Topic: Six Marines charged with assault in Iraq

Team Infidel

SAN DIEGO_Assault charges were filed against six Marines stemming from an
incident in April in the Iraqi village of Hamdania, military officials said.

The alleged assault was uncovered during an investigation that previously
led to allegations that seven Marines and a Navy corpsman murdered an Iraqi
civilian on April 26.

Three of those Marines _ Sgt. Lawrence G. Hutchins III, Cpl. Trent D. Thomas
and Lance Cpl. Jerry E. Shumate Jr. _ now face an additional charge in the
April 10 assault.

The other Marines charged with assault were Lance Cpl. Saul H. Lopezromo,
Pfc. Derek I. Lewis, and Lance Cpl. Henry D. Lever. The nature of the
assault was not described.

A seventh Marine, an officer, is expected to be charged next week in
connection with the assault, said Lt. Col. Colby Vokey, the Marine Corps'
defense coordinator for the western United States.

The three Marines were charged after the Naval Criminal Investigative
Service investigated the April 26 killing of 52-year-old Hashim Ibrahim Awad
in Hamdania.

The eight troops who have been charged with the kidnap and murder of Awad _
including Hutchins, Thomas and Shumate _ are in the Camp Pendleton brig. A
hearing will be held to determine whether there is probable cause for a full
trial.

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