A DUI on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation has turned political after the man at the center of it, former tribal councilman and outgoing state senator Shannon Augare, told the media that his recent arrest was politically motivated.
Members of the Blackfeet Tribal Business Council dispute that and say they’re committed to a “fair and just law and order system.”
On the night Nov. 20, Augare was pulled over on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation and was arrested for driving under the influence, according to various media reports. He was reportedly charged with misdemeanor DUI, evading police and speeding. But when he appeared in court on Nov. 24, the charges were thrown out by a tribal judge.
Augare told the Great Falls Tribune that the charges were dropped because they didn’t “pass the sniff test.” He said that because he didn’t support the appointment of the current Blackfeet police chief some people have held a grudge a against him.
“I’m letting the media outlets know three facts,” Augare told a Great Falls Tribune reporter on Nov. 24. “One is it’s my assumption this is all intertwined with politics. The second fact: I have no pending charges against me in Blackfeet Tribal Court – a judge ruled on this. And the third fact is, I am a private citizen and I should not be subjected to any further harassment by anybody.”
Augare announced earlier this year that he would not seek reelection to either the Blackfeet Tribal Business Council or the Montana State Senate.
In a Nov. 26 press release, the Blackfeet Tribal Business Council stated it had nothing to do with Augare’s arrest. According to Chairman Harry Barnes, the reason the charges were dismissed was because the ticket was missing a complete date and location of the incident. Blackfeet Tribal Law Enforcement has five days to submit a new ticket and then the court can proceed with the charges.
“We have found no substantiation of political interference,” Barnes wrote in the press release. “This began as a routine traffic stop and the officers involved had no idea who was being pulled over. We have found absolutely no political motivation from the Blackfeet Law Enforcement or the Blackfeet Tribal Courts … We reject the claim that some in our council had anything to do with Mr. Augare’s present situation.”
The tribal council stated it sent the press release because of numerous rumors going around town and inquiries from the public and press.
This isn’t the first time Augare has had a run in with the law. In 2013, Augare pleaded guilty in federal court to drunken driving, reckless driving and obstruction of a peace officer after fleeing a Glacier County deputy in May of that year. Augare initially pleaded not guilty, arguing the federal government could not charge a tribal member. He later pleaded guilty to tribal charges and tried to have the federal charges dropped. When that effort failed, he changed his plea to guilty in federal court.