Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Parks officer shoots, kills man at Elephant Butte (NM State Park)
El Paso Times ^ | August 25, 2005 | Heath Haussamen

Posted on 08/26/2005 1:17:42 PM PDT by Rio

A state parks officer fatally shot a man Tuesday night at Elephant Butte Lake State Park during a confrontation over the man's refusal to pay camping fees.

It was the first fatal shooting by an officer at one of New Mexico's 32 state parks in at least 30 years -- since the creation of a formal parks law-enforcement program -- Parks Director Dave Simon said. The New Mexico State Police are investigating the shooting.

The slain man was described as an Anglo in his mid-50s whose truck and trailer had Montana license plates. Police would not release other information until his next of kin were notified.

The officer, Clyde Woods, a three-year veteran of the parks force, is on paid administrative leave pending the conclusion of the investigation, Simon said.

A spokeswoman for the parks division, Erica Asmus-Otero, said the shooting was, "as far as we know, in self-defense."

"The officer was doing his job, what he was trained to do," she said.

State police Lt. Jimmy Glascock would not confirm that, saying the investigation continues. When completed, it will be forwarded to the 7th Judicial District Attorney's Office in Socorro for a decision on whether charges are warranted.

The confrontation began just after 8 p.m. Tuesday at Lion's Beach, a busy area near the lake's visitors center, after the man became belligerent with a parks volunteer over a $14 camping fee he refused to pay, Asmus-Otero said.

The volunteer called for an officer, and the man was also belligerent after Woods arrived.

Woods attempted to apprehend the man for trespassing, Asmus-Otero said. The man placed his hands in his pockets and refused to remove them despite Woods' requests. At that point, she said, the man "acted in a manner that our officer is trained to respond to," but would not provide more details, other than to say he was "aggressive" and "verbally abusive."

Glascock said police did not find "a firearm or knife" on or near the man's body after he was shot.

State Parks officers are fully certified law enforcement officers who attend the state police academy for training. Simon said officers are trained to focus on education and interaction with the public, rather than confrontation.

He said the "vast majority" of parks users "comply willingly with parks fees," which generate almost two-thirds of the state parks division's budget.

"Deadly force is always a last resort," Simon said. "The choice to use it is based on the risk the officer sees of imminent injury or death to the officer or to the public. ... Failure to pay fees would not have been a reason for this officer to do what he did."

Sun-News photographer Norm Dettlaff contributed to this report.


TOPICS: News/Current Events; US: New Mexico
KEYWORDS: banglist; newmexico
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 141-149 next last
Hmmm.. doesn't sound good if no weapon was found.
1 posted on 08/26/2005 1:17:42 PM PDT by Rio
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Rio

not a cop.....dont play one on TV.....(dad was one though)

might have been a good idea to call for backup.


2 posted on 08/26/2005 1:20:23 PM PDT by Vaquero ("an armed society is a polite society" Heinlein)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Rio

"Elephant Butte" Heh, heh....heh heh heh...


3 posted on 08/26/2005 1:21:55 PM PDT by JTHomes
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Rio
The slain man was described as an Anglo in his mid-50s

An "Anglo"?

Must be a NM thing. I think we call 'em "Caucasian" where I'm from.

4 posted on 08/26/2005 1:22:13 PM PDT by newgeezer (Just my opinion, of course. Your mileage may vary.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Rio

Probably tried to take the officer's gun, they struggled, camper lost.


5 posted on 08/26/2005 1:22:21 PM PDT by UseYourHead (National Sales Tax - All pay, legal and illegal)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Rio

Looks like the ranger just shot him out of a lack of ideas about what to do. Even if the guy was being a jerk, it appears the the man was not threatenign, just being an ass and refusing to pay or leave.


6 posted on 08/26/2005 1:24:05 PM PDT by Blood of Tyrants (G-d is not a Republican. But Satan is definitely a Democrat.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Rio

"Glascock"? Is this a real story?


7 posted on 08/26/2005 1:24:18 PM PDT by JTHomes
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Rio
Sounds like suicide-by-cop to me.
8 posted on 08/26/2005 1:24:19 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum (Islam Factoid:After forcing young girls to watch his men execute their fathers, Muhammad raped them.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Carry_Okie; calcowgirl; SierraWasp; EveningStar; NormsRevenge
A state parks officer fatally shot a man ... during a confrontation over the man's refusal to pay camping fees.

Oh now there is a reason to kill a man.

9 posted on 08/26/2005 1:24:20 PM PDT by FOG724 (RINOS - they are not better than leftists, they ARE leftists.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: newgeezer

Nope, we call 'em Anglos here in Texas, too.


10 posted on 08/26/2005 1:24:39 PM PDT by SuzyQue (Remember to think.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Vaquero
might have been a good idea to call for backup.

In this state the nearest help might be 50 miles away.

11 posted on 08/26/2005 1:24:54 PM PDT by oldbrowser (no one is right because no one is wrong)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Rio
Hmmm.. doesn't sound good if no weapon was found.

Don't rush to judgement. We don't know what transpired. Did he try to grab the officers gun?

He must have felt pretty stupid falling to the ground over $14.

12 posted on 08/26/2005 1:25:46 PM PDT by konaice
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Rio

Honest...it wasn't me!


13 posted on 08/26/2005 1:27:05 PM PDT by montomike (Gay means happy and carefree...not an abomination against nature's check valve.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Rio

I wonder what would happen to a homeowner who killed an unarmed intruder?


14 posted on 08/26/2005 1:28:48 PM PDT by JTHomes
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: UseYourHead
Probably tried to take the officer's gun, they struggled, camper lost.

Yeah, he tried to grab the officer's gun with his hands in his pockets. More likely it's just another story of a loser that shouldn't be behind a badge.

15 posted on 08/26/2005 1:29:10 PM PDT by Sir Gawain
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: FOG724
Oh now there is a reason to kill a man.

Or, from the other side: Oh, now there is a reason to get yourself killed.

When cheap meats stubborn. An a-hole on vacation meets an a-hole with power.

16 posted on 08/26/2005 1:29:21 PM PDT by theDentist (The Dems have put all their eggs in one basket-case: Howard "Belltower" Dean.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: Rio

what an epitaph: here lies ___________, shot at elephant butte.


17 posted on 08/26/2005 1:29:36 PM PDT by the invisib1e hand (see my FR page for a link to the tribute to Terri Schaivo, a short video presentation.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: JTHomes
Odd place to shoot a man.........;-)


18 posted on 08/26/2005 1:29:50 PM PDT by OB1kNOb (Pray fervently for Israel in these biblically historic times.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: JTHomes

Dead man removed from Elephant Butte


19 posted on 08/26/2005 1:30:19 PM PDT by Ignatius J Reilly
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: OB1kNOb

I figured someone would get a picture up.


20 posted on 08/26/2005 1:31:02 PM PDT by JTHomes
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 141-149 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson