An investigation is continuing into the middle-of-the-night fatal shooting of a 44-year-old camper by park rangers at Buffalo National River in Arkansas.
According to a brief release from the National Park Service, "(I)n the early morning hours of August 20, 2017, law enforcement rangers at Buffalo River National were on foot patrol in Spring Creek Campground located near Yellville, Arkansas. While on patrol, the officers encountered an adult male subject with a handgun. The subject refused multiple commands to drop the weapon and was fired upon. The individual died as a result of his injuries. The deceased has been identified as Jonathan Bolger, age 44, of Branson, Missouri."
Assisting the Park Service in the investigation is the Searcy County Sheriff's Office and Arkansas State Police. While the Park Service provided no additional details, an attorney for the dead man's family said he had a BB pistol when confronted by the rangers around 1:30 a.m.
The attorney, David Ransin, told the Springfield (Missouri) News Leader that Mr. Bolger was camping with his girlfriend and her three children, who were in a tent at the time of the incident.
"The Park Service's explanation is that when they are on a routine night patrol, so as not to alarm campers, their procedure is to stop their vehicle short and walk in on foot. I am still seeking to determine at what point their flashlights were turned on," the attorney said.
Comments
When Raygun and Mott brought guns into the California State Parks, I resigned. Guns bring in gun nut rangers, who consider the weapon as their manhood, and they resort to it when there are clearly other ways to deal with the issue at hand. (I dealt with several such issues Before Guns and always resolved them without a gun, because I needed to do so.) This incident reinforces my observation that guns on rangers lead to unnecessary death. I can think of, and have observed, other ways to deal with this situation - but they would require that rangers not live by the Myth of Marion Morrison or the gun nut policies of Raygun and Mott but instead use something like this: First, wake all campers and let them know what was going on. Walk slowly through the campground as you do so, saving the armed camper for the last contact. Have all campers turn on their lights and stand by their vehicles. When you contact the armed camper, do NOT mention the weapon; talk about the weather or his camping experience. By the time you've done all that, his sphincter muscle will be so tight that he won't be able to hold his gun and he will voluntarily put it down without being asked. Lest you think this fantasy, I did at least two contacts, alone and unarmed, exactly like this; and both times, NO ONE DIED and the problem was solved.
The NPS needs to realize that Marion Morrison never killed anyone in his life, that the draw-down in the main street was a fantasy of eastern writers, and that it is the stupidest policy in the world to live by such mythology.
Slightly edited for content.
So guns on Rangers is not good because you stand a better chance of talking to a person with a weapon in their hand if you are unarmed? That is very naive thinking on your part. It removes the ability of the ranger to practice self defense. What if the violator is holding a hostage or is a threat to other campers? And talking about the weather to the armed individual? You can't be serious. You sound like you would have fit right into a park where the Superintendent and Chief Ranger spent most of their time playing Ostrich! Also, I am not sure if you deliberately misspelled Reagan's name or not. I congratulate you on your ability to avoid being shot during your tenure as a ranger. It was in your best interests to resign before you had to confront any more armed individuals.
And to think of the large number of female LE rangers I know considering their weapon as essential to their "manhood" simply means that you've never met them, Mr Scott. Congratulations on leaving the ranks of rangers.
So by that logic, we need to disarm police officers?
Hmmmm.
America today ain't the America we all knew just a few years ago. Have you seen what the NRA is preaching these days?
Mr. Scott I am glad you are out of the ranger ranks If you ever were. I dont think you were due to arm chair quarterbacking and miss understanding of use of force. Statistically, how often do you see ranger involved shootings? Not too many, so they must be doing something right. Also rangers have some of longest LE training of any federal law enforcement and they are also statisticaly the most assaulted federal officers.
So Don would you have resolved this situation as well?
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/park-ranger-killed-by-gunman-in-national-park/
Come on now.