Hovenweep |  |
The following Incident Reports were extracted from the NPS Morning Reports/Coalition Reports from 1989-2025. They are not a complete record of all incidents which occurred in this park during this timeframe. INCIDENTS | |
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Tuesday, June 2, 1998 Superintendent Art Hutchinson narrowly escaped gunshots fired at him by three suspects fleeing after the shooting death of a Cortez, Colorado, police officer on the morning of Friday, May 29th. After receiving a heads-up call from Mesa Verde NP dispatch reporting that a shot had been fired at a truck stop in Cortez and that the suspects' pickup was headed west towards Hovenweep, Hutchinson informed his staff and headed out to close the entrance gate. As he stopped to advise some visitors of the situation, he saw the pickup approaching him at a high rate of speed, so pulled his unmarked government sedan forward to avoid blocking the road, dove to the passenger seat, and laid low while steering the car toward a barrow pit. The suspects fired approximately 20 rounds at the car, but only two struck it. No shots were fired at the visitors' vehicle. Hutchinson radioed dispatch, checked on the visitors and advised them to leave the area. He was joined at that time by a San Juan county deputy sheriff. The suspects bypassed the monument's closed gates in favor of a side road about a mile further on, then abandoned the vehicle in a nearby canyon. The search for the three men has since moved north and is now focusing on the Dolores River east of the tiny settlement of Cahone, Colorado, about 30 miles north of Cortez. Some 200 police officers from four states and at least three federal agencies are trying to track down the men, who are in their 20s or 30s, clad in camouflage clothing, and armed with automatic weapons. The men reportedly also wounded two Montezuma County deputies during a gun battle and chase along a county road. Two empty assault rifles were found in their abandoned vehicle. [Public Affairs, Santa Fe, 6/1]
The park's headquarters area was reopened on a limited basis on Monday, following the complete closure that was instituted after last Friday's shooting incident. Outlying units of the park remain closed to the public, however, as does the campground. A massive, multi-agency hunt continues for the three men who killed a Cortez officer, wounded two others, and attempted to shoot Hovenweep superintendent Art Hutchison. The focus of the search is the area directly north of the park near Cahone, Colorado. Over 30 agencies have been involved in the investigation and search, including the NPS rangers and officers and agents from local cities and counties in the Four Corners area, metropolitan and rural SWAT and tactical teams, the FBI, INS, BIA, BLM, USFS, Border Patrol and Navajo nation. A perimeter has been established, roadblocks are in place, and more than two dozen SWAT teams are conducting searches of areas inside the perimeter. The NPS has assigned four rangers from Mesa Verde NP and parks of the Southeast Utah Group (Arches NP, Canyonlands NP, Hovenweep NM and Natural Bridges NM) to protect Hovenweep's headquarters compound; another seven rangers from Zion NP, Curecanti NRA, Black Canyon NM, El Malpais NM and Capitol Reef NP arrived yesterday and will assist in perimeter control and other law enforcement duties. Mesa Verde NP's helicopter and helitack crew has been committed to the incident from the outset and continues to fly missions. Other NPS staff have been assigned to overhead, liaison and support positions. [Jim Webster, CR, ARCH, and NPS Incident Liaison, 6/2]
NPS personnel continue to assist in the massive manhunt for the men involved in several police shootings since May 29th. On the afternoon of June 4th, San Juan County (Utah) deputy Kelly Bradford was shot twice near the community of Bluff, which is about 30 miles southwest of Hovenweep. It's estimated that the shooter was about 300 yards from the deputy and using a scoped .308 caliber rifle. Rangers Fred Patton, Glenn Sherril, Mike McGinnis and Greg Lloyd, who were on guard at Hovenweep at the time, were immediately dispatched to the scene by the incident command center, as they were the nearest available enforcement personnel. They arrived within 30 to 40 minutes of the shooting and were immediately assigned to road blocks and to the evacuation of the community of Bluff. Numerous city, state and federal SWAT teams were flown to the new incident and began searching the area. Within a short period of time, they discovered the body of a man who was subsequently identified as one of the suspects being sought in the earlier shootings. It appears that he died from a self-inflicted gunshot to the head. Pipe bombs were found on and adjacent to his body. The hunt for the other two men - J.M. and A.P. - continued through the weekend, with the search area expanded down the San Juan River, which flows into Lake Powell and Glen Canyon NRA. Glen Canyon's aircraft and one of Canyonlands' zodiacs were utilized to patrol the river corridor. On Sunday evening, the search was scaled back, but the investigation into the whereabouts of A.P. and J.M. continues. Rangers will continue to provide security at Hovenweep, as that part of Utah is considered to be an area with high potential for harboring the fugitives. J.M. and A.P. have been charged with the attempted murder of Hovenweep superintendent Art Hutchison. Federal arrest warrants have been issued for both men. [Larry Van Slyke, CR, Southeast Utah Group, 6/5 and 6/7]
The search for the two fugitives wanted for the murder of officer Dale Claxton, the wounding of three other officers, and the attempted murder of Hovenweep superintendent Art Hutchison has come to a virtual standstill. The primary focus at present is on investigation. The territory between Hovenweep and Glen Canyon is still considered to be the area where they're most probably located. An NPS incident command has been established and is comprised of personnel from Mesa Verde, Glen Canyon, Zion, and the Southeast Utah Group. A call was made for 17 Level 1 commissioned rangers for a 21-day assignment to assist on the operation; so far, 13 rangers have been brought on board. The operational objects are as follows: provide for the security of park staff, park residents, and visitors; The two Intermountain Region special events teams are being held in reserve in case of another blow-up necessitating a large influx of highly-trained law enforcement personnel to manage the situation. [Larry Van Slyke, CR, SEUG, 6/10]
The FBI and Colorado Bureau of Investigation continue to gather intelligence on fugitives Jason McVean and Alan Pilon. Among the items seized during the execution of search warrants at properties they've frequented have been area maps. One spans an area from Creede, Colorado, west to the community of Escalante, Utah, south to Page, Arizona, and east to Chaco Canyon. Drainages and mountain tops are highlighted. Hovenweep and two sites in Glen Canyon NRA - Halls Crossing and Bullfrog - are noted by name on the key to the numbers which appear at different locations on the map. The two remaining rangers brought in to provide additional security at Hovenweep and Natural Bridges NM will be demobilized next Tuesday. The San Juan County deputy who was shot on June 4th is at home. His recovery is going well. [Larry Van Slyke, CR, Southeast Utah Group, 6/25]
On November 1st, deer hunters found the remains of A. "M." P., one of the three men who were the subjects of the massive Four Corners area manhunt that took place last summer after a Cortez, Colorado, police officer was killed and two other officers were wounded. R.M. and J.M. were the other two men involved in the shooting. As the trio fled, they passed the park and fired at least 19 rounds from two different weapons at superintendent Art Hutchison, hitting his car twice. Six days later, a San Juan County deputy was shot twice and critically wounded by R.M., who then killed himself. A.P.'s remains were found about six miles from Hovenweep's visitor center. The cause of death was a self-inflicted bullet wound to the right temple. Officers found seven pipe bombs scattered around A.P.'s body. They also found a Kevlar helmet, body armor, and an FAL .308 assault rifle set-up on a tripod in front of his place of hiding under the low branches of a juniper tree. The rifle was pointed in the direction of a road into the area. No food or water was found with him. It's estimated that A.P. killed himself no more than a few days after abandoning his vehicle. J.M.'s location remains unknown. [Larry Van Slyke, CR, CANY, 11/12]
On Friday, August 8th, temporary maintenance employee E.C.,
46, of Hovenweep died from injuries sustained in an accident on his
ranch in the Chuska Mountains of New Mexico. He apparently was looking
for ranch stock with the assistance of two nephews when he slipped and
fell from a rock promontory. Superintendent Greg Dudgeon sent this
remembrance: "E.C. was a humble, bright, creative and skilful man. We
first knew him as a locally-hired employee of park contractor EPC where
he was involved in nearly every aspect of the construction of
Hovenweep's new visitor center. E.C. began working as a seasonal
employee for Hovenweep in 2002. He took considerable pride in the park's
new facilities, even the bathroom tiles were kept gleaming. It was
E.C.'s idea to paint all our garbage cans with a 'Moki' motif for the
visitor center dedication service. I don't expect to ever receive so
many positive comments about trash receptacles again. No matter the job,
E.C. tackled it with enthusiasm and an artist's eye for detail.
Whether the new split rail fence in the campground, the flagstone steps
to the amphitheater or the rehabilitated trail into Little Ruin Canyon,
he left a lasting legacy at the park with his heart and hands. And for
those of us who had the privilege to come to know him and a bit about
his life on the reservation, he left an indelible part of himself with
us too. E.C. will be sorely missed by the Cajon Mesa community. He
quietly and patiently took local youth with too much time on their hands
and much too little to do into his home and under his wing. They became
weekend ranch hands in the Chuskas and park volunteers (in one case a
seasonal employee) at Hovenweep. His purpose was to teach them some work
skills, bring a little discipline into their lives and show them another
way. His concern and compassion for his fellow Navajo made a difference.
We saw that and were glad to assist him in our own small way to help
make that difference. As large as the void is at Hovenweep and for the
residents of the mesa, it cannot compare to the void his passing leaves
at home. E.C. is survived by his wife C.C. and their five children,
ages 6 to 16. Our hearts go out to them." Those interested in making a
contribution to E.C.'s family during this time of hardship and
unanticipated expense can make checks out to the ABC Club (the park's
employee association), referencing C.C., and send them to P.J.
The association will pool them to make one contribution to the family to
help offset the expenses of the funeral, which will be held today at 10
a.m. in the mountains above Toadlena, New Mexico. The NPS will be
represented at the funeral.
On May 29, 1998, three men - J.M., 26, R.M., 26, and A."M."P., 30 - shot and killed a police officer in Cortez, Colorado, wounded two Montezuma County deputies, then fled into Utah. Shortly thereafter, a dispatcher at nearby Mesa Verde National Park notified Art Hutchinson, superintendent at Hovenweep, that the trio's truck was headed west toward his area. Hutchinson informed his staff and headed out to close the entrance gate. As he stopped to advise some visitors of the situation, he saw the pickup approaching him at a high rate of speed, so pulled his unmarked government sedan forward to avoid blocking the road, dove to the passenger seat, and laid low while steering the car toward a barrow pit. One or more of the three men fired approximately 20 rounds at the car, but only two struck it. No shots were fired at the visitors' vehicle. Hutchinson radioed dispatch, checked on the visitors and advised them to leave the area. The three men bypassed the monument's closed gates in favor of a side road about a mile further on, then abandoned the vehicle in a nearby canyon. A massive search involving at least 500 officers from more than 50 agencies - including rangers from parks throughout the Four Corners area - ensued and continued for many weeks, focusing at one time on a section of Glen Canyon NRA. R.M. was found dead a week after the Cortez shootings, and A.P.'s skeleton turned up 17 months later. But J.M. was never found. Last week, though, a cowboy walking through rugged Cross Canyon east of Hovenweep came upon bones and a camouflage backpack. A closer look revealed the pack was laden with pipe bombs. Authorities inspecting the site turned up an AK-47 assault rifle and 500 rounds of ammunition along with survival gear. Authorities are all but certain the remains are those of J.M. The remains have been delivered to the FBI for positive identification, but it may prove impossible to determine the cause of death. Investigators remain uncertain as to why the three men, decked out in camouflage and armed with automatic weapons and pipe bombs, stole a 2 1/2-ton water truck in Ignacio, Colorado, then drove it to a residential area the next morning in Cortez and shot and killed officer Dale Claxton after he pulled up behind them in his cruiser. HYPERLINK "http://durangoherald.com/asp-bin/article_generation.asp?article_type=news&article_path=/news/07/news070607_1.htm"
On the night of Saturday, February 14th, a burglary occurred at the park's visitor center. A person or persons gained access to the building by prying open the public entrance to the visitor center, then unsuccessfully attempted to breech a secured door between the visitor center lobby and rear offices. Losses included a computer monitor and keyboard, a CD player and speakers, and cooperating association sales items. No money was taken, though, and the intruders were unsuccessful in their attempt to pry a plasma screen from the auditorium wall. In the staff parking lot, the windows of a GSA SUV were smashed, though the in-car radio was still in place and nothing but siphoned gasoline appears to have been taken. San Juan County and NPS law enforcement rangers investigated the crime scene. There are no suspects at present. There's been an increase in crime in the county lately. The nearby historic Hatch Trading Post was recently robbed at gunpoint. When the park's protection ranger is absent, response time to Hovenweep NM is over one hour, since no other law enforcement officers reside in this isolated portion of the county. [Scott Ryan, Chief Ranger] | |