{"id":6322,"date":"2021-01-06T12:20:43","date_gmt":"2021-01-06T17:20:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.indianz.com\/News\/?p=6322"},"modified":"2021-01-06T12:22:03","modified_gmt":"2021-01-06T17:22:03","slug":"montana-free-press-family-of-native-man-killed-by-police-seeks-justice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2021\/01\/06\/montana-free-press-family-of-native-man-killed-by-police-seeks-justice\/","title":{"rendered":"Montana Free Press: Family of Native man killed by police seeks justice"},"content":{"rendered":"\"colemanstump\"\r\n
Family members hold a sign during a remembrance of Coleman Stump on Saturday, December 19, 2020, in Box Elder, Montana. Billings police officers shot and killed Stump on October 12 while responding to a call reporting suspicious activity. Photo by Chris Aadland \/ Montana Free Press\r\n<\/figcaption>\r\n
Family hopes death spurs action<\/div>\r\n
Billings police officers killed Coleman Stump in October. The death, and others in Billings, have led to calls for outside investigations of the department’s use of deadly force and other policy changes.<\/div>\r\n
Wednesday, January 6, 2021<\/div>\r\n
By Chris Aadland<\/div>\r\n
Montana Free Press<\/DIV>\r\n
montanafreepress.org<\/A><\/DIV>\r\n

<\/P>\r\nBOX ELDER \u2014 Wearing shirts with Coleman Stump\u2019s picture and carrying banners and signs, dozens of people gathered on a warm, windy Saturday afternoon for a short march to call for changes to police department practices after Billings police killed the Chippewa Cree man in October.\u00a0

<\/p>\r\n\r\nThe 50 or so people who gathered December 19 to march about a half-mile down the road to a school and back used the event to remember Coleman Stump as a father and sibling. They also hoped to illustrate what they described as larger problems within the Billings department regarding the frequency of police shootings and the department\u2019s protocols for investigating those incidents.\u00a0

<\/p>\r\n\r\n\u201cLet\u2019s get some transparency in these departments,\u201d said one of Stump\u2019s sisters, Tasheena Duran, during Saturday\u2019s event. \u201cLet\u2019s get something done.\u201d

<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\nBillings Police Department officers \r\nshot and killed Stump<\/a>, of Box Elder, on the night of October 12 after responding to a call about suspicious activity.\u00a0\r\n

<\/p>\r\n

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\"6.6K\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\n\t
\n\t\t\n\t\t\t6.6K views \u00b7 58 reactions | video documenting my Cole Stump case | Justice For Cole Stump\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n\t
\n\t\t\n\t\t\t

video documenting my Cole Stump case<\/p>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n\t

\n\t\t\"www.facebook.com\"\t\twww.facebook.com\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\r\n
Video: Justice for Coleman Stump<\/a>\r\n<\/figcaption>\r\n

<\/p>\r\n\r\nThe shooting \r\nhas led to calls for change from tribal leaders<\/a>\r\nand advocacy organizations including Indian People\u2019s Action, and for a federal \r\ninvestigation into the department\u2019s use of deadly force<\/a>\r\nagainst people of color.\u00a0\r\n

<\/p>\r\n\r\nFamily members and friends on Saturday continued those calls, saying they hope Stump\u2019s death will draw attention to the department and lead to changes that could increase confidence among victims\u2019 families that such incidents will be properly investigated. For example, the department could implement a policy requiring that investigations of officers who use deadly force be conducted by an outside agency, said Vina Stump, Tasheena Duran and Coleman Stump\u2019s mother.\u00a0

<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\nMontana doesn\u2019t require investigations by outside agencies for on-duty shooting, and Billings, \r\nalone among police departments in Montana\u2019s seven largest cities<\/a>, doesn\u2019t have a policy mandating an outside investigation. The Billings department does forward its internal investigation findings to the Montana Department of Justice for review, and it has occasionally requested that outside agencies like the Yellowstone County Sheriff\u2019s Office conduct investigations of deadly force incidents.\u00a0\r\n

<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\nThe day after the shooting, \r\nBillings Police Chief Rich St. John said four officers had responded<\/a>\r\nto a call reporting suspicious activity on the night of October 12, and that the officers attempted to detain and question three people, including Stump. St. John said Stump refused to cooperate with officers and \u201ca physical altercation took place,\u201d which led to the officers\u2019 unsuccessful attempt to subdue Stump with a stun gun. St. John said two officers shot at Stump after he pulled a gun from his waistband and pointed it at them, hitting him an unspecified number of times.\r\n

<\/p>\r\n Stump died of his wounds after being taken to a hospital, St. John said.\u00a0\u00a0\r\n

<\/p>\r\n\"colemanstumprally\"\r\n

Photo by Chris Aadland \/ Montana Free Press\r\n<\/figcaption>\r\n

<\/p>\r\n\r\nBillings Police Department spokesman Lt. Brandon Wooley didn\u2019t respond to requests for comment, but \r\npreviously told the Billings Gazette<\/a>\r\nthat the department\u2019s officers don\u2019t consider race when using force. Wooley highlighted 2019 arrest and use-of-force data showing that Native Americans comprised 28% of the department\u2019s arrests and 27% of its use-of-force incidents. African Americans were involved in 8% of the department\u2019s arrests and 5% of its use-of-force incidents. St. John said this summer that the department is placing a greater emphasis on de-escalation training to prevent use of force.\u00a0\r\n

<\/p>\r\n\r\nWhile Native Americans account for a disproportionate number of arrests in Billings, Wooley said, that trend is mirrored in the criminal justice system statewide, and is not limited to Billings.\u00a0

<\/p>\r\n\r\nIn response to questions from Montana Free Press, acting U.S. Attorney Leif Johnson said his office has received an investigation request from Indian People\u2019s Action, but otherwise did not comment on the case.\u00a0

<\/p>\r\n\r\n\u201cThe request has been forwarded to the proper U. S. Department of Justice components,\u201d he said. \u201cIn accordance with Department of Justice policy, we cannot confirm or deny the existence of a federal investigation at this time.\u201d

<\/p>\r\n

<\/ins>