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.
Continue reading "Dodge City, Kansas Latino on trial for murder claims self-defense against hate crime called "Border Patrol"" »
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