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Democrats call for hate crimes law after attack on Indian men

Thursday, August 6, 2015

James "Sonny" Goggles, a member of the Northern Arapaho Tribe, remains in serious condition after being shot in the head in Riverton, Wyoming, on July 18, 2015. His family is raising funds to aid his recovery. Photo from Give Forward

Wyoming Democrats are pushing for hate crimes legislation in the wake of an attack that left one member of the Northern Arapaho Tribe dead and another with serious injuries.

Stallone Trosper, 29, was killed after being shot in the head while he slept on July 18. James “Sonny” Goggles, Jr., 50, remains hospitalized and may never be able to walk again after also being shot in the head.

A non-Indian man has been charged in connection with the brutal shooting. Although he reportedly admitted that he intentionally targeted people whom he believed to be homeless, he is not facing hate crimes charges under state law.

“Wyoming is one of only five states in the nation that does not have statutes criminalizing violence based on bias and it is well past time that we did. There are numerous examples of crimes being perpetrated against Wyoming citizens simply because of who they are," Ron Howard, the chairman of the Fremont County Democratic Party said in a press release.

"Whether it is Matthew Shepard being beaten and left to die or Stallone being shot in the head at close range, these are young lives taken by individuals whose sole purpose was to terrorize the person and the community," Howard added, referring to Matthew Shepard, whose death in 1998 led to the enactment of Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, a federal hate crimes statute.

Stallone Winter Eagle Trosper, 1986-2015. Photo from family obituary / County 10

Leaders of the Northern Arapaho Tribe have asked the Department of Justice to bring hate crimes charges in the case. The U.S. Attorney's Office has acknowledged that it is monitoring the situation.

Tropser and Goggles were shot as they slept in the Center of Hope, a detoxification center on West Adams Avenue in Riverton. About 85 percent of the clients there are Native Americans, The New York Times reported.

About 11,000 people live in Riverton, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Of those, about 10.4 percent are American Indian or Alaska Native.

Many are members of the Northern Arapaho Tribe or the Eastern Shoshone Tribe. The two tribes are based on the Wind River Reservation and both contend Riverton remains a part of their land base but local and state officials are suing in federal court in order to declare that the city is no longer Indian Country.

In hopes of bringing the community together, the Fremont County Democrats are hosting a "Peace March" this Saturday at 9am. The group will form at Rails to Trails Park and then walk to City Park, a place frequented by tribal members. The city park is not far from the Center of Hope where Trosper and Goggles were shot.