ohmidog!

Comment from Tina
Time February 1, 2012 at 1:18 pm

Wow. I hope his dogs got home safe!
No mention of whether or not the dogs were under control (leashed or not)… but, since the ranger was appently not injured during the whole fiasco, they must be VERY well behaved dogs!

I think the ranger may need some sensitivity training….
Of course, “daring” an official to arrest you isn’t normally a good idea, either…

Comment from vida
Time February 1, 2012 at 8:17 pm

It sure seems like way too many people get a uniform and think they have total dictatorial power. I guess it’s lucky she only tased him and didn’t try to kill his dogs, that come with the police uniform. And while it’s true that annoying a possible armed maniac is dumb it really is a sad thing that people have no rights at all, just the right to follow any and every command by anyone in a uniform.

Comment from Charles Parker
Time February 1, 2012 at 8:23 pm

Good for the ranger! After having been accosted, insulted and threatened by arrogant, law breaking off leash owners, this sort of action is long past due.
Have her train the rest of the service in how to deal with these oafs.

Comment from Miss Jan
Time February 2, 2012 at 2:57 pm

He did not “dare” the ranger to arrest him. He asked if he was being arrested and the ranger refused to answer. You cannot be detained unless you are being arrested. Tasing someone who then collapses because they have lost control of their bodies is being used as an excuse for resisting arrest charges – eg.. since he could not turn over he was considered to be non-cooperative. Further, the eyewitnesses who gave statements stated that there was little or no signage about whether it was off-leash or leashes required. And if no one here is very aware, there has been a battle waging for at least a year over dogs being permitted in this area, the dog haters vs the dog lovers – and it was formerly a completely off leash area.

Charles – wow. Just – wow. Your kind of attitude leads toward really bad juju/karma/whatever and I sure hope for your sake you aren’t ever in a situation mistaken for someone who “deserves” to be tased. It is attitudes like yours that make me want to go live in another more civilized country.

Comment from Leslie Fajardo
Time February 2, 2012 at 11:38 pm

This happens when incompetent people are hired to do, what would be a fairly easy job.
The dumming down of America.

Comment from james nickerson
Time February 6, 2012 at 1:06 am

Gary Hesterberg is lucky that Ranger Cavallaro did not shoot him dead with a firearm. Comply or Die seems to be the Motto of the NPS.

I too am a VICTIM OF NPS Ranger Misconduct. I am disabled for life as a result. There are many others whom the Rangers have needlessly injured. I have boxes of evidence of their malfeasance and have detailed court and other records, CHP pursuit, and an audio recording that is a real eye opener where they clearly abuse their legal authority an endangerd hundreds of citizens.

NPS Rangers think they are Federal Secret Police that answer to no one. They even have the local Law Enforcement Agencies Believing this. NPS Rangers seemingly Comply or Die Policy is very active. More then one individual has been killed trying to leave the scene of petty infractions. Josh Updegraff’s Mother can attest to one such incident: http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/article_07173e8a-b096-11df-a8bb-0017a4a78c22.html

Richard Greenberg is in prison because he parked a car in Whiskeytown National Park where people do not normally park, but there was no sign to “keep out”. The Whiskeytown Rangers got overly aggressive and initiated an illegal pursuit, breaking several State and Federal Laws. There was no probable cause, and nowhere close to anything requiring that level of use of force on him or endangering the public with a high speed pursuit on a cold, rainy day. I have all of the reports and court papers on this case.

In my case, I was denied medical attention, my truck was stolen and my girlfriend kidnapped by a park ranger named Gary Panich. To cover this up, Ranger Mike Martin made up lies, told them to other agency personnel as well an insurance adjusters, my finance company and my Attorney. He then had the local police storm my house, terrorizing my family, and arrested me (for a boating accident). I was incarcerated without a charge for several months. This happened in 2003 because of a boating accident where I was tested and proved that I was not under the influence of anything.

Recently, an Investigator out of the Bay area, Jeff Wasserman, (Cell phone number 415-559-834) was appointed by NPS Director Jon Jarvis to look into the Greenberg case as well as mine. As of this writing, he has not offered any relief to Greenberg or myself, nor has he disciplined the Park Rangers involved. He had the opportunity to correct the internal policies of Park Rangers who abuse their limited authority and to prevent things like tasing someone for minor infractions like having a dog off a leash. Just like Ranger Cavallaro did. I have not heard any news reports stating Ranger Cavallaro had a ticket book or even wrote a ticket. When ranger Cavallaro detained Hesterberg, it was an arrest. She should have advised Hesterberg of this or whatever her intentions were. But again, she, like other NPS Rangers, act like Secret Police and feel they can detain anyone without explanation or accountability.

Jeff Wasserman talked a good game about Greenberg’s case and mine, but I have not seen any results besides being accused of intentionally driving my new boat (that I loved dearly and worked hard to obtain) into a pole. His alleged “internal investigation” should have produced immediate changes to NPS Law Enforcement Policy. I have included his cell phone number so you can call him and tell him how you feel about Blatant and Obvious misconduct by National Park Service Law Enforcement Rangers.

To be fair, non-law enforcement park rangers are really cool people. Something happens when they are given guns and virtually No Law Enforcement Training like all other agencies must complete, to become Professional Peace Officers.

National Park Service Law Enforcement Rangers are normally required to Carry a 1 or 2 Million Dollar Professional Liability Insurance Policy (paid mostly by your tax dollars). I encourage Hesterberg or any of the witnesses who were affected by this appalling event to Sue Ranger Sarah Cavallaro in Federal Court as an individual under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, 28 U.S.C. § 2201 and pursuant to the decision in Bivins v. Six Unknown Agents for the Federal Bureau of Narcotics, 403 U.S. 338 (1971) for damages, actual and punitive.

Had I done this to another citizen the same way the Rangers did to me, I would be in prison for a long, long time. The Federal Courts are the answer to agencies that have unconstitutional policies and practices and refuse to correct or even acknowledge them.
I expect my door will be kicked in for writing this and more false charges filed against me. I really don’t care because I live in poverty and can longer perform a job because of my injuries. My hope is that my message gets out there so these things will not ever happen again to another citizen.

My email address is jnickerson530@gmail.com. Contact me if you want to see court documents, Ranger Reports, affidavits or the Greenberg audio pursuit file emailed back. I welcome any Attorneys or News Media that would assist me in suing the park rangers for my or the Greenberg incidents or to perform an in depth investigation into NPS misconduct. I’ve often wonder why NPS Rangers become Law Enforcement Agents instead of Peace Officers, and by their actions it is my opinion they would probably fail the psych evaluation for real Peace Officer type Agencies.

Thank you for your time…

Comment from Hank
Time April 3, 2012 at 11:35 am

Update? It’s April 4th… what’s the latest on this? Is the victim suing? has the cop been reprimanded?

If anyone knows, please email me directly.

Hank
granjon@sonic.net