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Ranger's "Tasing" Of Visitor At Petroglyph National Monument Under Investigation

Published Date

December 30, 2020

A ranger's interaction with an off-trail couple at Petroglyph National Monument in New Mexico that ended with a 31-year-old Native American man being being shot with a stun gun is being investigated by the National Park Service.

The incident occurred Sunday when the unidentified ranger approached the man, initially identified as Jerald Humphrey, and his female companion to ask them to return to the marked trail they had left.

"This is not a big deal, this is a simple warning," said the ranger, whose body camera captured the 9-minute interaction.

While the ranger explained that it was job to protect the monument because it is considered sacred to tribes, and noted that there had been past issues with graffiti, the man responded that, "We don't do that." 

The ranger told the couple that he just needed their names so he could check to see if they previously had been warned about going off trail in the monument, but the man said he wasn't going to provide that information. His companion did provide their names, which the National Park Service later said were fictitious.

"You don't need my identification, sir," the man told the ranger. "Native Americans and the goverment and the law don't mesh well, you know that."

The man, who later identified himself to news reporters as Darrell House, walked away while the ranger contacted the monument's dispatch center to run a check on the names he was given. When the ranger caught up to the couple, who were now back on a trail, the man again refused to answer the ranger's questions.

"So, let me get this straight, you'd like to escalate this contact by refusing to identify yourself, and then in which case you're going to be detained until I can ID you?" the ranger asked. 

As the man walked away, the ranger followed him, asking that he stop or he risked being "tased." The ranger then asked the man to give his small dog to his companion. 

"My dog ain't going anywhere," replied the man, who had picked up the small dog.

"Sir, please give her the dog," the ranger said.

"My dog ain't going anywhere," the man again replied.

"OK, here's what I need you to do. Stop right now sir. Stop walking. Stop walking or you may be tased. Stop walking," the ranger said.

While the man stood holding his dog, the ranger could be seen aiming his Taser at the man. The man refused to give his companion the dog and started yelling "help," at which point the ranger shot him with the stun gun.

In a statement Tuesday evening, the National Park Service said the matter would be investigated by "the NPS Office of Professional Responsibility, our internal affairs unit, for a thorough investigation."

"That investigation will include interviews with the officers, those involved, and any other witnesses who were in the area at the time of the incident," the statement added. "Investigators will also review the video captured by one of the individuals and later posted to social media, as well as the body worn camera footage worn by the NPS law enforcement officer.  

The statement also said the man had been cited "for being in a closed area off trail, providing false information and failing to comply with a lawful order. The female individual received citations for providing false information and being in a closed area off trail."  

House told New Mexico news station KRQE that the ranger instigated the incident because he wanted to demonstrate "Power, dominance. To keep me in order. That's what authorities have been trained to do, to keep people like me in order, to make the Indian look crazy, make them look insane."

The man said he heads to the monument to pray, and that he would continue to do so.

"I am going to continue doing my prayers, going off trail, without permission, without consent, because that's my right," he told the station.

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Comments

Overreach by the officer whose life was not being threatened. The officer is clearly not suited for the job if he/she gets scared so easily. 


So if the guy was not hiding anything or trying to get away with anything why didn't he just give his correct name his correct address all of his information especially if he was truly from the military. I think the park ranger did exactly what he should have done and shame on the girl the guy and their dog. if you watch the full video you will see the park ranger was not in the wrong but the people were. and my congratulations goes out to the park ranger for doing his job and doing it properly and I don't see anything wrong with what he did the people were escalating the matter and trying to cause some b******* obviously so that they could get some kind of recognition


If the people had stayed on the trail none of this would have happened. Everyone these days is "special and unique " and needs to have an exception made for their behavior. Stay on the path!


Ok, the tasing is overkill, but it sounds like so many others I've come across in parks, saying they can go anywhere they want regardless of park rules because it's their "right," and they are going to continue doing it. Results vary, but people disobeying park rules is what resulted in another article the Traveler recently wrote regarding 9 lbs of poop, 14 lbs of trash, and graffiti all over the place in Zion National Park. That kind of thing is what ruins it for all the rest of us who actually do obey park rules.


So unnecessary. "Oh ok, we'll get back on trail, sorry", and none of this would have happened. It is not rocket science. 


OBEY

or else. 


check out the lapel footage from the ranger, it provides the much-needed 'rest of the story. It is available on the websites of several NM local news stations. The ranger had the patience of a saint. I used to manage a National Wildlife Refuge for USFWS. I would have hired him in a heartbeat. 


"The ranger had the patience of a saint."

And then some. He was calm, professional, and courteous throughout. He explained time and time again why he was asking the questions and how quickly and easily the situation could be ended. He listened to the visitors lie to him and watched them ignore him for seven minutes before acting. Refusing to give requested information is a "red light" to any law enforcement officer, and he didn't know what the man might be carrying in his pack. The news last night was all over this as another example of "police brutality", but I didn't hear a word about the story tonight, now that much more is known. I know I felt differently after seeing this video. The escalation was clearly the responsibility of the visitor, in my opinion.

 


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