NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT


To:         All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:       Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:   Monday, March 20, 2000

ALMANAC

On this date in 1954, U.S. Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas 
and a band of fellow conservationists began a 175-mile-long hike along 
the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal in Maryland to protest its proposed 
conversion to a motor parkway.  As a result of this and other 
opposition to the parkway, the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National 
Historical Park was created to preserve the canal's towpath for hikers 
and cyclists.

INCIDENTS

00-099 - Death Valley NP (CA) - Armed Confrontation; Assault on        
         Rangers/Officers

An NPS special events team (SET) led by Lake Mead chief ranger Dale 
Antonich confronted and safely arrested three heavily-armed men (names 
currently being withheld) just before midnight on March 17th. This 
action culminated a 16-hour manhunt that started in Nevada and ended 
in the park after a high-speed chase. During this period, the three 
men shot at law enforcement officers and rangers from six different 
agencies and shot down a California Highway Patrol (CHP) helicopter. 
The incident began when a Nevada Highway Patrol (NHP) officer stopped 
the trio on U.S. 95 south of Beatty. During the stop, the driver shot 
at the officer several times, then fled north on the highway. A Nye 
County deputy tried to stop them in Beatty; they shot at him, then 
continued west into the park, where they shot five times at a 
responding CHP officer. Rangers became involved as the suspects fled 
south toward the Furnace Creek development, where there were an 
estimated 3,000 visitors. The park aircraft also responded. The 
vehicle turned off the main highway onto a park tour road. Park, CHP, 
NHP and Nye County officers and rangers set up roadblocks at both ends 
of the road, while the park aircraft searched for the men and/or their 
vehicle. The car was found stuck in a nearby salt pan and the three 
occupants were seen walking west across Death Valley. They were 
carrying rifles slung over their shoulders and a large pack. A check 
of the vehicle led to the discovery of several handguns and rifles, 
hundreds of rounds of ammunition, anti-government and anti-law 
enforcement literature, bomb-making manuals, and military operations 
manuals. One of the men was found to have a criminal history of 
violence and sex crimes. Since the men were walking west into a 
wilderness area and away from all roads and visitors, the strategy of 
confinement and observation was used while additional law enforcement 
resources were brought in. Some officers remained near the abandoned 
car and watched the trio with spotting scopes; the park plane 
continued circling overhead. An Army Black Hawk helicopter which was 
in the park on an anti-drug mission was employed to drop a group of 
five protection rangers and three officers, headed by park special 
agent Eric Inman, in front of fleeing felons. An incident command post 
was established at the park airport. A CHP helicopter soon arrived and 
joined the park plane in aerial surveillance. The three men, who by 
now realized that there were officers and rangers in front of and 
behind them and aircraft overhead, stopped and dug a fortified bunker 
and began shooting at the two aircraft. The CHP helicopter was hit by 
two rounds and lost its main oil line, forcing it to land. The two 
crewmen were now within three-quarters of a mile of the bunker and 
under the suspects' guns. A Black Hawk helicopter with eight Inyo 
County SWAT team members on board extracted the two CHP crewmen, who 
were shaken but unharmed. The strategy of confinement and observation 
was continued. A helicopter gun ship from the San Bernadino Sheriff's 
Office arrived and joined the park plane in watching the area. The 
three suspects continued to shoot at any and all aircraft that came 
within view, and occasionally fired indiscriminately in all 
directions. A plan was developed for the coming night, with the goal 
of keeping the suspects within confinement and out of the populated 
Furnace Creek area. The plan called for the insertion of the Inyo 
County SWAT team to the east of the bunker, and the reduction of the 
team to the west of the bunker to five Death Valley rangers - all 
properly trained and equipped for night operations. Antonich's team 
was then placed in a position where they could support the Inyo County 
team and protect the CHP helicopter. A Kern County helicopter and a 
Customs jet - each with infrared observation equipment - were 
utilized, and other CHP units blocked all park roads. Additional CHP 
and NPS units were standing by, ready to move into Furnace Creek if 
confinement was lost. The three suspects began moving east toward 
Furnace Creek at 11 p.m. They were confronted by Antonich's team and 
surrendered after a very short and tense standoff. They were found to 
be armed with five handguns and two rifles, all loaded. A joint 
investigation is underway. The CHP helicopter has been removed by a 
heavy-lift helicopter. A total of 113 law enforcement officers and 
rangers from ten local, state and federal agencies were involved in 
the incident. [CRO, DEVA, 3/19]

00-100 - Pinnacles NM (CA) - Drug Arrest

On March 4th, ranger Robert Baker saw a black Saab pass through the 
park entrance station without stopping to pay the required entrance 
fee.  During the contact with the operator, Charles Andree, 51, Baker 
smelled the strong odor of marijuana.  When asked for drugs, Andree 
produced several partially smoked marijuana cigarettes.  An open 
travel bag with a large amount of marijuana (218 grams) was seen on 
the floor near the passenger, R.F., 43. A search of the 
vehicle led to the discovery of another 400 grams of marijuana, 14 
grams of hashish, $1,650 in cash, and drug paraphernalia. Andree and 
R.F. were each arrested on a misdemeanor and three felony counts. 
The minimum amount of marijuana that the local U.S. Attorney's Office 
will prosecute is 100 kilos, so the case has been transferred to San 
Benito county for prosecution in the state system. The two men were 
held on $41,000 bond. [Gerry Reynolds, DR, West District, PINN, 3/19]

CULTURAL/NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

No submissions.

OPERATIONAL NOTES

No submissions.

MEMORANDA

No submissions.

PARKS AND PEOPLE

Submissions pending.

TRAINING/MEETING CALENDAR

The NPS training/meeting calendar follows this edition of the Morning 
Report as a separate message.

                             *  *  *  *  *

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Prepared by the Division of Ranger Activities, WASO, with the 
cooperation and support of Delaware Water Gap NRA.

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