Two National Park Service rangers who were involved in a fatal shooting at Buffalo National River last summer will not be prosecuted, according to the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas.
U.S. Attorney Duane Kees said he found that the evidence in the matter supports the reasonableness of the officer’s use of lethal force in this case.
Jonathan Bolger, 34, of Branson, Missouri, was camping with his girlfriend in the Spring Creek Campground last August 20 when two rangers on night patrol confronted him around 1:30 a.m. The rangers, who have not been identified, told Bolger they were law enforcement officers. They saw that the man was pointing what they believed was a semi-automatic handgun directly at them. The investigation revealed that Bolger was armed with an Umarex XCP air pistol, which appears identical to a two-toned semi-automatic handgun, and does not have any identifying markers to show that it is an air pistol, a Park Service release said Wednesday.
The rangers ordered Bolger to drop the weapon multiple times, but he refused, it added. He continued verbally challenging the rangers and made a sudden threatening move. One of the rangers then shot him three times. The rangers, a civilian, and ambulance personnel from the North Arkansas Regional Medical Center provided lifesaving efforts to Bolger, but were unable to revive him. The Searcy County Coroner pronounced him dead at the scene.
Previously, the Searcy County prosecutor declined to prosecute the case and found that the evidence supports the reasonableness of the officer’s use of lethal force in this case, the Park Service said.
The NPS Officer Involved Shooting Investigation Team, a specially trained unit of special agents from around the country, conducted the investigation. The Arkansas State Police Criminal Investigative Division and Searcy County Sheriff’s Department provided substantial investigative support at the scene of the incident, and assisted the NPS in the investigation. The rangers were found to have properly followed law and policy in this situation and were justified in their actions.
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Comments
Sounds like a reasonable response to me. I found a photo of that air pistol, and it certainly looks like a real gun. Especially at night it would be easy to mistake it for a real gun.
I also understand that a lot of people don't necessarily associate "park ranger" with law enforcement. I've asked if perhaps law enforcement duties should be shifted to just the US Park Police, where there might be a better understanding of their law enforcement responsibilities. However, I've talked to a few USPP and LE rangers and they've said there's more resource protection and even some interpretation with NPS LE rangers. They have taken to marking some of their vehicles with "POLICE" or "LAW ENFORCEMENT".
Very sad that someone was killed. I am glad to see the rangers given due process and have been cleared. If there are any lessons learned I hope they get shared with the LE community within the NPS.
My sympathy to the officers and their families. A terrible experience came their way. I am glad their training and experience allowed them to act professionally and to receive the appropriate assessments from their agency and prosecutors.
Sympathy too for the misguided soul who lost his life, and his family. What a sad way to cause ones own death.
My lesson learned is leave campers alone at 1:30 AM. With all the talk of American Carnage, it is no wonder that a camper may bring a fake weapon along in the hopes of scaring off the violent invaders of our country.
“Violent invaders of our country”? In Arkansa?? I’ve been to many National Parks over the past 30 years, and have yet to meet ANY ”invaders” violent or otherwise. Don’t bring a fake or real gun to a National Park. Don’t wave said gun or point it at National Park police or rangers and you’ll do fine. Ignorance and just plain stupidity is your greatest threat in the wildernes, not invaders. If that air gun waving idiot was anywhere else, ie: a city corner, a shopping mall, a coffee shop in the suburbs, he would’ve been shot by law enforcement as well. You don’t wave something that looks like or is a gun at cops stupid! Or maybe you can try it and see if it works for you, at best we won’t have to read any more inane comments from someone who can’t follow the path of a straight line from point A to point B.
This does not tell the whole story, or even enough to get an idea what happened. Why did the rangers confront him? That should be a primary question.
Here is the original story:
https://www.nationalparkstraveler.org/2017/08/buffalo-national-river-ran...
My reading is that it was a routine early morning foot patrol. When they arrived, the the rangers claim that this camper confronted the rangers by pointing his air pistol at the rangers. And yes it looks like a real gun.
https://www.thv11.com/article/news/local/missouri-man-killed-in-officer-...
More details in this story: http://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2018/jul/29/flashlights-dark-cited-in...
Were there any witnesses to corroborate the rangers' account? Anything in the shooting victim's background to suggest he would be non-compliant when confronted by law enforcement?
I suspect that while disoriented from having his walk suddenly interrupted with flashlights in his face and two guys yelling at the same time, "POLICE! DROP THE GUN, DROP THE GUN!" he was gunned down before he could even process what was happening.