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NATIONAL PARK SERVICE MORNING REPORT Monday, June 25, 2007 =============================================================================================================== INCIDENTS Valley Forge NHP Rangers Shoot Assailant On the evening of Saturday, June 23rd, a park ranger shot and wounded a 43-year-old man in response to threats he was making with a large caliber revolver. No rangers were injured in the incident, which took place near the Anthony Wayne statue on Outer Line Drive within the park. The man's vehicle, a Chevrolet Blazer, was first noticed at the Wayne statue parking area around 3:30 p.m. When the vehicle was still parked at the area at 7:25 p.m., the ranger stopped in the parking area to check it. As the ranger got out of his patrol car, a man entered the parking lot from an area of the woods that is closed to public access. The ranger talked to the man, checked his identification, and found that there was a warrant for his arrest for a failure to appear in court regarding a prior offense. The ranger called for assistance; when a second ranger arrived, the man moved to his vehicle and retrieved the large caliber revolver. The rangers ordered the man to drop the gun, but he instead began yelling at the rangers. The rangers continued to issue orders to drop the gun until the man threatened them with the gun and a ranger shot him once. After being shot, the man still did not drop the gun. Following furtive movements and continued threats to shoot rangers with the gun again, a ranger shot him twice. The rangers were then able to place him under arrest and provide emergency medical aid. The man was flown to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. He has been identified as D.J.M., 43, of Havertown, Pennsylvania. Neither ranger was injured in the incident. The investigation continues and is being conducted jointly by the National Park Service and Federal Bureau of Investigation, with significant assistance provided by the Chester County District Attorney's Office Detective Unit, Tredyffrin Township, and Upper Merion Township. [Jill Hawk, Regional Chief Ranger, and Joanne Blacoe, Regional Public Affairs Officer, Northeast Region] Cuyahoga Valley NP Body Of Missing Woman Found Near Park A body believed to be that of J.M.D., a pregnant Ohio woman who'd been missing for ten days and the subject of major national media attention, was found on Saturday in a wooded area known as the Top O' the World in the Hampton Hills Metro Park, located within the national park. A police officer with whom J.M.D. had a relationship was arrested in connection with her disappearance. Canton police patrolman B.C. Jr., 30, is facing charges of two counts of murder in the deaths of J.M.D., 26, and her unborn child. The FBI contacted the park on Saturday afternoon, seeking assistance in securing the scene. At that time, it wasn't clear whether the land was owned by Metro Parks, Serving Summit County, or Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Five NPS rangers responded to Top O' The World in Hampton Hills Metro Park, where an intensive evidence search by the FBI was underway. Metro Parks rangers were called as soon as jurisdiction was determined. Rangers secured the scene by closing Top O' The World and Hampton Hills trail system as well as access points along the road. Metro Parks, Serving Summit County, remained at Top O' The World once the scene was cleared due to an influx of media and the public. They were assisted by NPS rangers. Top O' The World was closed to the public. [Mary Pat Doorley, Interpretive Operations Supervisor, and media reports] Dinosaur NM Rescue Of Stranded Hiker J.K., 57, made a 911 cell phone call around 9 p.m. on June 9th to report that he was stranded on the south side of Split Mountain on the Utah side of the park. J.K. was unsure of his exact location, but reported that he'd parked his van at “Petroglyph Eleven” in Dinosaur National Monument and told the Uintah County dispatcher that he could see sheep below him. Ranger Pete Duncan responded and located J.K.'s vehicle parked at a pull-out along Cub Creek Road near a private ranch. Duncan and members of the Uintah County SAR team began a foot search in the area for J.K., finally locating him by voice. A member of the SAR team managed to reach a point about 150 yards across a canyon from J.K. and remained there overnight, yelling back and forth to reassure him. At daybreak, rangers and the SAR team resumed their attempt to reach J.K. He was located at about 10:00 a.m. and successfully walked off the mountain with minimal technical assistance. He reported that he'd begun walking along the base of Split Mountain, a highly-dissected rock formation, the previous afternoon, with no clear goal and taking only a 14-ounce bottle of water with him. He realized he was stranded about 9:00 p.m. when it became dark and made the decision to call 911. Good weather helped J.K. remain warm and he was in good shape when rescuers reached him. [Kathy Krisko, Assistant Chief Ranger] Death Valley NP Firefighters Respond To Blaze In Motel Room Xanterra concession employees notified park dispatch of an electrical fire in a motel room at Stovepipe Wells around 7:45 a.m. on the morning of Friday, June 15th. Park personnel responded with two engines and found that an overhead electrical fan in a bathroom had overheated and caused a small fire in the fan/light fixture. Xanterra employees said that they'd used a fire extinguisher to knock down the blaze. The firefighters donned full personal protective equipment, began ventilation of the building, then entered the room. They found that the fire had extended into the attic, causing charring to a two by eight ceiling truss and attic insulation. They checked to see if the fire had spread anywhere else, then conducted salvage and overhaul operations. There were no injuries. The building was released back to Xanterra around 9:20 a.m. Firefighters determined that the quick use of the fire extinguisher likely prevented further spread of the fire. [Nancy Wizner, Chief Ranger] OTHER NEWS The following stories (among others) can be read on either the InsideNPS web site (if you are within the National Park Service) or at the InsideNPS public ‘news digest' site (if you are outside of the NPS). The web sites appear below: George Washington Memorial Parkway - On June 10th, park staff honored a veteran on his first return to the location of “P.O. Box 1142,” a super-secret interrogation center during WWII located at what is currently known as Fort Hunt Park. WASO Budget Office - WASO Budget is pleased to announce the release of the FY06 Scorecard data. The Scorecard database, as well as instructions, technical guidance, and other important reference materials, can be accessed via a link contained in the story. Rocky Mountain NP - Gregg Yarrow is retiring after nearly 34 years with the National Park Service and 38 years of government service. To see the above articles, go to InsideNPS ( HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/" http://inside.nps.gov/) or NPS Digest ( HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/). For NPS incident reporting standards, go to HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=viewnpsnewsarticle&type=Announcements&id=3363" http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=viewnpsnewsarticle&type=Announcements&id=3363 * * * * * Prepared by the Division of Law Enforcement, Security and Emergency Services, Washington Office, with the cooperation and support of Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. Edited by Bill Halainen ( HYPERLINK "mailto:Bill_Halainen@nps.gov" Bill_Halainen@nps.gov, 570-426-2430). --- ### --- |