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NATIONAL PARK SERVICE MORNING REPORT Friday, December 12, 2014 INCIDENTS Whiskeytown NRA Pursuit And Arrest Of Sovereign Citizen While on patrol in the park on December 5th, a field training ranger and an FTEP ranger conducted a registration check on a Dodge 2500 pickup truck traveling through the park. The California registration came back as expired and in “non-operation” status since 2011, although the plate indicated a current registration. The rangers attempted a traffic stop, but the driver declined to stop. A pursuit that did not exceed the posted speed limit ensued for nearly seven miles into the nearby city of Redding. When the truck stopped in the roadway, a high risk stop was attempted by the rangers and a California Highway Patrol officer, but the driver took off again into a residential area. The truck then drove over a curb and into the front yard of a residence. The rangers conducted another high risk stop. The driver swiftly exited the vehicle, ripped off his shirt, balled his fists, and walked towards the rangers while yelling. After failing to comply with verbal commands, he was hit in the torso with one taser round. It was ineffective. The ranger then reloaded and hit the man again in the back, this time achieving neuromuscular incapacitation and permitting his arrest. The man showed numerous indications of being a HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sovereign_citizen_movement" sovereign citizen who did not recognize any law enforcement authority. He was arrested and charged with nine federal counts. Upon further investigation, the license plate had evidently been altered to appear current. The man was also charged with possession of a concealed weapon and three other 2013 violations, for which he had an outstanding Whiskeytown NRA warrant for his arrest. No officers were injured. The assistance from the California Highway Patrol and the Redding Police Department were greatly appreciated. [Chris Mengell, Chief Ranger] OTHER NEWS The following stories are among those in today's webpage editions of InsideNPS (available to NPS employees only) and the Morning Report (available to all readers): War in the Pacific NHP - The rehabilitation of the Asan Bay Overlook Memorial Wall has been completed and the site has reopened to the public. The project included replacement of over 100 panels with 17,771 names etched into black granite. The names are of those who died or suffered during the occupation and Liberation of Guam. Today's Almanac - A strong storm will move across the western states through this weekend. Impacts will include heavy rain and mountain snow, damaging winds, flooding, mud and debris flows, and damaging high surf. Catoctin MP - Holly Rife, chief ranger at Catoctin Mountain Park, will retire on December 31st. She has been chief ranger there since 2005. Land Resources Division - Glenna Vigil, chief of the Land Resources Program Center in Intermountain Region, has announced her retirement after 26 years with the National Park Service. National Capital Region - Nate Adams recently joined National Capital Region's Office of Communications on a 120-day detail. Servicewide Training Calendar - Added to this week's calendar are the following - the 2015 NPS basic technical rescue course/east, two wilderness first responder courses, two courses offered by NCPTT, a course on advanced NEPA topics, and an introductory PEPC orientation course. To see the full text of these stories, readers should go to one or the other of the following sites: NPS employees - HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=index" http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=index Non-NPS employees - HYPERLINK "http://www.nps.gov/morningreport/" http://www.nps.gov/morningreport/ The Morning Report is 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). --- ### --- |