registration is a semester long commitment.Sanders said registration will begin July 10th.

The FBI opened a hate crime investigation into the July 4th racist assault on Vauhxx Booker.

That’s according to Booker’s attorney, Katherine Liell, who made the announcement on Tuesday afternoon in front of the Monroe County Courthouse.

Liell said the incident was, “clearly racially motivated.”

In a Facebook post on Monday, Liell wrote that the case is also under active review by the Monroe County Prosecutor’s Office, which spoke with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources as a part of its review.

She wrote, “The prosecutor called in [the] DNR who will be forced to answer some tough questions.”

Liell was referring to officer conduct at the scene of the assault which has become the subject of public scrutiny after audio, video, and eye-witness accounts indicate that the responding officers did not check to see if Booker required medical attention and did not arrest the alleged attackers despite the present video evidence and multiple eye witness corroborations.

The Bloomington Redevelopment Commission approved an addendum to an agreement with CSO Designs for the 4th street garage design. Assistant City Attorney Larry Allen said the garage footprint had to change to accommodate the space.

City Controller Jeff Underwood said substantial bond funds would be available. However, he said they will be asking for funding agreement monies.

Board member Don Griffin asked Underwood if there would be any changes in the aesthetics...

Good afternoon. This is the WFHB Local News Brief for Wednesday, July 8th, 2020. 

Photo courtesy of University of Michigan.

Today's Covid-19 Briefing

Nine new cases of COVID-19 were reported in Monroe County yesterday. Statewide, the number was 455. That's according to the Indiana State Department of Health, which also attributed two new deaths in the state due to COVID-19.

The new numbers bring Indiana’s total number of COVID-19 deaths to two-thousand-five-hundred-and-thirty-nine. If you want to get a free COVID-19 test near Bloomington, there are two Optum testing sites available, one at the National Guard building on South Walnut. The other site is almost an hour away in Switz City. The Switz City site welcomes Bloomingtonians and has a much shorter wait-time. Make sure to register beforehand and don’t forget your patient ID.

FBI Opens Hate Crime Investigation into Assault On Vauhxx Booker

Vauhxx Booker speaks at the Monroe County Courthouse on Tuesday. He said the DNR left "clear and present danger" (Photo courtesy of Indy Star).

The FBI opened a hate crime investigation into the July 4th racist assault on Vauhxx Booker.

That’s according to Booker's attorney, Katherine Liell, who made the announcement on Tuesday afternoon in front of the Monroe County Courthouse. 

Liell said the incident was, "clearly racially motivated." 

In a Facebook post on Monday, Liell wrote that the case is also under active review by the Monroe County Prosecutor's Office, which spoke with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources as a part of its review. She wrote, “The prosecutor called in [the] DNR who will be forced to answer some tough questions.” Liell was apparently referring to officer conduct at the scene of the assault which has become the subject of public scrutiny after audio, video, and eye-witness accounts indicate that the responding officers did not check to see if Booker required medical attention and did not arrest the alleged attackers despite the present video evidence and multiple eye witness corroborations. 

BPD Launches Investigation After Vehicle Drove into Demonstrators

Bloomington Police Department announced it will launch an investigation to determine the identity of the driver and passenger of a hit-and-run near the courthouse square. A red Toyota Corolla drove into a crowd of demonstrators who were calling for the arrest of Vauhxx Booker's attackers (Nicholas Di Brita).

In a press release on Monday, the Bloomington Police Department said it launched an investigation to determine the identity and location of the driver and passenger of a vehicle that drove into pedestrians at a demonstration on Monday. According to the press release, one pedestrian suffered abrasions to the arms. The other pedestrian was knocked unconscious by the vehicle, suffering a laceration to the head. They were later transported to the hospital by ambulance.

The Bloomingtonian reports that the Bloomington Police Department ran the plates of the attacking car, gleaned from the video of the hit and run, but that the associated address was not not valid. The video of the attack, which is graphic, has prompted some to compare it to recent vehicle attacks on protesters around the U.S., like the infamous twenty-seventeen Charlottesville car attack that killed one demonstrator and injured scores. Just this week, on July 4th, a vehicle plowed into demonstrators in Seattle. A twenty-four-year-old demonstrator later died of injuries sustained in the incident. The rise of vehicle attacks on protesters is causing some to call for using the term ‘terrorist attack’ to describe them.

Food Truck Friday Opening Date Postponed

The July 10th opening date for Food Truck Friday was postponed only a week after director Jordan Davis announced opening da...

Good afternoon. This is the WFHB Local News Brief for Wednesday, July 8th, 2020. 

Today’s Covid-19 Briefing

Nine new cases of COVID-19 were reported in Monroe County yesterday. Statewide, the number was 455. That’s according to the Indiana State Department of Health, which also attributed two new deaths in the state due to COVID-19.

The new numbers bring Indiana’s total number of COVID-19 deaths to two-thousand-five-hundred-and-thirty-nine. If you want to get a free COVID-19 test near Bloomington, there are two Optum testing sites available, one at the National Guard building on South Walnut. The other site is almost an hour away in Switz City. The Switz City site welcomes Bloomingtonians and has a much shorter wait-time. Make sure to register beforehand and don’t forget your patient ID.

FBI Opens Hate Crime Investigation into Assault On Vauhxx Booker

The FBI opened a hate crime investigation into the July 4th racist assault on Vauhxx Booker.

That’s according to Booker’s attorney, Katherine Liell, who made the announcement on Tuesday afternoon in front of the Monroe County Courthouse. 

Liell said the incident was, “clearly racially motivated.” 

In a Facebook post on Monday, Liell wrote that the case is also under active review by the Monroe County Prosecutor’s Office, which spoke with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources as a part of its review. She wrote, “The prosecutor called in [the] DNR who will be forced to answer some tough questions.” Liell was apparently referring to officer conduct at the scene of the assault which has become the subject of public scrutiny after audio, video, and eye-witness accounts indicate that the responding officers did not check to see if Booker required medical attention and did not arrest the alleged attackers despite the present video evidence and multiple eye witness corroborations. 

BPD Launches Investigation After Vehicle Drove into Demonstrators

In a press release on Monday, the Bloomington Police Department said it launched an investigation to determine the identity and location of the driver and passenger of a vehicle that drove into pedestrians at a demonstration on Monday. According to the press release, one pedestrian suffered abrasions to the arms. The other pedestrian was knocked unconscious by the vehicle, suffering a laceration to the head. They were later transported to the hospital by ambulance.

The Bloomingtonian reports that the Bloomington Police Department ran the plates of the attacking car, gleaned from the video of the hit and run, but that the associated address was not not valid. The video of the attack, which is graphic, has prompted some to compare it to recent vehicle attacks on protesters around the U.S., like the infamous twenty-seventeen Charlottesville car attack that killed one demonstrator and injured scores. Just this week, on July 4th, a vehicle plowed into demonstrators in Seattle. A twenty-four-year-old demonstrator later died of injuries sustained in the incident. The rise of vehicle attacks on protesters is causing some to call for using the term ‘terrorist attack’ to describe them.

Food Truck Friday Opening Date Postponed

The Food Truck Friday opening date was postponed for Bloomington. The event was set to begin on July 10th at the new Switchyard park with 10 different food truck vendors. Only a week after announcing the opening day, Director Jordan Davis postponed the opening. 

He stated in a social media post that the delay was due to a rise in COVID-19 cases in Monroe County. However, many food trucks can be found around the downtown Bloomington area. Davis said there is no confirmed date to begin Food Truck Friday. 

Over the July 4th weekend, a group of people physically assaulted local resident Vauhxx Booker at Lake Monroe. 

The racist incident was caught on cellphone video by a number of witnesses. After the assault Booker said he was diagnosed with a minor concussion, some abrasions, bruising, and some ripped out hair patches. He said some of the five men who assaulted him were wearing confederate flags.

“I was almost the victim of an attempted lynching,” said Vauhxx Booker. 

Booker said he and his friends met at Lake Monroe to see the lunar eclipse. On their way to the park, Booker said they encountered a large, white male who seemed drunk and wore a hat with a confederate flag print on it. 

“We noticed he began following us in an ATV, and we stopped as he drove up behind us and then [he] stated we were on private property,” said Booker.

Booker responded that he believed the organizers of the lunar eclipse viewing received permission to be on the property. When he arrived at the event, Booker said he told the event organizer what happened. 

According to a Facebook post by Booker, he was informed that the man who followed them on the ATV was not the property owner. 

Vauhxx Booker posted on his Facebook account the events that transpired (Facebook).

Booker said he informed his friends that were on their way to the lake to use the public beach entrance to avoid any conflict. He said that he later found out that a group of men had blocked off the public beach entrance with a boat and ATVs, saying it was their land. 

In his Facebook post, Booker said when people attempted to cross, the men yelled “white power” at them. 

Booker said he and a friend decided to walk back and attempt to have a conversation with some of the “more sober seeming group members and see if we could smooth things over a bit.” 

“We were calm and polite, but looking back now, it’s apparent that these individuals began targeting our group the moment they saw myself, a Black man and were looking to provoke a conflict,” said Booker. 

The following audio comes from the Bloomingtonian. It was also posted on Vauhxx Booker’s Facebook account. We warn you, the listener, that the following audio is graphic.

Booker said, “My enduring gratitude to those who stopped merely being bystanders and acted to aid me, who told the police what they’d seen and heard, and who shared my outrage at DNR’s and our Prosecutor’s office inaction.”

***

Mayor John Hamilton and City Clerk Nicole Bolden put out a press release on July 6th (City of Bloomington).

Mayor John Hamilton and City Clerk Nicole Bolden sent out a press release this morning that said the city would like to express its outrage and grief in response to the two racist incidents that occurred in the community over the past week. The Mayor’s office later noted on Facebook that the incidents did not occur within the city’s jurisdiction but that the city would work with local and state officials to advocate for justice. The mayor’s statements drew praise and condemnation alike on social media, where people noted that one of the two recent racial profiling incidents occurred within the city limits and jurisdiction. Others noted that the mayor’s statements rang hollow given that they did not mention any concrete action the city would take to address racial equity and justice problems within Bloomington.

The first incident the city mentions was the physical assault of “one black resident” on nearby Indiana State Park land at Lake Monroe. 

The other incident recounts how a white, plainclothes officer, in an unmarked police cruiser, who identified himself as a detective from neighboring Lawrence ...