One of the men at the center of last year’s racial incident at Lake Monroe has been charged with battery against a public safety official, according to online court records.
A probable cause affidavit filed in Marion Superior Court Wednesday says Vauhxx Booker was arrested in Indianapolis over the weekend for allegedly shoving a police officer after an encounter at a downtown bar and grill.
Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) officers responded to calls after 6:30 a.m. about a disturbance at Downtown Olly’s Sunday morning and were met by Booker, who was complaining that Olly’s staff was intoxicated and yelling rude and racist comments at him.
According to the affidavit, Booker wanted police to make arrests on the spot. When the officers told him they were unable to, Booker “became very angry and agitated” and demanded to speak with a supervisor.
After the supervisor spoke with Booker, he advised the officers to file a police report, told Booker to sit and wait on the curb and went to take Booker’s identification card to the officers making the report.
According to the affidavit, Booker began walking toward the officers talking about his ID, was asked several times to return to the sidewalk before he “threw [the supervisor] by shoving him back with his upper body on the chest.” The supervising officer then shoved Booker back and put him in handcuffs before booking him.
All three officers’ body cameras were on throughout the incident, according to the affidavit.
“I’m innocent of any charges,” Booker said via text message Wednesday. “This unfortunate recent event does not reflect on the July 4 th incident that occurred over 14 months ago. I’ll allow the facts of these individual cases to speak for themselves. I caution against the propensity of (the) media and public to seek out criminality among Black people in order to justify systemic oppression rampant in our society.”
Booker took to Facebook last year detailing an incident he described as an attempted lynching by a group of white men near Lake Monroe. The post received national and international media coverage and has been viewed millions of times. Two of the white men are facing charges of criminal confinement, battery and intimidation; Booker was charged with trespass and battery earlier this year.
Battery against a public safety official is a Level 6 felony under Indiana law. As the lowest-level felony on the books, it carries a penalty of six months to 2½ years in prison and a maximum fine of up to $10,000.
Booker’s initial hearing on the battery charge is scheduled for Sept. 21.
This story has been updated.
Booker Pc Apc by Indiana Public Media News on Scribd
