XPost: nm.general, talk.politics.guns, alt.fan.rush-limbaugh   
   XPost: sac.politics   
   From: zinn@reno.us   
      
   A New Mexico man who was driving drunk without a valid license barreled   
   through a parade that celebrates Native American culture in the western   
   part of the state, injuring at least 15 people, officials said Friday.   
      
   Jeff Irving, 33, was arrested late Thursday and faces charges that include   
   aggravated driving while intoxicated, fleeing from officers and injuring   
   parade-goers and two Gallup police officers who tried to stop the vehicle,   
   court documents said.   
      
   In a statement, New Mexico State Police said that investigators have no   
   reason to suspect the crime was motivated by hate. No one was killed. The   
   people who were hurt, including the police officers, suffered mostly minor   
   injuries, said New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham   
      
   Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez and his family were among those   
   almost hit as the Chevrolet Tahoe drove through the parade route. The   
   vehicle sped through downtown Gallup about 15 minutes after the nighttime   
   parade started that served as the kick-off event for the 10-day Gallup   
   Intertribal Ceremonial Centennial Celebration.   
      
   Irving’s blood-alcohol content was three times the legal limit for   
   driving, according to court records. His license had been revoked or   
   suspended for another drunken driving charge and the SUV had no   
   registration or insurance, police said.   
      
   Court records didn't list an attorney for Irving who could speak on his   
   behalf. His two passengers were detained and taken to a detox center in   
   Gallup, a city of about 22,000 people, state police said in the statement.   
      
   Many among the crowd of thousands lining the parade route in front of   
   businesses that sell Native American jewelry, arts and crafts captured the   
   chaotic scene on video.   
      
   As the SUV sped near the parade, videos on social media showed people   
   yelling for others to get out of the way and some pushing parade-goers to   
   safety. One video showed parade-goers yelling obscenities at the SUV's   
   driver and passengers while they were handcuffed on the ground.   
      
   Children performing traditional dances appear to have been among the first   
   to have seen the SUV heading toward them, the videos showed. They ran to   
   the side amid screams and others scrambling to get out of the way.   
      
   The images also showed blankets, shoes, banners and umbrellas left strewn   
   along the street and on the sidewalks as people fled.   
      
   Lujan Grisham said Friday that the state will send additional police   
   officers and a behavioral heath crisis team to Gallup for the rest of the   
   ceremonial event.   
      
   Nez said the vehicle was coming at him and a group of tribal officials   
   marching in the parade. He thanked people for taking quick action to get   
   spectators and participants out of harm's way.   
      
   “We just ask for your prayers for all of the participants,” Nez said in a   
   video posted on social media. “We're all shook up. You would see this on   
   television, you would think it would never happen here. I'm sorry to say   
   it happened here in Gallup, New Mexico."   
      
   Tonya Jim said she went to the parade with her parents, grandchildren and   
   children. Her 5-year-old granddaughter, KaRiah, was picked from the crowd   
   to join a group of dancers. Shortly after, the vehicle barreled down the   
   parade route, turned and hit a man across from them who was sitting on a   
   folding chair, she said. KaRiah was helped off the road by someone and was   
   not hurt.   
      
   "I’m glad whoever was holding her hand just kept holding her hand and ran   
   with her to get her off the road,” Jim said. “I’m not sure who she was,   
   but I’m thankful for her.”   
      
   Jim said the family burned cedar and prayed when they got home and did a   
   tobacco smoke prayer Friday morning to calm down.   
      
   “I blessed my kids and thanked the creator they are still with me and (to)   
   pray for the families who are hurt,” said Jim, who is Navajo and lives in   
   Fort Defiance.   
      
   During the mayhem, the SUV swerved onto a side street and pulled into a   
   parking spot before trying to pull out again. It hit a parked car and   
   backed into a police car, state police said. Officers converged on the   
   vehicle and detained the driver and two passengers who Irving identified   
   as his brothers, according to court documents.   
      
   Irving initially told police he was not drinking before admitting to   
   having at least a couple of beers, according to court documents. He is   
   from the small community of Pinedale and faces 21 charges, the documents   
   and police said.   
      
   City, state and tribal officials met Friday, with some urging more   
   resources to address alcohol abuse. The state has long had a driving while   
   impaired rate above the U.S. national average, according to the Centers   
   for Disease Control and Prevention.   
      
   “I think there's always room for improvement,” said Gallup police Capt.   
   Erin Toadlena-Pablo. “I don't think anyone should ever look at it and say   
   we're doing all we can. There's always other means.”   
      
   The nighttime parade is a highlight of the ceremonial celebration, which   
   was founded in 1922 as a way for traders to showcase the culture and art   
   of Native American tribes in the region, said Gallup Intertribal Indian   
   Ceremonial Association board President Kyle Tom.   
      
   A daytime parade will go on as planned on Aug. 13, the day before closing   
   events, Tom said. Other events include dances, rodeos and a juried art   
   show.   
      
   People travel to Gallup from the vast Navajo Nation that extends into   
   Arizona, New Mexico and Utah and from other tribal reservations to attend   
   the parades and events. Nez, tribal lawmakers and others expressed anger   
   and disbelief over what happened.   
      
   “It's supposed to be a celebration, but today it was a difficult time for   
   us,” Nez said.   
      
   ___   
      
   Fonseca reported from Flagstaff, Arizona. Associated Press writer Susan   
   Montoya Bryan in Albuquerque, New Mexico, contributed to this report.   
      
   https://news.yahoo.com/suv-drives-mexico-parade-injuring-050419303.html   
      
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