LatinaLista — Chances are you haven’t heard about Samuel Bonilla. Hopefully, that will change on February 25. That’s the day Bonilla gets his day in court in Dodge City, Kansas to prove his innocence in a town, known historically as the gateway to the Wild West, and currently as a town with a lousy track record for how they treat Latino defendants.
For the past 20 years, Bonilla, a successful business owner of a martial arts studio and legal resident immigrant has called Dodge City, Kansas home. Dodge City, with a population of 26,101, according to 2006 US Census estimates, is home to a substantial Latino population. In fact, Latinos are the largest minority in the city, constituting 43% of the population.
The reason why so many Latinos have traveled to the area is to work in the beef packing industry. Yet, according to local Latino community leaders, there is strong anti-Hispanic sentiment by some of the city’s population.
It’s a town, according to one Latina Lista source, “where there are no Latinos on the county board or city commission, and only one (the first) on the school board – in a district with a Latino enrollment of nearly 80%.”
It’s a place if an undocumented Latino is caught walking home from a bar, he is arrested for “pedestrian under the influence,” since he can’t be picked up for driving without a license. And it’s a place where some of the “white” locals like to play a game they call “Border Patrol” where they use their truck to intimidate Latino pedestrians.
Unluckily for Bonilla, two men decided to play this game as they saw Bonilla and his son and nephew jogging along the Arkansas river bottom last Labor Day. Being a former bounty hunter, Bonilla carries with him a 22 pistol, which is legal under Kansas’ open carry law.
It was this gun that Bonilla contends saved the lives of his son, nephew and himself as these men, Steven Holt and Tanner Brunson, revved up the engine of their four-wheeler and chased down Bonilla and his son and nephew. Bonilla and the boys jumped out of the way. The truck backed up and the men jumped out and quickly walked over to Bonilla.
Bonilla drew his weapon, told the boys to stand behind him and warned Holt and Brunson to stop or he would shoot. The men didn’t stop and just as they were within reach to grab Bonilla’s gun, Bonilla fired shots hitting both men.
Bonilla told the boys to run and he did too as soon as one man fell to the ground and the other staggered back and fell against the truck. One of the men, Steven Holt, died. The other lived. Both of these men had extensive criminal records, along with one of the men, Tanner Brunson, believed to be affiliated with the Aryan Brotherhood.
Bonilla turned himself into authorities after the incident and was questioned and released only to be arrested a few days later on second-degree murder charges. By all accounts, he could have posted on his $100,000 bond and been released — it’s reported he has the support and belief of the local Latino business community — but a local bail bondsman, Rebecca Escalante, told Daily Globe reporter Claire O’Brien that she would have posted Bonilla’s bond if it weren’t for the fact that she had been warned by several people that if Bonilla was released his life would be in danger.
So, Bonilla sits in the Ford County jail hoping above hope that he will be found innocent of the charges.
Yet, that’s not the end of the story.
Claire O’Brien, the Dodge City Daily Globe reporter who interviewed Bonilla in jail, also quoted an anonymous source in her story that Tanner Brunson, the guy who was wounded in the shooting, has a “base of support that is well-known for its anti-Hispanic beliefs.” The same source tells O’Brien that they have seen evidence this “support base” also has a supply of semi-automatic weapons.
The same source told O’Brien that they wouldn’t characterize Holt the same as Brunson. In fact, Holt’s family has gone on record, sending a Letter to the Editor, as saying that they themselves are an interracial family and have denied Holt was a racist.
Yet, Holt was alongside Brunson on that day. If it’s found that Holt and Brunson were targeting Bonilla and his son and nephew in that deranged game then this case quickly goes from being a second-degree murder case to a hate crime – with Brunson on trial.
It seems Ford County Attorney Terry Malone doesn’t like that Globe reporter O’Brien was able to get such an admission from an anonymous source. He’s won the latest round of legal battles to force O’Brien to hand over all her notes on the case and divulge the name of her anonymous source.
On the one hand, to the layperson, divulging the source looks like it would be a good thing so the attorneys could call on this witness to clarify the affiliations Holt and Brunson had.
Yet, if the Aryan Brotherhood is prevalent in this town and Brunson has extensive support among this known Hispanic-hating group, chances are the life of that anonymous source will be in danger as soon as their name is revealed.
If something happens to that source, then conveniently, the case against Bonilla gets stronger and the County Attorney won’t have anyone disputing his intent to convict Bonilla.
As it stands now, the county attorney is already building his case against Bonilla and wants to make sure anything that reveals the true affiliations of Holt and Brunson are never seen :
Defense attorney Lucille Douglass wants the jury in Sam Bonilla’s murder trial to hear evidence about the tattoos on shooting victim Steve Holt. But Ford County Attorney Terry Malone contends allowing the jurors to hear about Holt’s tattoos might prejudice them.
After hearing arguments on both sides, Ford County District Judge Daniel Love said Tuesday he would not rule on the issue until the trial begins next month.
Bonilla is charged with shooting Holt and Tanner Brunson on Labor Day in the Arkansas Riverbed. Holt died of his injuries, and Brunson was injured.
For the reporter, it’s always bad when authorities force the divulging of sources. Without these sources, the truth, many times, cannot be told or known, and potential sources don’t have the same level of trust in the reporters that their names won’t be revealed. Retaliation is a known consequence against these people for speaking out and exposing such wrongs and/or misdeeds.
It makes the job of the reporter all that more difficult.
Unfortunately, it’s extremely hard to get any information about the Bonilla case since the only local general news newspaper is the Daily Globe and it has put its content behind a pay-wall.
Though O’Brien wishes this weren’t the case, it’s fortuitous that she has been drawn into this case. Because of it, the AP and other news organizations are keeping an eye on what happens with her.
By watching, everyone will also know what happens with Bonilla — and he is the real victim in this case.
Comment(30)
Bryan J.
good article, Marisa. I hope the truth comes out and no one is is hurt in the future.
shirley otero
This is so sad….I’m afraid that if Bonilla,
is found innocent, those Latino haters, will try and get him, he may even have to leave the state.
but that isn’t fair, since that has been his home for 20 years…..I’ll be praying for his safety.
shirley o
Evelyn
“Kan. Supreme Court halts reporter testimony ”
By The Associated Press
01.20.10
DODGE CITY, Kan. — The Kansas Supreme Court yesterday granted a request from a newspaper reporter to temporarily stay an order requiring her to testify about a confidential source.
” Texas Hero Joe Horn Blows away 2 Unarmed Hispanics”
Wrong last name and race. If Bonilla had been named Horn and he had been white, and the dead men had been Hispanics he would have been seen as a hero for getting rid of them.
Bryan J.
Good point, Evelyn, in regards to Joe Horn. But think about the facts. In reality Joe Horn’s act did not seem as necessary as Bonilla’s because Horn was only protecting property, and not even his own. Bonilla was protecting his and his family’s life.
Go figure.
Evelyn
Exactly Bryan J. thanks for stressing that point.
The Nativists want Hispanics to act like white Americans but they dont want to treat them like white Americans.
They demonize Hispanics for having groups that represent Hispanics interests and Hispanic groups that defend Hispanics who are innocent, but are accused of crimes because of their race.
cookie
I don’t know of any Americans who want Hispanics to act just like white Americans. We only ask that all immigrants learn our language. Is that such a horrible thing?
The problem with all advocacy groups is that they are devisive. There is no need for any white, black, Hipanic or Asian to have their own race-based groups. Not in this day and age. We are 50 years beyond any institutionalized racism.
My problem with Hispanic advocacy groups is that they want their own ethnic kind rewarded for breaking our immigration laws and then they have the nerve to call Americans who disagree with that, racists, haters and xenophobes. It is an anti-American stance to take.
irma
Dear Cookie,
American citizens don”t have a language.
English belongs to England. If you mean English, then why is it that 99% of most Americans speak improper English and cannot write ? I am in education , and I can attest to this unequivocally.
We are not beyond institutionalized racism.
When I was in college (less than 50 years ago), I found out that the Dallas Independent School District had a “file” on me during my high school years, because I challenged their denial of my placement in a magnet school. You see, I had a straight A average, yet somehow I was not “qualified” and a white kid ( B+ average ) was ! All of this was somehow magically corrected, when I protested.
But because I spoke up for myself – I apparently was labeled officiallly as
a “troublemaker.” Gestapo tactics in
Dallas directed toward a high school student !
Mexican Americans live with this kind of
institutionalized racism every day.
We are not anti American – it is America that is being anti American toward us.
I
Bryan J.
Cookie:
Racism exists. It always will. Humans are insidious in that regard.
Look at any society anywhere in the world and you will find racism.
Alonzo
That’s true, Brian. Racism is very deep in this hemisphere, but less so in the North America above the Rio Grande. Just try to get ahead in Mexico, and the Central and South America. The Amer-indians are treated like trash and the peoples with pure Spanish blood still steal land and murder them with impunity in many cases. Irma complains of a bygone past in this country, but fails to acknowledge that life in this county is not what she knew it to be.
cookie
Bryan, of course racism still exists everywhere but some would like to suggest that it is still only white people that are the racists and act as if in this country we haven’t changed over the last 50 years in that respect. What I see is a new emerging racism and it isn’t from the white race this time.
cookie
Irma, what do you mean our nation doesn’t have a national language? It has been English since its founding! Just because we don’t all speak perfect English does not negate that fact. Do all Mexicans in Mexico speak perfect Spanish? Of course not, but that doesn’t negate the fact that Spanish is their dominant language. Most Americans can’t write English? Now you are
really grasping at straws here. At least be honest in your debates.
Yes, we are beyond “institutionalized” racism. This is no longer the Civil Rights Era. That was 50 years ago. Sure there still exists “some” racism and discrimination but it is no longer the norm. I see discrimination against white English speaking Americans in hiring practices all the time.
I live in Calif. and I don’t see much discrimination against Mexican-Americans. In fact the trend is quite the opposite. They are being favored in the workplace just because they speak Spanish and that is only one example.
To me being anti-American is one who has a tribal mentality rather than an America first mentality. If the shoe fits, wear it.
Evelyn
Learning and speaking as many languages as a person can is marvelous. People who want others to assimilate to a different culture and learn a certain language knowing their ancestors refuse to do the same can be most inconvenient. Having to acknowledge that most of these English only advocates cant even speak or write their own language correctly is also inconvenent.
Striping people of their culture, language and other forms of Identity and forcing them to learn English and assimilate to foreign culture on their own land should be against the law. One only has to look at the devastation it has caused the Native American Indians.
As long as racism and white privilege exist in this nation on such a grand scale there will alwayse be an urgent need for people of color to have advocacy groups that are willing to defend, educate, and help them compete against racism and people who are helped by white privilage.
If people of color are going to progress and level the playing field stacked against them by racism and white privilage, there is need for programs like affirmative action to exist.
The problem with many white people today is as Professor Jensen explains.
Quote
White people’s fear of losing what we have — literally the fear of losing things we own if at some point the economic, political, and social systems in which we live become more just and equitable. That fear is not completely irrational; if white privilege — along with the other kinds of privilege many of us have living in the middle class and above in an imperialist country that dominates much of the rest of the world — were to evaporate, the distribution of resources in the United States and in the world would change, and that would be a good thing. We would have less. That redistribution of wealth would be fairer and more just. But in a world in which people have become used to affluence and material comfort, that possibility can be scary.
A third fear involves a slightly different scenario — a world in which non-white people might someday gain the kind of power over whites that whites have long monopolized. One hears this constantly in the conversation about immigration,the lingering fear that somehow “they”(meaning not just Mexican-Americans and Latinos more generally, but any non-white immigrants) are going to keep moving to this country and at some point become the majority demographically.
Even though whites likely can maintain a disproportionate share of wealth, those numbers will eventually translate into political, economic, and cultural power. And then what? Many whites fear that the result won’t be a system that is more just, but a system in which white people become the minority and could be treated as whites have long treated non-whites. This is perhaps the deepest fear that lives in the heart of whiteness. It is not really a fear of non-white people. It’s a fear of the depravity that lives in our own hearts: Are non-white people capable of doing to us the barbaric things we have done to them?
Bryan J.
a word of advice to all: succinctness is great.
cookie
No one is being forced to learn English in this country but the fact remains you can’t get ahead in this country without knowing it. Is one to cut off their nose to spite their face by not learning it? I see more English speakers being forced to learn Spanish in this English speaking country than the other way around. It would be akin to Mexicans having an illegal invasion into their country by millions of Chinese and therefore being forced to learn Chinese. As I said, if an immigrant does not want to learn our language or adapt to our culture then don’t come here. No one is asking them give up their native tongue and culture to assimilate.
There is no white priviledge or racism today on a grand scale. That is a lie! Today it is minorities that are being coddled in every way and there is just as much racism among them as there is among any whites.
Of course the dominant white race in this country is afraid of having their language and culture replaced by another when it would be due to an illegal invasion by mostly one ethnic group. This is a surprising or unjustified fear? I don’t think so anymore than Mexico fearing a demographic change in their country by millions of Chinese illegals.
I think one needs to stop blaming those of us alive today for any so-called barbaric things that past whites have done. We aren’t them and they aren’t us. Many of us aren’t even the descendants of those white people. When minorities can claim that there was no barbarism in their ancestors past then we can talk.
irma
English belongs to the English.
Ask them if Americans “speak” English!
Ask any Mexican if Spanish is “theirs” and they will say “no, it is the European language that was forced on us. ” I would say the same is true in the United States.
Personally I speak 2 languages and read 3.
I repeat, most Americans cannot write.
Ask any college professor and they will tell you that even “good students” can barely
put together a short essay. 99% of Americans misuse superlatives . I cant tell you how often I hear people say that something is “very excellent or very devastating”. The ‘founding fathers’ would turn over in their graves if they knew how English has deteriorated in the USA.
lori
This is bull you are not putting the truth in here just like the globe why don’t you put about the 2 spanish lady witnesses who testified that the truck was moving slow and that it did NOT appear threatening to anyone. My brother was the one killed that day we do have other races in our family and none of my family is racist or would have any need for semi automatic weapons my brother is dead and can not defend himself from your bogus lies we are grieving and hurting from losing someone we love and miss. So people show a little respect for hurting family members that are left behind. Choose to print this or not i will know how bogus your website is for not printing both sides just like claire o’brien
Marisa Treviño
Lori, I understand your pain at losing your brother but in trying to preserve your brother’s reputation you didn’t read the post very well. It was stated that your family has multicultural members. However, just because one person may be tolerant doesn’t make his/her friends that way as well. Do you dispute that your brother and/or his friend have a criminal record? While your brother may not have shared in his friend’s attitudes towards Latinos, can you say with certainty that he didn’t hang out with people who did have those attitudes? That Bonilla’s life has been threatened if he leaves jail leaves a very big impression that there’s a problem in Dodge that needs to be investigated.
red
The suspected killer and the media are the only ones who have made this case about race not the victims. If someone has a criminal record the are tried and punished in a court of law neither one of the victims were sentenced to death for any crime they committed so their criminal record was or is not relevant to either of them being shot or killed that was not a choice for Sam Bonilla to make as I am sure he had no idea either had a criminal record when he shot them as it was stated he did not know them.
Marisa Treviño
Red, you have posted a couple of other comments about the Bonilla case that I will not post because 1. you have chosen to be anonymous and 2. you give no indication how you claim to know so-called facts you purport to be true. Please provide answers to these two questions so that I can determine whether or not to post your comments. Thanks!
Roy Odhner
Anytime an Aryan Brother is removed from circulation (death or otherwise) is a good day for me. White Pride my buttocks – well, maybe if white pride means being ignorant, trashy, and a supporter of Adolph Hitler.
Patty Holt
marissa are you aware that Tanner Brunson has an African American brother in law who is a sheriff in Ford County?? I jave seen sit on the floor with my hispanic neice and play connect 4 for hours, I have seen him with hispanic friends… I highly doubt he was part of Aryan Brotherhood unless they have changed over the years.. This racist crap is simply the only defense this experienced martial artist, bounty hunter, or whatever he claims to be has to go on and in the end justice will prevail, I have no doubts about that. I am Patty Holt,Steven’s widow thanks to your precious sam.
lori
It has not been proven that tanner has ties to any racist group which I am sorry I have never even heard of as no one I know that I am aware of is racist. Regardless though if tanner was which I very seriously doubt sam bonilla knew neither my brother or tanner that was already stated so he would not have been able to know that when he murdered one armless man and shot another in the back that was obviously running for his life. So therefore that cannot e self defense in my eyes. As well if tanner had been in such a group which again I very seriously doubt does that mean my brother deserved to die for hanging out with him or that my 16 year old niece and my nephew deserved to watch their father murdered right in front of them for nothing because there is testimony from witnesses that he lied that the truck dodged and tried to run him down. Whether they had a past or not is irrelevant in this case as a lot of people have a past does that mean they deserve to die if it does then there are a lot of people regardless of race shouldnt be alive and that is just ridiculous. My brother can never come back he won’t get to see his daughter graduate or hold his grandkids and the person that took him should do the time for the crime
Zenia Traynham
Hey there, when looking at your site i see some sort of weird codes all over the page, in case it’s important I just thought I’d let you know it says this with all sorts of other stuff after it: “Warning: Cannot modify header information – headers already sent in wp-settings.php line 12”
Stephanie
Why would anybody use a gun on any human being if not to protect their children from harm? wouldnt you protect your children if they were being threatened? i dont think on Sams part race had anything to do with it he saw his children in danger and reacted like anyone else would in that situation. why did Holt & Brunson stop for anyway if not to provoke violence? they could have simply drove away, and another thing i am white my husband is hispanic and my brother is a racist so dont play that card.
Stephanie
we complain that the mexicans are taking over, they come here take away our jobs but why is that? hmm could it be that we think we are too good to work in the plants or in the feed yards we all have seen what it’d be like if the hispanics decided not to work a few years ago when they went on stike the plants had to close down because they lost half their workers lol plus a few other businesses!! So to those who dont like being amongst the hispanic race move to mexico they got plenty of room over there!
Patty Holt
FYI.. Samuel Bonilla made a plea agreement. he plead toVoluntary Manslaughter and Aggravated Battery.. Source of Racist group revealed himself.. It was all made up BS.. Now lets all get over this race thing. It was not a race that killed Steven Holt it was one man.. Samuel Bonilla..
jump'in Jim
Patty Holt states it was not about race. Bull___.
Holt and Brunson were known racists, I don’t care who thet were related to. It’s known by all who knew them that they went out of there way to degrade and out down others. Brunson and Holt initiated the conflict. The pedestrians always have the right of way. By court testimony, they got out of the truck to assualt Sam! Also his family? Court testimony, they admitted to 7 beers! Legally drunk. Why weren’t Brunson and Holt charged? Why did the county attorney try to keep the blood toxicology reports from the jury, the tattoo’s from the jury, Brunson and Holt’s criminal record from the jury? Why did Judge Love state BEFORE the trial that he thought Sam was guilty and he was going to put him away?
Sam only plead guilty because he didn’t believe he would get a fair trial. It’s not hard to imagine why he would think that!
The judge and prosecutor in this case were both dtermined to railroad Sam Bonilla. This is a travesty of justice that extends a presidence to all races. It also harms everyones ability to defend themselves. The Kansas legislature has already reputiated Judge Love and Prosecutor Malones actions by passing a bill that would protect reporters from government thugs.
M.Rosa
The Samuel Bonilla case is troubling some of the comments made as well.”Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Does it belong to a few of Americans simply for their ethnicity in this case white Americans from Europe? That a man, a father is out pursuing his right to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” with a son and nephew, enjoying a jog, along a river. But suddenly a four wheeler with two men approaches and they revved the truck engine, causing the man jogging to take his family from harm’s way or they would have been run down. Seeing they missed their target, the two men in the truck pulled backwards, the two men get out. They are warned not to move forward, but they continue. As they tried to disarm the man they attempted to run over with his son and nephew, one is shot the other one wounded. This was tragic for the families involved here as some of them spoke rightfully or wrongfully in their written comments on Latina Lista .
What is disturbing is the cover-up, the hush, hush of the truth about the two men involved in the incident. The legal system covering up background information, criminal records, a toxicology report, alcohol, drugs, a past history of “playing the Border Patrol game with other Latinos some earlier during the same day of the horrific incident, connections to known hate groups, the victimization of a reporter doing her job. Why the cover-up?
Okay, Bonilla cops a plea does six years or more then gets deported forever for pleading guilty to Mexico. There were no winners here, the biggest losers are the children on both sides that would not enjoy family life that they too suffered the taking of their “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” This case merits investigation from the U.S. Attorney General’s Office.
The ghost of Emmett Till does not seem to rest his murderers got away…went on to live their lives to pursue their “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” while Emmett Till buried in a glass casket so disfigured his human features were beaten from his face, then shot through the head. His cousins all teenagers had to witness two white men late at night, pushing their way into the house to take Emmett. My God! What did those two men intend to do to Bonilla’s son and nephew? In a recent story the cousin of Till now in his sixties regretted not disclosing what had happened to Till at the store, because the uncle kept a shot gun. He could have prevented he thought in hindsight the abduction of a young boy only 14 just beginning to enjoy his own “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”
M.Rosa
The Samuel Bonilla case is troubling some of the comments made as well.”Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Does it belong to a few of Americans simply for their ethnicity in this case white Americans from Europe? That a man, a father is out pursuing his right to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” with a son and nephew, enjoying a jog, along a river. But suddenly a four wheeler with two men approaches and they revved the truck engine, causing the man jogging to take his family from harm’s way or they would have been run down. Seeing they missed their target, the two men in the truck pulled backwards, the two men get out. They are warned not to move forward, but they continue. As they tried to disarm the man they attempted to run over with his son and nephew, one is shot the other one wounded. This was tragic for the families involved here as some of them spoke rightfully or wrongfully in their written comments on Latina Lista .
What is disturbing is the cover-up, the hush, hush of the truth about the two men involved in the incident. The legal system covering up background information, criminal records, a toxicology report, alcohol, drugs, a past history of “playing the Border Patrol game with other Latinos some earlier during the same day of the horrific incident, connections to known hate groups, the victimization of a reporter doing her job. Why the cover-up?
Okay, Bonilla cops a plea does six years or more then gets deported forever for pleading guilty to Mexico. There were no winners here, the biggest losers are the children on both sides that would not enjoy family life that they too suffered the taking of their “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” This case merits investigation from the U.S. Attorney General’s Office.
The ghost of Emmett Till does not seem to rest his murderers got away…went on to live their lives to pursue their “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” while Emmett Till buried in a glass casket so disfigured his human features were beaten from his face, then shot through the head. His cousins all teenagers had to witness two white men late at night, pushing their way into the house to take Emmett. My God! What did those two men intend to do to Bonilla’s son and nephew? In a recent story the cousin of Till now in his sixties regretted not disclosing what had happened to Till at the store, because the uncle kept a shot gun. He could have prevented he thought in hindsight the abduction of a young boy only 14 just beginning to enjoy his own “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”
Elizabeth
Que triste es ver que despues de tantos anos en este pais y en el que supuestamente no existe racismo y discriminacion, sigan pasando estas cosas, ojala y Dios quiera que todo vaya en favor the Bonilla…
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