Officials with the Rapid City Police Department say an investigation into possible hate crimes at a Rapid City Rush hockey game could take several weeks. Police spokesman Brendyn Medina says detectives are trying to interview as many witnesses at the game as possible to get all the facts.
Medina says there were thousands of people in attendance at the hockey game–so gathering statements from all possible witnesses is taking time.
“Because we want to have the most comprehensive picture of just what happened with this incident we’re going to try and make contact with as many people who were in attendance at that game and who might have been a witness to the alleged incident,” says Medina.
Rapid City police officials say charges could include child abuse, assault, and hate crimes. But officials add that as of yet no charges have officially been filed.
Media reports cite witnesses including both student chaperones and others in the crowd who say a group of men in a corporate box threw beer and shouted racial slurs at the Native students.
A peaceful demonstration is now being planned before the next home game of the Rapid City Rush. The Stand Strong Against Racism Rally is set to take place at the Rapid City Civic Center at 5:30pm on February 10th. The Facebook page for the event shows more than 900 people plan to attend so far.
