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.
BTTT
Hey. You're right. I just looked it up and Caucasia is a well-defined, rather small part of eastern Europe. Don't think my family is from there.
Neither am I white. Pink is about right as described by a previous poster.
Anglo? Partly, but not entirely.
Anglo-Saxon is probably pretty close.
LEO'S are trained to shoot when a subject fails to obey an order to take his hands out of his pocket. They can't second guess what might be in his pocket. We just buried 2 NM police officers in Albuquerque that were murdered by a man who surprised them by pulling a gun. They were two long time veteran officers. They buried the last one yesterday.
ALL this man had to do was take his hands out of his pocket so the officer could see that he didn't have a gun. He's dead because he was stupid.
"The story says the officer tried to take the person into custody for traspass"
--- Now, will the park service (& the rest of the Govt) apply the same standard against the trespassers from over the Rio Grande.
Or does the death sentance for trespass only apply to Anglos?
This story is second hand but the person who saw it happen is reliable. My friend was crossing the Suwannee River bridge when a guy passed him at high speed. An instant later two Florida State Troopers passed. After he had traveled a short distance he saw more cops in his rear view so he pulled over.
A few hundred yards in front of him they stopped the guy, dragged him out and as my friend was passing, were beating the crap out of him. He said he didn't see the guy offer any resistance.
lol. Very creative! how about something for those who thing butte rhymes w/but?
which one of us has too much time on his hands?
This should be told to the subject immediately, sort of like the Miranda warning.
"You have a aright to be silent and you have a right to be shot, if you don't take you hands out of your pockets."
Homeowner --"I shot him because he would not take his hands out of his pockets."
Hmmm. The article said it was in self-defense. Of course don't let the facts in the article get in the way of your desire to inflame.
I suppose they are trained to shoot anyone who makes a sudden move, like taking their hands out of their pockets, too.
hmmmm. Maybe the kid had a reason to suspect you might go ballistic ...
Well, that does it for me. The local park police MUST protect us all from such scofflaws. Failure to wear a safety belt! Ping all of the drug warriors immediately! This is a gateway offense, and certainly the viciously threatened officer needs a commendation. These criminal elements start off harassing, resisting, evading, and obstructing. They become so hardened by the system that they progress to >gasp< failure to carry insurance. Lock up the wimmenfolk, this is worse than the Hells Angels!
Shame on those that celebrate his death.
"You have a aright to be silent and you have a right to be shot, if you don't take you hands out of your pockets."
Yep, that would be a good idea. That way the perp would know what was coming if he failed to immediately comply.
Homeowner --"I shot him because he would not take his hands out of his pockets."
Works for me. ;o)
This was not a homeowner. Granted the guy should have walked away from a $14.00 issue. Lack of weapons looks bad anyway you slice it.
That would apply only if the officer told him to keep his hands in his pocket. LOL
I am pretty sure the police ruled it a "good" shooting. He had made a sudden move.
See #51. Call me Nostradamus...
It certainly would be good to see a video of what went on in cases such as this. Cameras ought to be mandatory everywhere where law enforcement officials come into contact with the public.
I'm not saying it's correct; I'm just saying it is. My background is mostly Scandinavian, so the "Anglo" thing doesn't work for me either.
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