They is a National Park Police and NOT a Combat Zone. This is where families, couples, etc... go to site see and relax. Again this is not Syria, Afghanistan or Iraq.
Park Ranger are not Green Berets, Army Rangers, Delta, Navy SEALS, Marine Force Recon, SWAT, the FBI or any other Police that face real danger from people on a daily basis.
Perhaps this Park Ranger has seen one too many movies, and likes to pretend he is some sort of super hero? This is simply a young couple leaving a park a little late. Most likely they were “having fun” in the woods like many of us did in the past. This young couple is not Al-Qaeda okay?
Along the Natchez Trace, it's where the homosexuals used to go to hook up, since they knew it was infrequently patrolled by the park police instead of the local cops. Families and straight couples learned to clear out at dusk. Sounds like the park in question at least had straight couples for the after-hours activity.
I believe gaijin is in agreement with you, posting the excuses some cops give for being jerks.
The ranger could have been nice, and ushered the couple on their way out of the park. Instead, he wanted to pretend he was a combat soldier in Iraq and harass the couple. This was a park, not a hi-security military installation!
This was a city hired hand and city park.