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Wisconsin Hunting Dispute
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[QUOTE="Chili, post: 849660, member: 29892"] Hmmm won't direct link so here is a cut and paste: HAYWARD, WIS. -- In a chilling first glimpse into what may have possessed deer hunter Chai Soua Vang to gun down six other hunters, Vang told investigators that one of them shot first after they surrounded him and derided him with racial slurs. Just before making startling admissions of how he went about killing the five men and one woman, Vang told investigators in a document released Tuesday that the victims used an expletive and called him "gook" and "chink." The 36-year-old St. Paul man also said that one of them fired a shot as Vang tried to walk away, setting off his violent response. "Vang stated that [he] shot two times at the man with the rifle, and the man dropped to the ground," according to a probable cause statement filed in Sawyer County Circuit Court. "Vang saw all the others run towards the ATVs, and Vang continued to shoot. Vang stated that two or three more men fell to the ground." Vang, who has not been formally charged, remains in custody. Circuit Judge Norman Yackel set bail at $2.5 million on Tuesday after finding probable cause that Vang committed six counts of first-degree intentional homicide and two counts of attempted first-degree homicide. Vang's account conflicts with earlier police accounts -- based on interviews with survivors -- that he was the first to fire. And friends of those killed said the men would not have done the things Vang alleges. "That's way out of character for them," said Steve Scheurer of Rice Lake, Wis., a friend of Terry Willers, who was wounded, and Robert Crotteau, who died. Willers and Crotteau owned the property where the carnage erupted Sunday afternoon, and Willers told Vang to leave after finding him in a deer stand. Vang is "trying to saying anything he can to get out of it," Scheurer said. Despite Vang's allegations that he was provoked, he also admits shooting several hunters who were unarmed. Vang, who earned a sharpshooting badge while serving in the California National Guard from 1989 to 1995, said one man was running and yelling, "Help me, help me," when Vang caught up to him and shot him in the back, leaving him groaning and dying on the leaf-strewn forest floor. Police believe that victim was Joey Crotteau, 20, whose body was found near that of his father, Robert, 42. When two hunters, one of whom had a gun, sped to the scene on an ATV, apparently trying help their friends, Vang said, he shot them off the vehicle, killing them. Authorities identified them as Allan Laski, 43, and Jessica Willers, 27. When one of the victims he shot at stood up, Vang said he yelled, "You're not dead yet?" and fired again. Vang made those statements Monday morning after telling investigators that he wanted to speak to them without first talking with an attorney. Sawyer County Sheriff James Meier, who had downplayed race as a factor in the deaths at a news conference Monday, said he was not aware of Vang's statements until after the 1 p.m. news conference. Late Tuesday afternoon, Vang agreed to be represented by several public defenders from Spooner, Wis. One of them, James McLaughlin, said the sheriff's office denied access to Vang until late Tuesday afternoon. Meier confirmed that, saying Vang hadn't requested an attorney. "He has to ask for a public defender," the sheriff said. The Wisconsin attorney general's office is handling the case at the request of the Sawyer County attorney. Vang's first court appearance is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Tuesday. Friction feared Vang's accusations could heighten friction between the growing number of Hmong immigrants in the area and other hunters. Some of the Hmong hunters say they are harassed and subjected to racism by locals; some locals say too many Hmong hunters trespass on private land and refuse to leave when asked, insisting that it must be posted. "Hmong hunters may not be as safe hunting," said David Hecker of Hayward, Wis., who is a friend of Robert Crotteau and Terry Willers. "That could become a reality." Friends of the victims, meanwhile, said Tuesday that they don't believe Vang's allegations about racial epithets. "I can't believe [Vang] is trying to blame it on them," said Rich Gravitt, 21. "I've known Al [Laski] and Bob and Joe [Crotteau] forever, and they would never surround and threaten a person who was just in a deer stand. They would not call him derogatory names." Jim Klang, an employee at Rice Lake Auto Parts who knew the hunters as friends and customers, said they were "smart and safety-conscious" and would never point a rifle at someone. "Maybe there was a heated argument," he said, and someone may have used harsh language. "But all of us have been called names," he added. "All of us have been picked on. No matter what happened or what was said, it doesn't excuse murder." Tom Kamrath, owner of Surplus Outlet on Rice Lake's Main Street, knew the hunters mostly as customers. "I can't picture that kind of behavior with these guys," he said. "I can't picture any of them getting to that point without being provoked. They have too much to lose. They're not reckless people." Hecker said that Willers especially wouldn't have said anything in anger toward Vang. "He was just a calm, steady guy, whereas Bob was a little more hyper," said Hecker, who was one of several people who showed up at the courthouse Tuesday hoping to see Vang. "I'd like to look at him and see his face and maybe get a sense of what kind of person he is," said Hecker, who wore a T-shirt advertising Crotteau's business, R&J Concrete. "Is he sorry at all for what he did?" Vang was born in Laos and emigrated to Stockton, Calif. around 1980 before moving to Minnesota about four years ago. After a few years in Minneapolis, he moved to St. Paul in 2003. Lt. Col. Doug Hart, public affairs director for the National Guard in Sacramento, said Vang enlisted in the Army when he was 21. After six years, he was discharged from the California National Guard and assigned to the Army Reserves. Looking for others Meier, meanwhile, said he is still looking for two hunters who are believed to have been with Vang when the shootings occurred. He said investigators spent much of Tuesday talking with survivors of the Willers and Crotteau hunting party. He said investigators found just one gun left at the crime scene, though Vang claimed that at least two people had firearms. Meier also said Vang is being kept apart from other prisoners and cited safety reasons for why Vang did not appear in court, just across the street from the jail. Meier said the autopsy on the last shooting victim was taking place on Tuesday. Meanwhile, one of the shooting victims, Lauren Hesebeck, was released from a hospital in Rice Lake Tuesday. Terry Willers, 47, who also was shot during the spree, remained hospitalized in fair condition Tuesday evening at St. Joseph's Hospital in Marshfield, Wis. [/QUOTE]
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General Moto | Off-Topic Posts
Wisconsin Hunting Dispute
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