Defense rests in Narragansett smokeshop raid case

Friday, March 28, 2008  

Chief Sachem Matthew Thomas of the Narragansett Tribe of Rhode Island was the final witness in the case over the state's raid of the reservation.

Thomas said state troopers stormed onto the reservation on July 14, 2003, without warning and without showing a search warrant. "They looked like they meant business and they weren’t talking to nobody," he testified, The Providence Journal reported.

Thomas denied assaulting any of the state troopers. He said he became upset when he saw officers throw a teen to the ground and go after a pregnant woman and other tribal officials.

The tribe believed it had a sovereign right to operate a tax-free smokeshop. The federal courts eventually ruled that the state's laws apply on the reservation.

Closing arguments in the trial are set for Monday.

Get the Story:
‘They meant business’ (The Providence Journal 3/28)
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