Army Reservists Arrested As Vigilante

[Annie]

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0415haab-ON.html

Swell of support for reservist who held migrants at gunpoint

Robert Anglen
The Arizona Republic
Apr. 15, 2005 09:36 PM

Patrick Haab, the Army Reservist arrested for holding seven undocumented immigrants at gunpoint at an Arizona rest stop, says he is overwhelmed and encouraged by an outpouring of legal, financial and moral support.

On Thursday night, a Cave Creek locksmith put up $10,000 to free Haab on bail from the Maricopa County jail where he has been held since Sunday on seven felony counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

And offers of money, room and board, free legal assistance and pledges of solidarity are coming from sources who are not only upset about illegal immigration but others who say Haab acted in self-defense and are angry that authorities want to prosecute him.

"I think he is getting a raw deal," said Bisbee resident Ronald Stone, a retired U.S. Army chief warrant officer and Vietnam vet. "I want to do all I can for him . . . As far as I am concerned, he was defending his country."

Haab's arrest comes as tensions build along the Arizona-Mexico border between law enforcement and residents who say the government isn't doing enough to stop illegal immigration.

Haab, who turned 24 this month, said Friday that he was not trying to make any statements about illegal immigration when he ordered seven men out of their vehicle and told them to lie face down on the ground at the Sentinel rest stop on Interstate 8.

He said that his military training took over when the seven men "rushed" him out of the darkness at the rest area, where he had stopped to relieve his dog. Earlier this week, he explained that the men climbed inside a Chevrolet Suburban when they saw his gun and he followed them to the SUV, took the vehicle keys and forced them out. Haab said he called 911 as soon as he had the situation under control and a dispatcher told him to do what he thought was best until authorities arrived."I have put out the real story," he said, adding that Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio has made this out to be a case of vigilante justice. "I was acting in self defense."

Arpaio has said repeatedly that Haab's story doesn't make sense and has noted several contradictions. Among those; Haab's claim that he was being attacked even though none of the men made aggressive moves; Haab's claim that he was afraid for his life even though he followed the men to their car; Haab's claim that he did not know the men were illegal immigrants though he later said he believed they thought he was a border patrol agent.

Arpaio has said that Haab's actions were illegal and dangerous and that he had no right to take the law into his own hands.

All seven immigrants, who were being held at a detention facility in Yuma, asked to press charges against Haab. The driver has also been charged with human smuggling.

Bill Weingard, a locksmith at Cave Creek Lock, said he felt compelled to help Haab and waited for hours at the jail Thursday in order to post his bail. He believed Haab was a scapegoat and said he didn't want authorities to make an example of him because of the border issues. "I really appreciate it," said Haab, an Iraq war veteran assigned to the 415th Civil Affairs Battalion from Kalamazoo, Mich. "It makes me feel better about this country."

Haab, who has lived in Arizona since January, was only weeks away from a volunteer tour of duty in Afghanistan when he was arrested. Now, he said the military has put his deployment on hold.

He faces 20 years in prison if convicted on all counts.Haab's father, Dave, of New Paris, Ind., said he was torn between hiring a lawyer and bailing his son out of jail. He said he is grateful for the support.

"I think he has been maligned," the elder Haab said. "There is a lot of stuff in (news) reports about Patrick being a vigilante. He's not. He was trying to do what is right."

Dave Haab said his son acted with a clear head and did not use excessive force.

He said the family is building an Internet web site to keep supporters informed about Haab's case. The web site will also provide details for donations to Haab's defense. The web address is www. k9mc.com.

"We've had offers of support from D.C. to Los Angeles," Dave Haab said. "And if there is any money left over, we're not going to keep it . . . It is going to go to another person caught in a similar situation."