South Dakota man heads to trial in harassment of Indian kids

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

RAPID CITY, S.D. (AP) — A South Dakota man accused of abusing American Indian children with racial slurs and spraying them with beer at a minor league hockey game in Rapid City is set to go to trial.

The bench trial of 41-year-old Trace O'Connell for a disorderly conduct charge is starting Wednesday in Rapid City.

The incident has spurred protests and heightened racial tensions in South Dakota's second-largest city. Critics say the charge O'Connell faces is too lenient.

O'Connell has pleaded not guilty to accusations that he harassed students from the American Horse School at the hockey game in January.

FULL story at link.


Read more: http://bigstory.ap.org/article/665d8ede172e4f09865bebf7a524ab5a/south-dakota-man-heads-trial-harassment-indian-kids

---

The original story from January: http://www.democraticunderground.com/10026147936

I would have prefered Native or First Americans rather than Indian kids in the title.

[KansDem]

1. The offenders were seated in a VIP suite

One of the chaperons was a parent of one of the students; it was his first time attending a hockey game along with several of the students. “I went along to help chaperons, “ said Justin Poor Bear,”the smiles I saw on their (the students) faces was priceless.”

According to Poor Bear the group from the school were seated below one of the VIP suites that are offered for high paying season ticket holders. Around the 3rdquarter of the game several men from the suite began harassing the students seated below. “They were talking crap to our kids and throwing beer on some of the staff and the students,” explained Poor Bear.

Poor Bear admitted to becoming angry and protective and began to address the men in the VIP suite asking who had poured the beer on the children. “They pointed to a gentleman,” explained Poor Bear, “He (the identified male) told me to come up to his suite and said ‘Let’s deal with it.’”

Poor Bear, recognizing that he was in a position to represent his son’s school, declined the confrontation.

Last Real Indians

VIP? I don't think so, unless "VIP" stands for "Very Insensitive Person"

[riversedge]

2. spraying beer on a bunch of kids. What a jerk

http://nativenewsonline.net/currents/trial-set-for-trace-oconnell-who-is-accused-of-spraying-beer-on-pine-ridge-students-at-hockey-game/

Trial Set for Trace O’Connell, Who is Accused of Spraying Beer on Pine Ridge Students at Hockey Game
by Levi Rickert / Currents / 28 May 2015
Students from American Horse School at Allen on Pine Ridge Indian Reservation

Students from American Horse School at Allen on Pine Ridge Indian Reservation

RAPID CITY – Several American Indians stood outside the Pennington County Court house on Thursday afternoon where a hearing took place inside relating to the charge against Trace O’Connell, 41, from Philip, South Dakota, who is accused of spraying beer on American Indian students at a hockey game in January.

O’Connell faces one count of misdemeanor disorderly conduct even though witnesses saw him spray beer on a group of 57 students from the American Horse School in Allen, South Dakota, on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. Several American Indians feel O’Connell should have faced more charges, including a hate crime charge.

He allegedly told the students to “go back to the reservation” during a Rapid City Rush hockey game back on January 24, 2015.

[newfie11]

3. Sadly there is much discrimination here in SD towards Native Americans

This just happened to make the national news.

I hope this rich ass spends time in jail but that won't happen. He should be forced to do public service at Pine Ridge Res! That of course won't happen either.

[historylovr]

4. I'd like to see that too.

[Laser102]

5. I was appalled when I read this in the local paper. But, not surprised.

The mentality of this area is all bigots all the time. Oh, and we are of course, good Christians. What was demonstrated to those children is that there is something wrong with them. They are not like others. How do you make a child ignore this? Live their lives like this didn't happen? It will always be with them. That's the saddest part.

[Comrade Grumpy]

6. This has been true since the founding of the state.

It's an incredibly rednecky kind of place.

[SharonAnn]

7. IDK if it's typical, but my relatives there are incredibly racist, right-wingers.

[Comrade Grumpy]

8. There is a lot of that in South Dakota, but maybe change is coming.

The state's demographics are undergoing a change. Sioux Falls is becoming a big city, and it's bringing in outsiders. The city already leans Democratic, and the state has so few people that the Sioux Falls population growth makes a difference.

[newfie11]

11. Here in the Black Hills many out of state people are moving in.

I was gone for 10 years and moved back almost 2 years ago.
I couldn't believe the new housing developments around Rapid City and the Southern Hills.
I'm not sure where their coming from but think most are retired (not many big employers except medical) near.
I can only hope the Dems have increased.

[Judi Lynn]

9. How would this have played had the targets of this vicious clown been W.A.S.P. kids, anyway?

This country's behavior toward the original inhabitants continues to be a national, indescribable shame.

How anyone could use previous atrocities against them as a platform for sociopathic behavior in the present is hideous.

[center]

Trace O'Connell,

sees a game as an opportunity to terrorize children.

[/center]
Rapid City South Dakota: Disorderly Conduct for a Hate Crime

Posted by Dr Lorena Brownlee on February 19, 2015 in Uncategorized | 1 Comment


On January 24, 2015 a group of Native American children were assaulted and spoken to with racially charged hate speech at Rushmore Plaza Civic Center. Trace O’Connell, 41, of Philip was charged with disorderly conduct following a month long investigation by the Rapid City Police Department and Pennington County Sheriff Office. If convicted, O’Connell could spend up to 30 days in jail and a fine of $500.

According to eyewitnesses of the incident at Rushmore Plaza Civic Center, Trace O’Connell did not act alone. Project Human Rights in an interview with Justine Poor Bear, a father who chaperoned the 57 American Horse School children that attended the event, told us that there were 15 people in the suite above them at the time the children were assaulted and that there was more than 1 assailant responsible for the hate crime that occurred that night.

Disorderly Conduct is unruly behavior constituting a minor offense however crimes committed involving racial prejudice with a violent action such as assaulting children are defined as hate crime under the law. Trace O’Connell’s disorderly conduct charge leaves the door open for other people who feel displeasure with the presence of the Native American community to continue to discriminate, harass, assault and speak to this community in whatever way they please as the local authorities are not appropriately protecting these community members.

If the goal of Rapid City is improving race relations within the community it starts by the Native community being able to trust and rely on the local authorities to protect their children and pursue fair justice for crimes committed against them. The FBI should immediately intervene and pursue a more in depth investigation into the hate crime that was committed against these children. Children should be especially protected from racially motivated hate crimes.

https://lorenabrownlee.wordpress.com/2015/02/19/rapid-city-south-dakota-disorderly-conduct-for-a-hate-crime/

(Short article, no more at link.)

[newfie11]

12. +1

[irisblue]

10. good, picking on kids is a jerk move