Karuk leader charged with beer bottle battery

* Andrus charges Vice Chair Hillman for Salmon party incident

By Daniel Webster
Pioneer Press Publisher

Pioneer Press

Fort Jones , CA

530-468-5355

mailto:pioneerp@sisqtel.net

Wednesday, August 22, 2007

Page W1, Column 1 

YREKA - Karuk Tribe Vice Chair Leaf Hillman was charged late on Friday by the Siskiyou County District Attorney for  allegedly hitting his wife with a beer bottle and sending her to the hospital.

DA Kirk Andrus told the Pioneer Press that Hillman was charged Friday with the domestic violence battery and included the special enhancement, as the battery allegedly produced great bodily injury. He expected a warrant for Hillman's arrest to be signed by Friday.

The incident allegedly took place at the post-fish count party celebrating the salmon count on the Salmon River July 27.

The 911 call identified a domestic dispute in which the assailant ran away wearing a tank top and head band, according to Siskiyou County Undersheriff Mike Murphy.

The sheriff's department had an officer enroute to the scene, but then figured it would take an hour or more to arrive. The duty sergeant at the time made the decision to turn the deputy around because everyone would be gone when the officer arrived, according to Murphy.

"I feel we kind of dropped the ball here," Murphy said. "Maybe the officer should have gone to the scene."

The department leadership believed they would pick up the ball and investigate the incident the following morning.

It is mandatory for a law enforcement agency to go to the scene of a domestic- violence complaint.

It took two weeks for  charges to be filed in the case.

The only police interview of the victim was conducted by a Humboldt County Deputy as Hillman was being transported to that county for emergency services.

No photos of the victim were taken after the incident, according to Murphy. The district attorney was handed the case earlier in the week, but  decided to file charges Friday, after his office investigated the incident further.

The 2005 Warren Buffett Award for Indigenous Leadership honored Hillman as a finalist for his grassroots efforts to restore the Klamath River salmon habitat, protect sacred sites and build the capacity of the Karuk Tribal government.  Hillman has been one of the vocal opponents of Pacific Powers dams on the river claiming that the company has been responsible for cultural genocide of the Karuk Tribe.

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