NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

MORNING REPORT

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

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INCIDENTS

Natchez Trace Parkway

Hit And Run Driver Arrested After Struggle

On the afternoon of Monday, December 1st, park dispatch received a report of a hit and run accident near milepost 260 in Lee County, Mississippi. Ranger John Hearne responded and learned that a blue Toyota had been rear-ended by a red Dodge Neon driven by E.J., 51, of Saltillo, Mississippi. Both the victim and witnesses reported that E.J. had been belligerent, threatening and likely was heavily intoxicated. Before rangers could arrive on scene, E.J. departed. A search for his vehicle was begun and it was soon located at a residence just off the parkway. The vehicle had extensive front end damage. No one answered at the residence, but, as the vehicle was being impounded, a heavily intoxicated E.J. approached Hearne. E.J. was providing contradictory information to Hearne when two local Saltillo police officers arrived to assist. It was learned that the car had been reported stolen and that a Lee County warrant was out for E.J. arrest. When Hearne attempted to arrest E.J., he refused to obey any commands and assumed a fighting stance. Hearne then employed his taser, but without effect. When E.J. advanced on the officers, another attempt was made to taser him but was also unsuccessful. With taser cartridges expended, Hearne utilized pepper spray on E.J., but it too had little effect and he continued to forcibly resist. The officers then took him to the ground, where E.J. forcibly resisted their efforts to handcuff him. E.J. was transported by ambulance to the local hospital for evaluation prior to being taken to jail. Multiple federal, state and local charges are pending. [Allen Etheridge, Chief Ranger]

OTHER NEWS

The following stories are among those in today's edition of InsideNPS. The internal, NPS-only version of InsideNPS can be found at: HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=index" http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=index . The public version, called NPS Digest, can be found at: HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/

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Submission standards for the Morning Report can be found at the following web site:

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 support of the Office of the Chief Information Officer and Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. Edited by Bill Halainen ( HYPERLINK "mailto:Bill_Halainen@nps.gov" Bill_Halainen@nps.gov).

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