National Park Ranger abuse

[CivilizedPerson]

I have been dealing with terrible emotional issues for several years involving an incident with a National Park Ranger where I was shot with a stun-gun after presenting non-physical harm to him or anyone else. The incident occurred after a speeding violation within National Park boundaries. Several things unfolded, which I can all recall very well. Neither of us were in the "right", but I feel that he abused his power to control me, and has since lead me into depression and the extreme fear of law enforcement. I can expand on the details of the case, but only if I can justify that 1.) I have a basis to sue for emotional damages and 2.) that going against a Federal official is worth the trouble.

 

[ecmst12]

You need a therapist, not a lawyer. Even if you DID have a case at one time, after "several years" it would be too late. But I don't believe you ever had a case to sue anyone.

 

[CivilizedPerson]

You need a therapist, not a lawyer. Even if you DID have a case at one time, after "several years" it would be too late. But I don't believe you ever had a case to sue anyone.

Oh believe me, I am no longer an emotional wreck. Actually, I have never been happier, but circumstances are different now as well. I am not looking for someone to blame, per-se. I just now realized what a downward spiral my life took after that event. And by "several years", I mean 3 years. In the state that it occurred, I believe there is a 5 year period in which to pursue damages. I have never sued anyone and don't really believe in putting blame on others. I just want him to understand how much of an impact he had on my well being. Thank you for your advice.

 

[sandyclaus]

I have been dealing with terrible emotional issues for several years involving an incident with a National Park Ranger where I was shot with a stun-gun after presenting non-physical harm to him or anyone else. The incident occurred after a speeding violation within National Park boundaries. Several things unfolded, which I can all recall very well. Neither of us were in the "right", but I feel that he abused his power to control me, and has since lead me into depression and the extreme fear of law enforcement. I can expand on the details of the case, but only if I can justify that 1.) I have a basis to sue for emotional damages and 2.) that going against a Federal official is worth the trouble.

You claim that the ranger assaulted you with a stun gun with absolutely no justification? I find that very hard to believe. Most law enforcement officers don't just pull out their stun guns to subdue a perpetrator without just cause. If you were out of control, the ranger may well have seen you as a danger to him, in which case he would be entirely justified in using the stun gun to get you under control.

You really do need to expand on the circumstances in order for us to determine whether or not the ranger was justified in his actions. If you are unwilling to provide that information, then we are unable to help you.

Oh believe me, I am no longer an emotional wreck. Actually, I have never been happier, but circumstances are different now as well. I am not looking for someone to blame, per-se. I just now realized what a downward spiral my life took after that event. And by "several years", I mean 3 years. In the state that it occurred, I believe there is a 5 year period in which to pursue damages. I have never sued anyone and don't really believe in putting blame on others. I just want him to understand how much of an impact he had on my well being. Thank you for your advice.

How exactly would a stun gun incident make you an emotional wreck? And really, if the circumstances warranted the use of the stun gun to subdue you, then any emotional damages you may have suffered as a result would be no one's fault but your own.

 

[CivilizedPerson]

You claim that the ranger assaulted you with a stun gun with absolutely no justification? I find that very hard to believe. Most law enforcement officers don't just pull out their stun guns to subdue a perpetrator without just cause. If you were out of control, the ranger may well have seen you as a danger to him, in which case he would be entirely justified in using the stun gun to get you under control.

I have come to terms that I threatened him mentally, but physically, I expressed no harm. I was 22 at the time and was attempting to take a walk on one of the trails within the park. The person that tasered me must have been in his early to mid-50's. I will expand on your second question, but wish not to give up too much in case all of this ever comes to fruition.

You really do need to expand on the circumstances in order for us to determine whether or not the ranger was justified in his actions. If you are unwilling to provide that information, then we are unable to help you.

It started out as a bad day for me. The only thing I wanted was to clear my my mind and body by taking a hike. I passed the Ranger on a straight stretch on my ascent to the top of a mountain. I noticed the speed limit signs going on my journey to the summit, and I would swear that I was going that speed. I ended up at the summit and parked my vehicle. I then began eating a meal I had prepared before I began my hike. After about 2 minutes of eating, there was a knock on my window and there was the ranger standing there. He proclaimed for me to roll my window down, but as I had power windows, I expressed that I needed to open my door. As I recall, he came off as demanding when he told me to open my door instead. Some verbatim unfolded and he asked for my license and registration (I had no warrants or convictions). He went back to his vehicle and I continued to eat my lunch un-phased. After 10 minutes and no word from the ranger, I grew impatient. I proceeded to "pop" my trunk and exited the vehicle. I went to my trunk and retrieved several bottles of water for my hike. I then headed for the trail, assuming that if ticketed that the ranger would leave a ticket in my wiper blade. I assumed wrong. Things went from bad to worse at that point, but that was nowhere near the point I was tasered. This was only 1/5th of the story. It is too much for me to type and I'm sure too much for people to want to read.

How exactly would a stun gun incident make you an emotional wreck? And really, if the circumstances warranted the use of the stun gun to subdue you, then any emotional damages you may have suffered as a result would be no one's fault but your own.

I have never had any problems with the law. And to be stunned over the incident did not make sense to me. I did not understand what I had done wrong. I feel that it was man vs. man at that time and to assert his dominance, he proceeded to shock me. His whole demeanor changed after he had control. The reason he did it was because I refused to sign the speeding and disorderly conduct waivers he presented. He could have tossed them down and said "You have been served", right? No. He proceeded to attempt to tackle me. I didn't resist the tackle, but he did not have the strength to bring it to full fruition and eventually let go. That's when he pulled the stun gun out. Without provocation or warning and my back turned to him, he shot me with the 2 prong device. As for emotional damages? I started drinking. Heavily. A sign of my own weakness, but it was my way of coping at the time. Not a month later I already had a DUI and had completely cut off my friends and family completely.

I am not looking for a hand out. I don't want to ruin his life because I blame him for damaging mine. This was just an option that came to mind. That is why I am seeking advice and I appreciate all of the input you have to offer.

 

[sandyclaus]

I have come to terms that I threatened him mentally, but physically, I expressed no harm. I was 22 at the time and was attempting to take a walk on one of the trails within the park. The person that tasered me must have been in his early to mid-50's. I will expand on your second question, but wish not to give up too much in case all of this ever comes to fruition.



It started out as a bad day for me. The only thing I wanted was to clear my my mind and body by taking a hike. I passed the Ranger on a straight stretch on my ascent to the top of a mountain. I noticed the speed limit signs going on my journey to the summit, and I would swear that I was going that speed. I ended up at the summit and parked my vehicle. I then began eating a meal I had prepared before I began my hike. After about 2 minutes of eating, there was a knock on my window and there was the ranger standing there. He proclaimed for me to roll my window down, but as I had power windows, I expressed that I needed to open my door. As I recall, he came off as demanding when he told me to open my door instead. Some verbatim unfolded and he asked for my license and registration (I had no warrants or convictions). He went back to his vehicle and I continued to eat my lunch un-phased. After 10 minutes and no word from the ranger, I grew impatient. I proceeded to "pop" my trunk and exited the vehicle. I went to my trunk and retrieved several bottles of water for my hike. I then headed for the trail, assuming that if ticketed that the ranger would leave a ticket in my wiper blade. I assumed wrong. Things went from bad to worse at that point, but that was nowhere near the point I was tasered. This was only 1/5th of the story. It is too much for me to type and I'm sure too much for people to want to read.







I have never had any problems with the law. And to be stunned over the incident did not make sense to me. I did not understand what I had done wrong. I feel that it was man vs. man at that time and to assert his dominance, he proceeded to shock me. His whole demeanor changed after he had control. The reason he did it was because I refused to sign the speeding and disorderly conduct waivers he presented. He could have tossed them down and said "You have been served", right? No. He proceeded to attempt to tackle me. I didn't resist the tackle, but he did not have the strength to bring it to full fruition and eventually let go. That's when he pulled the stun gun out. Without provocation or warning and my back turned to him, he shot me with the 2 prong device. As for emotional damages? I started drinking. Heavily. A sign of my own weakness, but it was my way of coping at the time. Not a month later I already had a DUI and had completely cut off my friends and family completely.

I am not looking for a hand out. I don't want to ruin his life because I blame him for damaging mine. This was just an option that came to mind. That is why I am seeking advice and I appreciate all of the input you have to offer.

The missing section of your story, I would suspect, will reveal exactly why the ranger tasered you. If you are unwilling to share those details, then don't let the door hit you on your way out. Can't help if we don't know EXACTLY why you feel the ranger was at fault for what you consider to be an unwarranted assault on you with the taser.

And you are only kidding yourself if you claim that you "don't want to ruin his life because you blame him for damaging" yours. That's EXACTLY what you are looking for. Do you not think that suing him for damages won't seriously impact his life?

Sounds to me like you had your OWN reasons for drinking heavily, and you really are looking for someone to blame, along with a lawsuit lottery to pull you out of the hole you dug for yourself.

 

[CivilizedPerson]

The missing section of your story, I would suspect, will reveal exactly why the ranger tasered you. If you are unwilling to share those details, then don't let the door hit you on your way out. Can't help if we don't know EXACTLY why you feel the ranger was at fault for what you consider to be an unwarranted assault on you with the taser.

And you are only kidding yourself if you claim that you "don't want to ruin his life because you blame him for damaging" yours. That's EXACTLY what you are looking for. Do you not think that suing him for damages won't seriously impact his life?

Sounds to me like you had your OWN reasons for drinking heavily, and you really are looking for someone to blame, along with a lawsuit lottery to pull you out of the hole you dug for yourself.

The reason that I came here for advice is because I know full well that my selfishness is getting the better of me. I am looking at all avenues of dealing with this, but please do not presume to know me. I have talked with several lawyers and even the FBI about the incident. I believe that only someone that was in the exact circumstances as I and the ranger would have the understanding of what unfolded that day. There are too many "ifs" to look at also. The ranger never activated his dash cam, the cameras that protect the property from vandalism were out of order, and during the 40 minute ordeal not a single person except us passed by. I dialed 911 before any physical harm was brought to me asking for supervision of the incident, but nobody ever came until I was tasered and HE requested supervision.

Since you are a wise person, please help me find other avenues to approach this. If suing him is not the right answer, what do you suggest is?

 

[Proserpina]

The reason that I came here for advice is because I know full well that my selfishness is getting the better of me. I am looking at all avenues of dealing with this, but please do not presume to know me. I have talked with several lawyers and even the FBI about the incident. I believe that only someone that was in the exact circumstances as I and the ranger would have the understanding of what unfolded that day. There are too many "ifs" to look at also. The ranger never activated his dash cam, the cameras that protect the property from vandalism were out of order, and during the 40 minute ordeal not a single person except us passed by. I dialed 911 before any physical harm was brought to me asking for supervision of the incident, but nobody ever came until I was tasered and HE requested supervision.

Since you are a wise person, please help me find other avenues to approach this. If suing him is not the right answer, what do you suggest is?

Given that the lawyers you spoke to apparently didn't take the case, "therapy" is the first thing that comes to mind.

You can of course report the ranger, but that's about it. Don't expect anything to happen.

 

[sandyclaus]

The reason that I came here for advice is because I know full well that my selfishness is getting the better of me. I am looking at all avenues of dealing with this, but please do not presume to know me. I have talked with several lawyers and even the FBI about the incident. I believe that only someone that was in the exact circumstances as I and the ranger would have the understanding of what unfolded that day. There are too many "ifs" to look at also. The ranger never activated his dash cam, the cameras that protect the property from vandalism were out of order, and during the 40 minute ordeal not a single person except us passed by. I dialed 911 before any physical harm was brought to me asking for supervision of the incident, but nobody ever came until I was tasered and HE requested supervision.

Since you are a wise person, please help me find other avenues to approach this. If suing him is not the right answer, what do you suggest is?

If you already spoke with several lawyers and the FBI about the incident, and they didn't feel the need to pursue any further investigation or recourse, then I don't see how we would be able to do much else.

Like I said, if you refuse to disclose the details of what unfolded, then this is most definitely NOT the place to see further assistance.

As for other avenues to pursue, I think ecmst12 had a good idea.

 

[CivilizedPerson]

Given that the lawyers you spoke to apparently didn't take the case, "therapy" is the first thing that comes to mind.

You can of course report the ranger, but that's about it. Don't expect anything to happen.

Well you must be a damn good lawyer because you act like you know everything that happened already. And the lawyers I talked to were for MY defense. I have never approached a lawyer asking them to sue him. And you seem to presume it is about money. You know, whether you choose to believe a complete stranger or not, I don't care about that. If I got $5 out of the ordeal, I would walk away satisfied. I have money. I could hire a good legal team if I really wanted to. I don't know that I want to. Therapy is good advice, but it seems too closed minded. I have my life on track now and I have 1/2 forgiven the ranger for what happened. I am really seeking closure, whatever that may be. I will try therapy, but if you have other options as well I would like to hear them.

 

[sandyclaus]

Well you must be a damn good lawyer because you act like you know everything that happened already. And the lawyers I talked to were for MY defense. I have never approached a lawyer asking them to sue him. And you seem to presume it is about money. You know, whether you choose to believe a complete stranger or not, I don't care about that. If I got $5 out of the ordeal, I would walk away satisfied. I have money. I could hire a good legal team if I really wanted to. I don't know that I want to. Therapy is good advice, but it seems too closed minded. I have my life on track now and I have 1/2 forgiven the ranger for what happened. I am really seeking closure, whatever that may be. I will try therapy, but if you have other options as well I would like to hear them.

If you bothered to read the ToS, you would know that the majority of posters here are NOT legal professionals, but volunteers who share their own personal experiences about a particular situation.

And of course I don't know what happened already, BECAUSE YOU REFUSE TO TALK ABOUT IT. I can only go on what I know, and from what you HAVE revealed, there is nothing that says the ranger wasn't right to do what he did.

And, as it states in ecmst12's signature, "Lawsuits are not about justice. They are about MONEY. If you don't want money, then you shouldn't be thinking about suing. And people post here because they are thinking about suing. Because they want money, no matter how much they don't want to admit that to themselves."

Very rarely will someone invest thousands of dollars in legal fees just for the principle of it, and most certainly NOT to get a whole $5 out of it. That's just plain insane.

 

[CivilizedPerson]

If you already spoke with several lawyers and the FBI about the incident, and they didn't feel the need to pursue any further investigation or recourse, then I don't see how we would be able to do much else.

Like I said, if you refuse to disclose the details of what unfolded, then this is most definitely NOT the place to see further assistance.

As for other avenues to pursue, I think ecmst12 had a good idea.

Well the general consensus is that I need therapy. Thanks, everyone. Every person that goes through an emotionally crippling event needs therapy. I have been there and done that. It is not enough for me, at least not at this point in time. The FBI investigated because they are a Federal bureau and were a 3rd party in the investigation. The man I spoke with said he fully believed me and he admitted that he could see the fear in me when I talked with him. He said a punishment would be given to the ranger, but refused to elaborate on the extent. I believe half-heatedly in this country and the judicial system. I believe that the abused have the right to know if the punishment suits the crime. Oh, all charges against me were dropped by the way. I represented myself in Federal court.

 

[xylene]

A less than lethal weapon was used on you in a police encounter. You were not physically injured...

I have tested my stun gun (one FAR more powerful than a taser) on myself more than once.

You had no immediate injuries, thus you very likely have no case for the claim of emotional damages you seek.

Lots of people get dwis....

 

[CivilizedPerson]

Sandyclaus, you come across as a very bitter person. The reason that I am not telling the whole story is because it is a 40 minute ordeal that I can explain in complete detail from beginning to finish. The only way I could ever explain to you the whole story is if I talked to you 1 on 1. Since you continue to attack my responses, I will no longer accept your advice, but I appreciate your attention to my matter none-the-less.

 

[CivilizedPerson]

A less than lethal weapon was used on you in a police encounter. You were not physically injured...

I have tested my stun gun (one FAR more powerful than a taser) on myself more than once.

You had no immediate injuries, thus you very likely have no case for the claim of emotional damages you seek.

Lots of people get dwis....

The key words here are that you used it on yourself. The pain of the stun gun was far less than I would have ever expected, but have you ever been shot in the back without warning by one? Take a step back, if you would, and imagine a stranger with complete power shooting you in the back with one for trying to take a hike. That's exactly how I felt.