Tensions flared on Wednesday during the execution of a court-ordered eviction by the Cayuga Nation Police Department at a Nation-owned property on the Cayuga Nation Reservation, leaving one officer hospitalized and several arrests made.
Police arrived at 2496 Cosad Road to remove Amber Parker, a Cayuga Nation citizen who had occupied the home without paying rent for more than a decade. According to a release from the Cayuga Nation, Wednesday’s eviction follows a legal process that began last November, when the Nation filed a case in Civil Court. After a hearing on November 25, the court granted the Nation possession of the property and gave Parker nearly two months to vacate. She did not appeal the decision but remained in the home past the January 15 deadline.
According to the Cayuga Nation Police, multiple vehicles carrying hostile individuals arrived during the eviction, provoking officers and leading to the assault of three police officers with clubs. Nonlethal defensive measures were used to diffuse the situation. A video posted on Facebook showed officers being confronted while on the scene.
*Warning: Video contains vulgar language*
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1CKRRsD9Qv/
One officer was taken to the hospital, and two others were evaluated for minor injuries.
Local law enforcement, including New York State Troopers, the Seneca County Sheriff’s Office, the Town of Seneca Falls Police Department, and New York State Parks Police, assisted at the scene. Several individuals were arrested in connection with the incident.
Back in January, State police arrested Dustin Parker of Cayuga and Nora Weber of Seneca Falls after a raid conducted on Oct. 24 by the State Police Troop E Violent Gang and Narcotics Enforcement Team. That investigation began in August and focused on Pipekeepers, a smoke shop located in Montezuma, near the intersection of Routes 5 and 20. During the searches, police said they recovered large quantities of cannabis, unstamped cigarettes, U.S. currency, and numerous firearms. The raid prompted the closure of the Montezuma smoke shop
Dustin Parker and Weber are also involved in a separate, ongoing legal dispute with the Cayuga Nation. The nation filed a federal racketeering lawsuit alleging the operators stole its tobacco and cannabis business. In December, a jury ruled Parker and Weber liable for $75,619 in damages, while also allowing an offset related to property seized by the Cayuga Nation in 2021. Post-trial motions related to damages, potential trebling under federal law, and attorney fees remain pending.
