Ranger zaps off-leash dog walker with shock weapon

San Francisco Chronicle ^ | January 31, 2012 | Jill Tucker

[servo1969]

A Montara man walking two lapdogs off leash was hit with an electric-shock gun by a National Park Service ranger after allegedly giving a false name and trying to walk away, authorities said Monday.

The park ranger encountered Gary Hesterberg with his two small dogs Sunday afternoon at Rancho Corral de Tierra, which was recently incorporated into the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, said Howard Levitt, a spokesman for the park service.

Hesterberg, who said he didn't have identification with him, allegedly gave the ranger a false name, Levitt said.

The ranger, who wasn't identified, asked Hesterberg to remain at the scene, Levitt said. He tried several times to leave, and finally the ranger "pursued him a little bit and she did deploy her" electric-shock weapon, Levitt said. "That did stop him."

--snip--

The ranger was trying to educate residents of the rule, Levitt said.

[servo1969]

A note in the comments section - "CEQ 10:51 PM on January 30, 2012 eye-witness account reported to Montara Dog: "Yesterday my husband and I walked our two border collies on the cement trail of Ranch Corral de Tierra...we encountered a man in his late forties with his two little dogs...being cited by a park ranger for not having them on a leash. Since we had never seen a park ranger during our 7 years of walking our dogs there, we asked her why she was patrolling the area. She quickly responded that the area was now under GGNRA control. The man she was citing had already leashed his dogs and provided her all his personal information. He asked her if he could go home and she said No. He then asked her to provide him a ticket or tell him why he couldn't leave. The park ranger was very rude and told him he could not leave un! til she heard by from her base but didn't tell him what she needed to hear from them or why he was being detained. After ten minutes the man asked her again to let him know why he could not leave or just cite him but she gave him no answer. My husband even asked her why she was not letting the man go on his way and she told him to stay out of it. Eventually, the man just started walking in our direction so he could go home. This really upset the park ranger and she told him to stop and that he could not leave. Once again the man asked why and just told her to give him a ticket or let him know if he was being arrested. Note that he had already leashed his two small dogs and was puzzled at the fact that he could not leave. Since she did not respond as to why he was being detained nor tell him the type of jurisdiction she had over him, he started to walk away and she told him that she would tase him if he walked another step. The man replied that he had a heart condition and to not taser him as it could be life threatenin! g. He gave her his back to look at me and my husband in disbelief to what was going on and the park ranger fired her taser at him. The poor man fell to floor and you could see that he was in a lot a pain. An elderly man was walking right by the man when he got tasered and luckily the passerby was not hurt. It was completely incredulous to see what was going on over two small dogs that were not leashed. About ten minutes later the sheriff came and hand cuffed the man. He asked us to take his dogs home and tell his wife what just happened. We heard ambulances on their way and believe that instead of going to jail (for doing nothing) was taken to a local hospital.""

[joe fonebone]

bump for later

[109ACS]

SOP by the Gestapo is to shoot the two little dogs.

[rarestia]

Are there any disproportionate/unnecessary force statutes in Kalifornia? This is sickening!

[Joe the Pimpernel]

The park ranger was very rude and told him he could not leave un! til she heard by from her base but didn't tell him what she needed to hear from them or why he was being detained.

"Am I free to go? Am I under arrest? Am I being illegally detained?"

This is gonna cost somebody, big time.

[headstamp 2]

This guy needs to get a good PI lawyer.

[Cicero]

I was going to say that this was a “He said, she said” situation. But the account by the eyewitness is totally credible, and damning to the ranger. She should be investigated and, if this holds up, FIRED.

[stormer]

Note to self: Do not give false information to a federal law enforcement officer and then attempt to walk away when being detained.

[Freddd]

He should have turned Obama “occupier’ and shIt on the cruiser. He would have been let go.

[SgtHooper]

“...and provided her all his personal information.” Did he? Thought he lied to her. I think both parties are wrong here. But ignorance of the law is no excuse. Perhaps a simple sign noting the new leash laws would’ve been useful. And if the sign was posted, just issue the ticket or warning. Dude, if you are detained, don’t try to walk off.

[stormer]

“Dude, if you are detained, don’t try to walk off.”

No folling. See what happens if you drive away in the middle of a traffic stop...

[stormer]

Duh - “fooling”...

[blueunicorn6]

“The ranger was trying to educate residents of the rule”

He should have said he was just occupying the park.

[Venturer]

Just a small question: How did she know she got false information ,if he had no ID.

[mwilli20]

... if this holds up, FIRED

Good thought... not going to happen.

Ann Coulter: WHO WOULDN'T ENJOY FIRING THESE PEOPLE?

[DJ MacWoW]

Too bad the eye-witness account doesn’t back that up.

[The Working Man]

One day, one day I believe that this is going to happen to the wrong person at the wrong time and a bunch of people are going to end up dead or badly injured. And you know what? i think that is precisely the reactions that the ‘powers-that-be’ are hoping for.

And we all know what will happen then. Massive overkill on the story by the MSM and ‘new’ Even more restrictive laws will be enacted, and so the process to tyranny and slavery will be accomplished.

[opentalk]

At the end of article ...the path had been an off-leash trail for years until last month when it became part of the national park system.

Example of why we need less government. The man may have been using the trail for years to walk his dogs. As soon as the federal government takes over, they bring more rules, less freedom and he is tased.

[Hodar]

She should be investigated and, if this holds up, FIRED.

No, charged with multiple felonies, tried and imprisoned if found guilty. If the laws that limit The Great Unwashed are to be equally applied to Law Enforcement, we have Kidnapping and Assualt with Intent to cause bodily harm; if the warning of a heart condition is upheld, I see Attempted Murder.

I cannot, under threat of weaponry - detain you for my amusement. I cannot fire a Taser upon you, maliciously, either. This is exactly what she did; so why not make her pay the same price you or I would pay?

Funny thing about doing this - I'm sure that other Law Enforcement Officers would see that they can't be thugs hiding behind a badge - if they decide to engage in thuggry - then they can got to jail like any other thug.

[BwanaNdege]

Hell hath no fury like a woman (in a paramilitary uniform) scorned!