NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

MORNING REPORT

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

INCIDENTS

Independence NHP

Rangers Deal With Demonstrations In Park

On Monday, November 8th, the National Constitution Center (NCC) held a screening of the documentary “Barrel of a Gun,” which is a film by Tigre Hill which looks into the 1981 murder of Philadelphia police officer Daniel Faulkner and the subsequent arrest and trial of the suspect, Mumia Abu-Jamal. Abu-Jamal was convicted and sentenced to death in 1983, which has since stirred national and international debate. As a result, the screening of this film promised to become center stage for this debate. Over the past 27 years, Abu-Jamal's supporters have shown a propensity for creating civil disturbances to draw media interest, including a takeover of the Liberty Bell Center in 1999. Sherman Hopkins, the director of security of the NCC, requested assistance from Independence NHP, the Philadelphia Police Department, and the Federal Protective Service. Rangers from Independence NHP and Valley Forge NHP provided security inside and around the NCC. Approximately 300 persons and several national news crews attended the screening, which was followed by a lively panel discussion involving the filmmaker, Abu-Jamal activists, and the Philadelphia district attorney. Although the evening had strong potential to become troublesome, it remained mostly calm. On Tuesday, a review of the Mumia Abu-Jamal case was heard by the US Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, which constituted the last appeal of the death sentence for Abu-Jamal. The federal courthouse for the Third Circuit is located across 6th Street from the park and Independence Visitor Center. Initial intelligence estimates predicted that over 1,000 protestors would be present outside the courthouse during the hearing, including elements from the rogue New Black Panther Party and anarchist groups. Independence NHP coordinated with the Federal Protective Service, US Marshals Service, and the Philadelphia Police Department to maintain order. Rangers from Valley Forge and Fort McHenry also assisted. By noon, a crowd of about 400 protestors had formed near the courthouse. Several smaller groups setup demonstrations on park property across from the courthouse, carrying large banners and using bullhorns. After the court adjourned, the protestors began to drift away and the incident was concluded around 4:30 p.m. Media interest was moderate. The incident commander was Paula Risell for both the film screening and the courthouse hearing incidents. [Jeffrey Pascale, Acting Chief, Resource and Visitor Protection]

Buffalo NR

Suicide Victim Found In Lower District

Rangers were advised of a possible suicide in the Lower District on Thursday, November 4th. A local man parked at the Highway 14 bridge and walked to the river, where he was found with a single gunshot wound to his head. Park visitors who were in the area found the body and notified a local sheriff's deputy, who then notified NPS dispatch. The victim appeared to have been deceased for several hours. A joint investigation by rangers and the county sheriff's office is ongoing. [Robert Maguire, 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/):

Wind Cave NP - Twelve more black-footed ferrets were recently released in the park in a continuing effort to protect and perpetuate this rare species.

Office of Communications - The winners of this year's National Historic Landmark photo contest have been selected. Links are provided to their images.

Midwest Region - James A. Nepstad, currently chief of planning and resource management at Apostle Islands, has been named the superintendent of Effigy Mounds.

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Prepared by the Division of Law Enforcement, Security and Emergency Services, Washington Office, with the support of the Office of the Chief Information Officer. Edited by Bill Halainen ( HYPERLINK "mailto:Bill_Halainen@nps.gov" Bill_Halainen@nps.gov).

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