Attorneys for 2 involved in alleged racist incident at southern Indiana lake say clients falsely accused

MONROE COUNTY, Ind. — During a Monday press conference, attorneys representing two people involved in an incident at Lake Monroe on July 4 claimed their clients have been falsely accused.

Attorney David Hennessy, part of the team that represents Sean Purdy and Caroline McCord, said his clients were beaten before they restrained the attacker.

“It’s time for the truth be told,” Hennessy said.

Civil rights activist Vauhxx Booker, of Bloomington, has said that white men pinned him against a tree and shouted racial slurs at him and that one of them threatened to "get a noose" at Monroe Lake over the Fourth of July weekend. A Facebook post with a video of the incident has gone viral.

However, Hennessy said his clients tell a different story.

“Mr. Booker threw the punches. Mr. Booker was restrained. Not beaten. Restrained,” the attorney said.

“There is a grand awakening regarding racial injustice happening in all of our communities,” Hennessy said. "This is long overdue. It is deplorable that a person would be targeted because of his or her race. It is equally deplorable for a person to use his race as a weapon and to arouse public passion over a false allegation.”

Hennessy said Purdy and McCord claim that Booker was on private property, informed him of this and after an amicable discussion took Booker to the property line and felt that the situation had been resolved.

They said Booker returned hours later and threatened them, claiming to be a county commissioner, the attorney said, according to a story by Fox59.

Hennessy said Purdy was punched three times by Booker before restraining him against a tree. They said Booker’s claim of being attacked and dragged to the tree is not true.

Attorneys also said more video footage will provide proper context.

Purdy and McCord have passed polygraphs, cooperated with investigators and the FBI, according to their attorneys.

Hennessy said his clients told him they did not hear or say “get a noose,” but acknowledged that they used racially harmful language.

Purdy and McCord are not angry at Booker, attorneys said, and would like to sit down with him to discuss the incident in an effort of “restorative justice.”