Park Ranger Cites Militia Leader, Seizes His Gun

The Arizona Daily Star ^ | Monday, January 27, 2003 | Tim Steller

[Spiff]

Park Ranger Cites Militia Leader, Seizes His Gun

By Tim Steller
© 2003 Arizona Daily Star

A National Park Service ranger cited militia leader Chris Simcox Sunday for carrying a loaded weapon and operating without a permit at Coronado National Memorial in southeastern Arizona.

The chief ranger at the park south of Sierra Vista, Thane Weigand, said it appeared Simcox and William Dore were conducting a patrol of the border. "They were doing a special activity inside the park that's not sanctioned by the park," Weigand said.

Simcox, founder of the Tombstone group Civil Homeland Defense, has been conducting citizen patrols of the border area, but he said that's not what he was doing Sunday afternoon. He said he was simply hiking with Dore.

They were driving along Border Road when they came to a fence with a sign that said no vehicles were permitted, Simcox said. So they parked the van and walked past the fence along the road, not knowing the fence was the park boundary, Simcox said.

"Next thing I know, there's somebody waiting in the bushes for us," Simcox said.

It was a park ranger, who said she had been watching the pair, knew who they were and what they were up to, Simcox said. He and Dore were detained for about 3 1/2 hours, and some belongings were seized, Simcox said. Those belongings included a scanner, two two-way radios, his camera, a cell phone and his pistol.

Weigand said the charges against Simcox and Dore are misdemeanors.

[RKV]

While I don't disagree with your comments regarding the "yahoo" element in "so-called militias," and agree that you shouldn't just hop across a fence because its there, I think you really haven't addressed the issue at hand. The feds have failed to maintain border security and they have done it because neither the RATs nor the REPs give a s**t what their constituents want. The politicians have failed us on immigration. I would appreciate it if you had any positive suggestions as to what should happen if Americans want the borders closed (and based on the polls I read, I believe that to be the case). Or, are you advocating open borders?

[Mulder]

Nazi bastards

[chaosagent]

Yes, but the article says nothing about them being arrested.

It's seems to say they were stopped, detained for a while, had their property confiscated, and then given a ticket.

[Cultural Jihad]

Open borders advocates? Hardly. If there is an injustice in having a leaky border, then be it known that vigilantism further erodes justice. The solution is to hold the offical's feet to the fire, so to speak.

You have to admit that a man who is so incensed at law-breaking immigrants that he goes out and breaks the laws himself is not really an advocate for law and order.

[Cultural Jihad]

... Present company excepted.

[Chewbacca]

Maybe she was trying to prevent these guys from discovering her marijuana or peote stash.

[Joe Hadenuf]

Open borders advocates? Hardly. If there is an injustice in having a leaky border, then be it known that vigilantism further erodes justice. The solution is to hold the offical's feet to the fire, so to speak.

With this, your statement goes down in flames, over deep water, CALIFORNIA PROPOSTION 187.

We have been under attack by this invasion for 20 years.

Our laws, our courts, our politicians, have done nothing to stop this titanic invasion of millions.

[JackelopeBreeder]

Sorry to be late to this one, but after reading the first couple of posts I jumped in the truck and drove down to Coronado.

There is a sign right before the east (paved) entrance to the park that says "Loaded firearms prohibited." I think there's one on the west entrance too, but I'm not sure. I think those may be the only signs. Note it says "loaded".

If Chris was on the Border road and did not have a GPS with him -- and I did not see mention of one in the article -- then he had no way of knowing if he was entering the park. Especially if the fence/gate did not identify it as such. (He would also be a mile south of the sign mentioned above.) The border road does not carry any markings to speak of and the area immediately east of Coronado is working ranches -- with all sorts of wire fences and gates between grazing areas.

I think I met this same female ranger last week when American Border Patrol passed through Coronado to get into the San Rafael valley to the west. We kind of un-nerved her -- a convoy of middle-aged nutcases in trucks hauling satellite gear and ATVs. She smiled a lot and took pictures -- I hope she sent Rauuul Grijalva and Jezebel Garcia their own personal copies.

[Joe Hadenuf]

Proposition, proposition.......Yikes.....

[JackelopeBreeder]

"anarcho-militia loons"

I think I'll borrow that phrase and have it stencilled on both sides of my truck.

[Cultural Jihad]

Our laws, our courts, our politicians, have done nothing to stop this titanic invasion of millions.

... because there is no political will on the part of the common person to have them do otherwise. If you don't like liberal judges throwing out valid propositions which reflect the will of the people, then see to it that Democrats are thrown out of office. As I remember, Gray got reelected, which means maybe the judge was correct in throwing it out, since apparently the average Californian doesn't take the issue that seriously.

[Joe Hadenuf]

You have to admit that a man who is so incensed at law-breaking immigrants that he goes out and breaks the laws himself is not really an advocate for law and order.

Oh yes, compared to the massive titanic lawlessness created by this government sponsored invasion of millions, this man should be prosecuted, jailed, fined, and made to walk the government gang plank into hell.

[thepitts]

. She smiled a lot and took pictures

There's more to this story than meets the eye...

[Joe Hadenuf]

Make me a copy, LOL!

[Cultural Jihad]

I'm glad to see that you agree. Maybe he can be made an example of for all the other law-breakers and anarcho-militia-nutcases.

[Poohbah]

I would appreciate it if you had any positive suggestions as to what should happen if Americans want the borders closed (and based on the polls I read, I believe that to be the case).

The American public wants closed borders in the abstract, in the same way that they want to have a million dollars.

But when you start talking about HOW you're actually going to accomplish this, and how it will (a) cost a s**tpot full of money and (b) require more than a little personal inconvenience on their part, then they suddenly decide that maybe they don't want the borders closed THAT badly.

[Poohbah]

Yes, but the article says nothing about them being arrested.

It's seems to say they were stopped, detained for a while, had their property confiscated, and then given a ticket.

In layman's terms...they were arrested.