Members of the Narragansett Tribe of Rhode Island confronted state police over the weekend after a council member allegedly assaulted a police officer.

The officer tried to pull over Hiawatha Brown, 51, for speeding and a suspended license. Police say Brown punched the officer in the jaw before running into a tribal building.

Tribal members then refused to turn Brown over to police. But he eventually turned himself to face charges of assaulting an officer, driving with a suspended license and speeding.

Tribal leaders say state police have no right to be on their land and should have called tribal police to handle the dispute. Tribal members were subjected to a violent raid last July when state troopers raided a smokeshop on the reservation. A federal judge later ruled the tribe's sovereign rights were not violated.

Get the Story:
Tribe official arrested after scuffle (The Providence Journal 3/1)
pwpwd
TRIBAL COUNCILMAN CHARGED WITH ASSAULT (The Westerly Sun 2/29)

Relevant Links:
Narragansett Tribe - http://www.narragansett-tribe.org