The recent State law that allows cross-commissioning of tribal officers by a County Sheriff has a number of requirements to include some waiver of sovereign immunity from suit and the posting of a fairly large bond. In short, this allows for aggrieved non-tribal members to sue.

In this instance the tribal "officers" were apparently not cross-commissioned (I believe only the Tulalips have accomplished that). My speculation for what it is worth is that by acknowledging that the officers were acting in an official capacity the tribe is casting a protective cover around them from civil suit (but not criminal charges).

ColeyG, this is why the frustration. Tribal members are (1) members of a sovereign "nation" within a nation, (2) wards of the Government and (3) citizens of the U.S. While your voice of reason is certainly the civilized approach the problem remains of tribal actions against non-tribal citizens and the inability of such citizens to seek remedy in a courtroom. Once the WSP officer and Sheriff's Deputy arrived on scene and figured out what was happening they shouId have taken the tribal "officers" into custody. Had it been one of us having run out there with a loaded firearm under the same circumstances and put those folks into handcuffs at gunpoint I have no doubt what would have occurred when the real cops showed up. Waiting for the County prosecutor to announce charges.