Far too often we see people in our community, and in our country as a whole, divided, isolated, and segregated. Today, those divisions seem to be on the basis of race. Such divisions tend to steer us away from constructive goals and also only feed into the goals of the media and politicians to generate hysteria, anger, and resentment.
These divisions became all too evident in the Summer of 2020 when Vauhxx Booker, a black man, claimed with little to no evidence that he was assaulted, nearly lynched, and threatened by several white men. After Booker made these claims, students erupted in protest on campus, and the IU Student Government made the decision to put out a statement condeming the “attempted lynching.” Students didn’t investigate the claims, allow those accused to defend themselves, or wait for more evidence to be released. They simply assumed that if a black man was accusing a group of white men of attempting to lynch him, he must be telling the full and unrestrained truth.
Later, however, it was discovered that Booker’s claims were completely false. In fact, Booker himself was likely a perpetrator in the incident. Booker claimed that he was visiting Lake Monroe on the Fourth of July to view the lunar eclipse with some friends when a group of white men attacked him with no provocation. He further claimed that the men attempted to lynch him. Booker presented some shaky cell phone footage that appears to show several white men surrounding him as evidence. Sean Purdy and Jerry Cox, two of the men Booker claimed were present at the attempted lynching, were both charged with felony battery resulting in injury and intimidation.
The issue with Booker’s story is that he was actually, according to charges filed against him, trespassing on private property. David Hennessy, a criminal defense attorney representing Purdy, claims that, after trespassing, Booker falsely stated he was a county commissioner. Booker then, according to Hennessy, proceeded to punch Purdy three times and had to be restrained. Booker was charged with battery resulting in moderate bodily injury and criminal trespass.
Though Purdy and Cox likely committed criminal acts by illegally holding Booker and injuring him, it seems clear that Booker was far from a victim.
All three agreed to participate in the restorative justice process rather than take the case to court. Restorative justice seeks to repair the harm done by a crime by bringing the parties involved together to discuss a resolution. Booker, however, then pulled out of the process, seemingly deciding that he wanted a trial. Booker requested that he be given a public defender to represent him despite having $36,000 available that was raised through crowdsourcing to pay for his legal costs. Thankfully, Johnson Superior Court Judge Lance Hamner decided to deny having a taxpayer funded public defender represent this lying villain.
In an unrelated incident, Booker, who previously served as a member of the Monroe County Human Rights Commission and as a leader of the local Black Lives Matter chapter, was charged with battery against an Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Officer, a level six felony. Police bodycam shows Booker pushing an officer outside of an Indianapolis bar. Officers were called to the scene where Booker was complaining that people were calling him racist names.
After being charged with that felony and hearing Hamner’s decision, Booker decided to reenter the restorative justice process.
This entire case has absolutely nothing to do with race and racism, but rather unnecessary racial divisions. We must step back, learn how to think critically, and consider how we will overcome these tensions and move forward.