The #Justice4Beau protestors did not allow location to be a barrier as they moved their efforts to the lawn of the county courthouse Monday, Feb. 13. (Photo by Alicia Doney)
by Michael J. Marino
Protesters gathered in front of America’s Wild West Nightclub in Billings on Monday, Feb. 13 to demand justice after a fatal shooting last weekend in the club’s parking lot that took the life of 21-year-old Beau “Harlan” Beaumont.
Billings Police Department (BPD) responded on Sunday, Feb. 12 at 1:12 AM, to a shooting near America’s Wild West off Southgate Drive. On-scene, officers found Beaumont with a gunshot wound for which he was transported to the hospital. The suspect had fled the scene, but after a short manhunt, officers detained the suspect’s vehicle in the Heights around 2:00 AM. Meanwhile, Beaumont died from his injuries.
The suspect, 18-year-old Xavier Buffalo, was arrested and charged with deliberate homicide and tampering with evidence.
However, family and friends of Beaumont told YCN this is about more than just the tragic loss of a loved one. Around noon on Monday, Feb. 13, the protest moved from Wild West to the Yellowstone County Courthouse.
One such friend is Paulina Gomez, who said, “It is way too easy for minors to get drunk here (at this nightclub).” Gomez and others are calling for America’s Wild West to be shut down due to its unique “18 and up” policy, and because of the number of violent incidents that have started within the business and/or its parking lot.
BPD officers advised they have responded to 136 calls for service at America’s Wild West from January 2022 to the present. America’s Wild West declined to comment.
Alicia Doney, another friend of Beaumont and organizer of Monday’s protests, said Xavier Buffalo did not act alone on Feb. 12. One protestor’s sign spelled out the names of those alleged by witnesses to have played a role in Beaumont’s assault and ultimate death.
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