The Riverside County Sheriff's Department has been hit with a negligence claim over the shooting death of a member of the Soboba Band of Luiseno Indians.

Gordon Davis Arres, 26, was shot by sheriff's deputies on December 28, 2007. Civil rights attorney Jack Schwartz said Arres was targeted partly because he is a tribal member.

Arres was one of five tribal members who have been killed in shooting incidents with sheriff's deputies. The most recent deaths occurred less than a week apart in May.

The tribe recently signed a mediation agreement to address law enforcement issues. But a dispute remains over Public Law 280, which grants the state criminal and civil jurisdiction in Indian Country.

The tribe and the Bureau of Indian Affairs are hosting a public forum on August 11 to discuss Public Law 280.

Get the Story:
Soboba lawyer accuses Riverside County Sheriff's Department of negligence in death (The Los Angeles Times 7/25)
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Tribe to hold public forum (The Palm Springs Desert Sun 7/24)

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