Rhode Island governor contradicted on raid

Wednesday, August 1, 2007  

Rhode Island Gov. Donald Carcieri (R) did not tell state troopers to withdraw if they encountered resistance to a raid of the Narragansett Reservation, the former superintendent of the state police said in court on Tuesday.

The testimony from retired Col. Steven M. Pare contradicted statements that Carcieri made in the wake of the state's violent raid of a tribal smokeshop on July 14, 2003. "I instructed the state police … that if any resistance were encountered, the state police were to withdraw," Carcieri told the media.

"I was not instructed to withdraw if state police met with any resistance," Pare said yesterday, The Providence Journal reported.

The lawyers for seven tribal members -- including Chief Sachem Matthew Thomas -- plan to call Carcieri to the stand. Pare testified that Carcieri was very involved in the planning and enforcement of a search warrant on the reservation.

The trial for the seven tribal members who were arrested has not begun. The judge is considering what evidence and testimony jurors will be allowed to hear.

Get the Story:
Pare contradicts governor over raid (The Providence Journal 8/1)
pwpwd

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

Related Stories:
Narragansett smokeshop defendants head to trial (7/31)
Race, history at issue in Narragansett case (07/12)
Narragansett smokeshop case moved to new court (3/6)
Narragansetts in court over smokeshop raid (01/24)
Column: Smokeshop raid still burns years later (1/23)
Narragansett smokeshop case delayed a week (1/15)
State revives Narragansett smokeshop case (12/19)
Narragansett chief meets with Rhode Island governor (12/13)
Narragansett Tribe faces action on smokeshop (12/12)
High court rejects state raid, land claim (11/28)
Supreme Court won't hear land-into-trust cases (10/3)
Court subjects Narragansett Tribe to all state laws (05/25)
Appeals court hears tribal-state sovereignty dispute (12/07)
Narragansett Tribe back in court over sovereignty (12/6)
Rhode Island set to appeal trust land decision (09/16)
Trust land challenge rejected by appeals court (9/14)
Appeals court agrees to rehear sovereignty case (07/11)
Tribal sovereignty must be respected, court rules (05/13)
Appeals court sides with tribe in trust land dispute (02/10)
R.I. tribe takes smokeshop case to higher court (01/27)
State's raid on tribal land sparks strong reactions (07/16)
R.I. to appeal Narragansett land-into-trust case (10/1)
Judge affirms Narragansett Tribe land-into-trust (9/30)
State's raid on tribal land sparks strong reactions (07/16)
R.I. escalates fight over tribal smoke shop (07/15)
Narragansett chief arrested in 'violent' raid (7/14)
R.I. governor promises to help Narragansett Tribe (06/04)
R.I. tribe upset over reservation checkpoint bill (05/30)
R.I. bill sets up reservation checkpoints (5/28)
R.I. tribe delays opening of tobacco shop (5/23)