Vauhxx Booker who said he was attacked 4th of July 2020 at Lake Monroe (officially called Monroe Lake by the DNR) has been charged with felony battery and trespassing.
The special prosecutor Sonia Leerkamp filed the charges this week. Leerkamp was appointed after Monroe County prosecutor Erika Oliphant recused herself.
Booker provided video of the incident to the media:
Booker, who is Black, gained international attention after the incident but is now being summoned to appear in court on September 14th.
Two men accused of the attack, who have hired attorneys, were charged with various crimes after a video showed them attacking Booker. But, an Indiana Department of Natural Resources report also recommended Booker be charged as well. Oliphant did not file the charges against Booker.
Here is scanner traffic from the incident last year:
Here is the DNR report:
https://bloomingtonian.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Monroe-Reservoir-Incident-REDACTED.pdf
The Bloomingtonian was unable to reach anybody at the Monroe County prosecutor’s office by the time this report was written to get a copy of the charges. An e-mail was sent after 5 p.m. when the charges were found in MyCase.
Bloomington was the scene of violent protests after the incident, which some called an “attempted lynching.” A woman who disagreed with protesters who were in support of Booker plowed her vehicle through a group of anti-racism demonstrators downtown and seriously injured a woman.
