NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
MORNING REPORT
Thursday, March 14, 2013
INCIDENTS
Hot Springs NP
Rangers Assist In Fugitive Trackdown And Arrest
Local police asked rangers to help them hunt down an armed fugitive on Thursday, March 7th. Officers were attempting to arrest the man, who was wanted for questioning regarding a bank robbery that had taken place several days before, but he fled out of the back of the hotel where he was staying before they could do so. He then pulled a gun on the driver of a pickup truck that was in a nearby parking lot, stole the vehicle, and fled at a high rate of speed, causing several accidents along a two mile stretch of Central Avenue before crashing the truck. He then fled on foot into a wooded area that's surrounded by residential neighborhoods. Officers saw him running from the truck with a bag that they believed contained several guns. Rangers converged on the wooded area along with city, county and state officers and soon established a secure perimeter. As an Arkansas State Police helicopter hovered overhead, several SWAT teams and tracking dogs were deployed into the wooded area to search for the man, who'd told family members and others that he would not go down without a fight and had vowed “not to be taken alive.” After hours of searching the area and chasing down false leads, a homeowner who lived near the woods called 911 and reported that the man was attempting to kick in the rear door of her neighbor's apartment. Officers quickly surrounded the unit and contacted the man, who'd climbed up on a balcony and forced his way inside the unoccupied residence. Negotiators attempted to talk him into surrendering, but ended up using tear gas when those efforts failed. He was then taken into custody without further incident. The man, who has a lengthy criminal history dating back to 1994, including more than 25 arrests, was on parole from an eight-year prison term following a 2010 conviction. The police expressed their sincere appreciation for the park's assistance. [John Hughes, Chief Ranger]
OTHER NEWS
The following stories are among those in today's edition of InsideNPS. To see the full text, including images, NPS employees should go to the InsideNPS home page ( HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=index" http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=index). Non-NPS employees can see most of them on the NPS Digest page ( HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/):
Fort Pulaski NM - Over 1100 visitors joined Fort Pulaski National Monument staff in commemorating Women's History Month on Saturday, March 9th, with a day of special programs focusing on women during the Civil War era.
Northeast Region - Staff at Longfellow House-Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site and Boston African American National Historic Site recently teamed up for a celebration in honor of the 150th anniversary of emancipation by focusing on the lives of two people who hoped for the end of slavery in the United States.
Star Spangled Banner NHT - The Star-Spangled Banner Trail is piloting a new trail stewards program. The inaugural project is engaging Baltimore City fifth graders in creative, place-based learning projects that serve their peers and inspire a connection with the trail's places and stories.
Northeast Region - Thanks to an $8,000 grant from the National Park Foundation, Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor has provided transportation to over 1,300 students so that they could visit Erie Canal cultural and historic sites across upstate New York this year.
NPS Alumni - Marion Lee Jack, 78, a long-time seasonal protection ranger who served at Crater Lake from 1962 to 1985, died on March 6th. He eventually served as that park's seasonal law enforcement supervisor.
* * * *
The Morning Report is a publication of the Division of Law Enforcement, Security and Emergency Services, Washington Office, produced by the Office of Communications with the support of the Office of the Associate Director for Information Resources. Edited by Bill Halainen ( HYPERLINK "mailto:Bill_Halainen@contractor.nps.gov" Bill_Halainen@contractor.nps.gov).
--- ### ---