NPS Visitor and Resource Protection
The Morning Report

Monday, November 25, 2002


INCIDENTS


02-186
Yellowstone National Park (ID,MT,WY)
Follow-up on Assault with Attempt to Murder

On November 13, R.N., 31, of Cooke City, Montana, was convicted in federal district court on one count of assault with intent to murder (18 USC 113(a)). An additional charge of assault resulting in serious bodily injury was dropped as part of a plea agreement. Rangers from the Mammoth Hot Springs Subdistrict arrested R.N. during the early morning hours of May 21, 2002. R.N. had been involved in two heated verbal altercations with J.G. at the Blue Goose Saloon, located on the park's north boundary. A third fight erupted in the street within the park a short time later. As R.N. drove off in his pick-up, he suddenly veered back toward J.G., striking him at a high rate of speed and leaving him seriously injured and disabled in the street. R.N. then turned around and struck J.G. again as he lay in the street, causing life-threatening injuries. J.G. was flown to a trauma center in Billings, where he remained in critical condition for several days and underwent a number of life-saving operations. R.N. was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service following his conviction. Sentencing is set for January 27. Mammoth rangers, headquarters staff and Park County deputies did an outstanding job in documenting the crime scene, processing evidence, and interviewing witnesses on-site while park special agents were returning from a meeting with federal prosecutors in Jackson. An FBI evidence response team from Denver assisted the park by processing R.N.'s truck. Other members of the park's staff from other divisions also provided critical assistance during the investigation.
[Submitted by Chris Fors, Special Agent, Branch of Law Enforcement]



02-601
Buffalo National River (AR)
Father and Son Die from Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

During the week of November 11, A.R. and his son, S.R., both from Fort Smith, traveled to the park in their motor home to enjoy a week of hunting. Members of their family talked with them via cell phone on Thursday; although they hadn't taken any game, they said that they were enjoying their trip. When the family was not able to contact them again by Sunday, November 17, a nephew drove to the park and located the motor home set up in the Point Peter area of the park. He was not able to find either of his relatives, though, so he contacted the Searcy County Sheriff's Office and reported the situation. Deputies and rangers checked the motor home and found that both R.s had died from unknown causes. The investigation and autopsy results revealed that the two men had succumbed to carbon monoxide poisoning. The father and son had most likely gone to bed with the onboard generator running to power an electric heater. Inspection of the motor home revealed that the generator tailpipe was missing, allowing the exhaust to accumulate under the vehicle. There were holes in the same area of the floor around the ducting and wire passages, which allowed the deadly gases to enter.
[Submitted by Robert Maguire]



02-602
Natchez Trace Parkway (AL,MS,TN)
Abduction and Attempted Sexual Assault

Park dispatch received a report of a woman crying on the side of the road in the Ridgeland District on the morning of November 18. District ranger Charles Cuvelier responded. The woman told Cuvelier that she'd been abducted at gunpoint from a service station in Flowood, Mississippi, and taken to the parkway. Her abductor, described as a man in his mid-30s, reportedly attempted to sexually assault her before fleeing on foot into the woods. A multi-agency response ensued, but no sign of him was found. A joint investigation with Flowood PD is underway.
[Submitted by Jackie Henman, Assistant Chief Ranger]



02-603
Natchez Trace Parkway (AL,MS,TN)
Ilegal Hunting Arrests

Leipers Fork rangers Bruce Gagnon and Mark Cyr and a local wildlife officer set up a deer decoy on the morning of October 11 in response to complaints the park had received about illegal road hunting. Shortly after 8 a.m., a truck stopped and backed-up to the site; a man then fired a weapon out of the passenger side window, hitting the decoy. Rangers stopped the truck shortly thereafter and discovered fresh blood in the truck bed and two weapons on the front seat. One of the weapons, a muzzleloader, was still warm from a recent firing. J.G., 20, was charged with possession of a weapon and hunting within the park; T.P., 32, was charged with possession of a loaded weapons, discharging a firearm from a motor vehicle, and hunting within the park. Additional state charges are also pending against the men for the illegal taking of a small buck earlier that morning.
[Submitted by Jackie Henman, Assistant Chief Ranger]




OPERATIONAL NOTES


Concessions Management Program
Correction on Proposed Rule for Commercial Use Authorizations

On Friday, an article appeared on the front page of InsideNPS regarding the issuance of the proposed rule for the new commercial use authorization regulation. Although the rule was reportedly going to be issued on Friday, it has not yet been posted in the Federal Register. Apologies for the premature listing. Please stand by for a notice later this week.
[Submitted by Bill Halainen, Editor]



Servicewide Training
Weekly Listing of Current Training Opportunities

This calendar appears every Monday as an addendum to the Morning Report and a separate entry for InsideNPS. It is not meant to be replace the Learning Place; rather it is a quick summary of what's available with links (as available) to relevant Learning Place pages.

Please note:

  • New entries are in bold face.
  • Submissions for other training courses should conform to the style used here.
  • Please include the URL to the web sites where readers can obtain the requisite forms and/or find out additional information about the training course. If a URL is not specifically listed, the announcement can likely be found on the Learning Place, the NPS training page found at http://www.nps.gov/training/announcements/index.doc.
  • Closing dates for applications are underscored.
  • Contact names are listed at the end of each entry with parentheses and are given as email addresses.

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January

January 6 - January 17: Physical Security Training (PSTP-303), FLETC, Glynco, GA. Physical security systems and procedures. Announcement: http://www.nps.gov/training/announcements/PSTP.303.doc. Closes on December 10. [Wiley_Golden@nps.gov]

January 25 - January 27: NREMT-B Level EMT Refresher, Joshua Tree NP, CA. The refresher will meet the requirements for NREMT re-registration. The class will be limited to 25 people. Fax a one page nomination form to Kathy Krisko at 760-367-5546. Include an email address for future correspondence. [Kathy_Krisko@nps.gov]

January 27 - February 7: Seized Computer and Evidence Recovery Specialist (SCERS-301), FLETC, Glynco, GA. Training on how computer data is created, stored, modified and manipulated and on accessing and extracting evidence from computers. Closes on December 17. [Wiley_Golden@nps.gov]

January 27 - February 7: Technical Investigative Equipment Training (TIETP-303), FLETC, Glynco, GA. Installation, operation and maintenance of surveillance equipment. Announcement: http://www.nps.gov/training/announcements/TIETP.303.doc. Closes on December 17. [Wiley_Golden@nps.gov]

February

February 18 - February 21: Instructor Techniques for Non-Lethal Training Ammunition, FLETC, Glynco, GA. Must be experienced firearms instructor, actively engaged in firearms training, and in good physical condition. Announcement: http://www.nps.gov/training/announcements/ITNTA.303.doc. Closes on January 8. [Wiley_Golden@nps.gov]

March

March 3 - March 14. Criminal Investigations In An Automated Environment (CIAETP-303), FLETC, Glynco, GA. Training in skills needed for successful computer-related investigations. Closes on January 22. [Wiley_Golden@nps.gov]

March 3 - March 7: National Wildfire Investigation Training (NWITP-301), FLETC, Glynco, GA. Topics include determining fire causes and origins, processing crime scenes, arson laws, and investigative techniques. Closes on January 15. [Wiley_Golden@nps.gov]

March 17 - March 28: Physical Security Training (PSTP-304), FLETC, Glynco, GA. Physical security systems and procedures. Announcement: http://www.nps.gov/training/announcements/PSTP.304.doc. Closes on January 28. [Wiley_Golden@nps.gov]


 




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Submission standards for the Morning Report can be found on the left side of the front page of InsideNPS. All reports should be submitted via email to Bill Halainen at Delaware Water Gap NRA, with a copy to your regional office and a copy to Dennis Burnett in Division of Law Enforcement and Emergency Services, WASO.

Prepared by the Division of Law Enforcement and Emergency Services, WASO, with the cooperation and support of Delaware Water Gap NRA.