FBI seeks vet's attacker
Minister assaulted on reservation has serious injuries

Copyright © 2009
Gallup Independent
By Elizabeth Hardin-Burrola
Staff writer

GALLUP — The FBI is investigating an alleged assault of a Gallup-area Baptist pastor that reportedly took place on the Navajo Nation nearly two weeks ago.

Tom Patterson, 60, pastor of Morningstar Baptist Church in Williams Acres, said he was attacked without provocation on March 28 by a young man in Pinedale while Patterson was attempting to pick up members of his congregation for an afternoon pizza party.

Patterson talked about the incident in an interview at his home on Tuesday. Prior to driving his church van to Pinedale, the Vietnam veteran explained he spent the morning at the UNM-Gallup meeting for local veterans that was sponsored by Rep. Ben Ray Luján, D-N.M. After the meeting, he picked up two women from his church and they then drove to Pinedale to pick up others.

At one of his stops, Patterson said four young men were sitting outside on a bench, but one of them — a young man about 18 to 21 years old — got up and walked to his driver’s side window. Out of the blue, the man allegedly jumped on the van’s running board, Patterson said, grabbed him with one hand and punched him in the face with his fist.

According to Patterson, the young man hit him with an object in his fist and seemed to be trying to pull him out of the van. Instinctively, Patterson said, he floored the accelerator, which caused the young man to loosen his grip on Patterson and the vehicle.

The van lurched ahead, but Patterson said his passengers yelled the man had a large rock and looked like he was about to throw it at one of the van’s windows. Patterson said he gunned the engine again and drove about a half-mile before stopping.

“Blood was flowing down my face,” Patterson said. He explained the blow had hit his left eye, which was bloody and starting to swell shut.

Patterson said he managed to drive further until he could call his wife, Carol, on his cell phone. She arranged to have someone to take the church members to the party and then drove her husband to the emergency room in Gallup where she took her own photographs of his injuries.

According to Patterson, he is now consulting with a specialist about possible surgery. He said some of the bones surrounding his left eye are fractured and plastic plates may need to be inserted. Although the swelling and bruising has healed, he said, his left eye is slightly sunk back and lowered, causing him to have double vision.

Although Patterson said the young man acted without provocation or without warning, Patterson said he had had a previous encounter with him. During a previous visit to that group of homes, he had witnessed the young man untying a pit bull and trying to tease the dog into fighting another dog.

Patterson said he had talked to the young man’s father about his concerns for the safety of small children and other family members if the dog was trained to become aggressive.

“This could have been retaliation,” he said. “Now I’m speculating,” he added, “I don’t know if that true or not.”

Although Navajo Nation Police Officer Daniel Kalleco from Crownpoint was dispatched to the emergency room to file a police report on March 28, that report was apparently not referred to the FBI until the Independent began inquiring about the incident this week. After hearing about the alleged assault, Independent police reporter Phil Stake made several calls to the Navajo Police and the FBI before Navajo Nation Police officials were able to locate a copy of the police report. Based on Stake’s information, the FBI contacted Patterson and began an investigation.

A Baptist pastor for 16 years, Patterson said he’s concerned about his alleged assailant. He believes people should pray that the young man gets his “anger and hatred out of his heart” before he seriously hurts someone else. Because his own childhood was sometimes rough, he has some sympathy for his alleged attacker, Patterson explained.

“I’m not a revengeful person,” he said. “I’ve forgiven him in my heart.” However, he added, the young man should face the legal consequences of his actions. “Just because I’ve forgiven him, justice needs to prevail,” Patterson said.

“Whether it’s God’s or the courts.’”