The case of Leonard Peltier has been a controversial issue talked about for over three decades now. Leonard Peltier was a leading member of the American Indian Movement (AIM) trying to promote Native American rights. June 26th, 1975 was the day that Leonard Peltier's life changed forever. Early that morning, two FBI agents, Jack Coler and Ronald Williams, were in pursuit of a red truck which they thought a man named Jimmy Eagle was in, a man they were trying to serve an arrest warrant on. However, Leonard Peltier was in the truck with two other AIM members. Members in both cars broke out in gunfire against one another on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. The result of this shootout was two dead FBI agents who were shot in the head from point-blank …show more content…
However, Robideau, Butler, and Eagle were all acquitted of the charges on the grounds of self-defense and so Peltier was last to face trial. The first order of business was to get Peltier back in the United States. Many saw Peltier as guilty because he fled to Canada, but he said he fled because he felt he had no chance against the court system. This lead many people into believing he was guilty, and the FBI was one of them. The FBI presented a counterfeit affidavit to the Canadian court, which a woman named Myrtle Bear signed claiming she saw him shoot the two agents. But soon after Leonard Peltier was brought back to the United States, Myrtle Bear recanted her statement and said that the FBI pressured her into saying that and signing the affidavit. There were also three American Indian boys who testified against Peltier, but later came out and said that the FBI pressured them into saying that. Additionally, the FBI ballistic expert testified saying Leonard Peltier's AR-15 rifle was a match with the bullet casing found at the scene. It was later discovered that Peltier's gun wasn't a match to the bullet and the government withheld this from the court and jury. Peltier was found guilty and was sentenced to two consecutive life