A defense attorney for two white people who allegedly attacked and threatened Bloomington, Indiana, activist Vauhxx Booker claimed that his clients were innocent and that Booker was perpetuating a smear campaign against them in a press conference Monday. Booker alleges that the group of white men beat him and threatened to lynch him, at one point shouting “get a noose,” while he was at Lake Monroe with friends to watch a lunar eclipse. The lawyer, David Hennessy, claimed that Booker was trespassing on private property and one of his clients, Sean Purdy, gave him a beer and drove him to the property line. He also claimed that Booker later returned claiming to be a county commissioner and punched Purdy.“Mr. Booker was the instigator and the agitator,” Hennessy said. The defense lawyer said neither of his clients, Purdy and Caroline McCord, heard the “get a noose” comment, nor did they use racist language.