A 46-year-old Navajo man in Farmington, New Mexico, said he was attacked by three white males who yelled racial slurs.

William Blackie said he was picked up by the three men in their pickup. He said they offered him a ride if he would buy them alcohol.

When he tried to leave the truck, Blackie said he was attacked. He suffered a number of bruises, along with a two-inch laceration and a five-inch swollen area on his chest, The Gallup Independent reported.

Blackie described the assailants but no one has been arrested. The males face assault charges and possible hate crimes charges.

In the 1970s, several Navajo men were beaten by white teenagers in Farmington. Three Navajo men were murdered.

Get the Story:
Navajo a hate-crime victim? (The Gallup Independent 6/12)
Assault stirs bad memories (The Gallup Independent 6/12)

Civil Rights Commission Report:
The Farmington Report: Civil Rights for Native Americans 30 Years Later (November 2005

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