WASHINGTON (ABC 4 News) - Senators Bob Bennett and Orrin Hatch of Utah have asked U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to investigate the manner in which indian artifact theft suspects were taken into custody.
Some reports suggest federal law enforcement officers used intense military-like tactics during the arrests of 23 people in San Juan County, including the shackling and using drawn weapons.
In the letter, Bennett and Hatch point to the fact that one of the suspects, a prominent doctor, was so troubled by the arrest that he later committed suicide.
The following is an excerpt from the letter:
“I am deeply concerned about the raids that took place in San Juan County,” said Hatch, explaining why he and Bennett sent the June 16 letter to Holder. “While I understand that federal officers obtained the necessary search and arrest warrants, I have reservations about how they executed those warrants. The perception in the community is that more than 100 federal agents armed with assault weapons jumped out of black Suburbans and manhandled the accused unnecessarily. If that is true, I question the appropriateness of such an extreme show of force, especially given the nonviolent nature of the offenses.
On Monday, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar defended the investigation into the indian artifacts thefts.
