Officers investigating alleged racist assault near Indiana lake after video circulates on Facebook

INDIANAPOLIS – Indiana Conservation Officers are investigating an altercation partially captured on video Saturday at Lake Monroe that Vauhxx Booker, who is Black, says involved white men yelling to "get a noose."

Some of the incident was captured on video that Booker, a member of the Monroe County Human Rights Commission, posted on Facebook. The post has been shared more than 200,000 times.

"We need to immediately concentrate on bringing these individuals to justice to send a message in our community that hate will not be tolerated," Booker, 36, said in a phone interview with IndyStar of the USA TODAY Network.

Law enforcement officers with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources responded to the reported assault Saturday night, Capt. Jet Quillen said in an email to IndyStar. They provided no other details on what they found at the scene or possible arrests.

No one has been arrested yet, Booker's attorney said Monday.

Booker criticized the conservation officers in a Tuesday video call with IndyStar.

"They left a clear and present danger loose in our community," Booker said Tuesday. "I don't have a doubt that if it would have been five black men who had attacked a white man, they would have been in jail that night."

The Monroe County Prosecutor's Office did not immediately respond to IndyStar's request for comment. Bloomington Mayor John Hamilton and Clerk Nicole Bolden expressed "outrage and grief" over the incident in a Facebook post.

Hundreds gathered on the Monroe County Courthouse square Monday evening demanding justice in the incident.

Bloomington resident and one of the event organizers Patrick Ford said the event is not being led by one particular activist group but rather is a groundswell of local residents who see a need to speak out.

'You invaded us'

Booker said he and some friends were at Lake Monroe, just south of Bloomington, to watch the lunar eclipse when a group of white men approached claiming they were trespassing on private property. One of the men was wearing a hat with a Confederate flag, according to Booker.

Booker said he apologized. When he and some of his friends later went to talk with the group in an attempt to "smooth things over," he said five white men attacked him.

Booker posted a series of what appear to be cellphone videos of the incident. The videos contain strong language and gestures.

One clip shows a white man in a red shirt pinning or holding Booker against a tree. Someone off camera can be heard shouting "let him go," while the man holding the other man turns to the camera and tells them to leave. Other men and a woman, all white, are near the man at the tree and are shouting. At one point, a shirtless man tries to knock the camera out of the hand of the person shooting video.

Another video shows the same shirtless man calling a man off-camera a "nappy headed (expletive)." The man off camera replies "What do you really want to call me?" and the shirtless man repeats the phrase.

The shirtless man in another video clip yells "You invaded us" and calls another man a "stupid (expletive) liberal (expletive)."

During the scuffle, Booker said someone yelled "get a noose," and someone else threatened to break his arms. The Confederate flag, noose and arm breaking comments were not seen or heard in the posted videos, but Booker said several witnesses were present.

Booker said he suffered a minor concussion, cuts, bruises and had some of his hair pulled out.

"I shudder to think that if those other folks hadn't been there that we would be planning a memorial service," said Katharine Liell, an attorney for Booker.

Liell said she is confident that the attackers will be arrested.

"I truly believe that Vauhxx would have been killed by those animals if people weren't there," Liell said. "I believe those people had lynching on their minds."

A final report will be forwarded to the Monroe County Prosecutor’s Office, according to Quillen with the DNR.

IndyStar has requested public documents and reports on the incident.

Follow IndyStar reporter Vic Ryckaert on Twitter: @VicRyc.

Breonna Taylor's lawyers link her shooting death to Louisville gentrification plan: Claim 'outrageous' execution of search warrant

'The worst': Illegal Fourth of July fireworks ignite at least 100 fires in California

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Vauhxx Booker criticizes Indiana officers that handled alleged assault