Animal-Rights Activist Gets Settlement Arrested, Cameras Thrown In River During Omak Stampede Last August

Sat., June 12, 1999

John Craig Staff Writer

FOR THE RECORD: 6-16-99 Wrong date: Seattle animal-rights actvist Will Anderson recently won a settlement of his lawsuit claiming violation of his civil right at the August 1996 Omak Stampede “Suicide” horse race. A story in Saturday’s newspaper misstated the date.

A Seattle animal-rights activist is to receive a $64,500 settlement for an incident in which he was arrested and had his cameras thrown into the Okanogan River during last August’s Omak Stampede “Suicide” horse races.

Will Anderson of the Progressive Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) was photographing the euthanization of an injured horse when an Okanogan County sheriff’s deputy ordered him to leave the steep hillside race course.

Anderson obeyed, but soon returned with a request for protection from two members of the crowd he said threatened him. Instead of assisting Anderson, four deputies arrested him on charges of trespassing and resisting arrest.

Ted Huber, one of the Omak Stampede directors at the time, allegedly threw Anderson’s still and video cameras into the river. The still camera was never found, but a deputy recovered the videocamera, which had been running throughout the incident.

Although there was no video image on the tape, a deputy prosecutor said the audio portion supported Anderson’s claim that he was threatened.

The settlement, mediated by U.S. Magistrate Judge Lonnie Suko, calls for Okanogan County to pay $50,000, while Huber is to pay $12,500 and the nonprofit Omak Stampede rodeo organization is to pay $2,000.

Anderson and Huber could not be reached for comment, and a sheriff’s spokesman declined to comment.

Omak Stampede Vice President Jack Miller praised Suko’s mediation, which he said may have saved the parties up to $200,000 in legal fees. Anderson was seeking $750,000 in the federal civil rights lawsuit.

“We don’t condone anyone’s civil rights being violated,” Miller said.

However, he said sheriff’s deputies apparently didn’t realize when Anderson returned to the accident scene that he had been threatened. Also, Miller said Stampede officials feel Anderson “created his own problem” by intruding in a “very emotional and poignant moment” with a flash camera.

“We welcome anyone to take pictures of the race and, even though there is very seldom any injury to the animals, we would continue to ask anyone to respect the privacy of the horse owners as treatment options are being discussed,” Miller said.

PAWS and other animal-welfare organizations have attacked the Suicide Race for years on grounds that it constitutes animal cruelty. Horses and riders race down a steep hill and swim the Okanogan River in the event.

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