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Show Sheriff's Blotter An altercation July 27 which started at the HilltoD lounge resulted in Hospitalization ot iour people, two being released after treatment and two being flown to Salt Lake City with broken backs. According to investigating officer Lynn Betts of the Uintah County Sheiili Department, it was reported that some Tribal Members and whites were playing pool at the Hilltop Friday. There was apparently an agreement that the losers would buy the winners a beer. A dispute resulted in who the winners were and an altercation ensued. en-sued. The bartender intervened. Later the bartender advised a Fletcher McCamey that the Indians planned to continue the fight after the bar closed. The group retired to the northwest parking lot and continued to fight. Joined at that time by a Black, Richard Pierce of Detroit Michigan, who reportedly had a knife and told the whites that he could take on one or all of them, it didn't matter. At that time Mike Reed, took a pool cue and broke it over the back of Piercers head, knocked him down. When he arose he fled across U.S. 40 south into the fields. The group tried to trail him but gave up. They got into three vehicles, a pickup, jeep and a white Ford car and traveled to the Ward Draw (near Victory Park) on U.S. 40. The pickup came to a stop, then the jeep and the Ford failed to completely stop, bumped the jeep, then according to Betts, everyone jumped out and started to fight again. After a few minutes the drivers entered the jeep and Ford, with the Ford being backed up and ramming the ieen apain. the ifpp was pushed around in the road; the white Ford went off the road on the South side turned around and came back on the road headed west on U.S. 40, the jeep was then parked and the truck had left the scene. Four or five of the implicated whites were reported standing on a dirt roadway which goes down to Montez Creek from the highway following the fight when they were struck by the white Ford. Betts said there was a difference of opinion on how the men were hit, whether it was after the Ford stopped and then a deliberate ramming ensued or that the whites were throwing rocks at the driver of the Ford and he laid down in the seat to keep from being hit and didn't guide the car from striking the group. According to Betts the backwindow and front windshield of the ford were shattered with an apparent force from the outside. Two members of the group were unable to get out of the path of the vehicle and were struck. Mike Reed was knocked from . the path by the vehicle and Jay Anderton was drug down the dirt road by the vehicle for approximately 36 feet. Anderton and Reed both suffered broken backs, they were treated at the Duchesne County Hospital and then transferred to a Salt Lake City hospital. Pierce made his way to the hosoital later that morning for sutures in his head. Tyrone Myore was also treated and released. The driver of the Ford was a member of the Ute Tribe and will possibly be charged with aggravated assault. There were an estimated 30 persons involved in the fracas. The officers have names of 20 who were involved. Two men, Dan Bourgeois and Clyde Eldon Jacobs were incarcerated in the Uintah County Jail Monday of last week in connection with the vandalization of a Forest Service riverboat. According to Gary Schaffran, Supervisory Recreation Forester and acting Ranger, the pair allegedly took an ax and chopped a hole in the boat the evening of July 23. The pair were brought before Federal Magistrate, Ray Nash in Vernal Tuesday on charges of destroying federal property. Both pled not guilty and bond was set at $2500 each with 10 percent being paid prior to their release. They will appear for preliminary hearings in the near future in Salt Lake City. Officers from the Uintah County Sheriff Department assisted with a kidnapping and assault investigation July 24, more information was unavailable. Information was also unavailable on three burglary cases, two auto thefts, and one forgery. Several citations were issued for speeding, one no drivers license, no motorcycle headgear or endorsement. |