Disturbing Video: Native American Tased by Fed After Walking Off-Trail in National Park
A Native American man was tased by a park ranger several times while walking off-trail at the Petroglyph National Monument in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
The viral video clips show Darrell House in a confrontation with a National Park Service ranger last Sunday while accompanied by his sister and dog, according to the Daily Caller.
House initially refused to I.D. himself when the officer approached him, which quickly led to the escalated situation where the officer repeatedly used a stun gun to get House to follow orders.
“So that would be refusing a lawful order, understand that, and then you’ll be detained until I can I.D. you,” the officer, who has yet to be identified, said.
House told NBC News “I didn’t see a reason to give my identification. I don’t need to tell people why I’m coming there to pray and give things in honor to the land. I don’t need permission or consent,” House said. “And I don’t think he liked that very much.”
— Gadi Schwartz (@GadiNBC) December 30, 2020
After the initial incident, the clips show House refusing to put his hands behind his back and him and his sister shouting for help.
Pt. 2 of video showing NPS officer tasing a man in Albuquerque. The Native American man, Randall House, says he has a religious right to pray to his ancestors on the sacred land among the petroglyphs. pic.twitter.com/KqlMh5qNLl
— Gadi Schwartz (@GadiNBC) December 30, 2020
House explained the reasoning behind his original refusal not to identify himself.
“I didn’t see a reason to give my identification. I don’t need to tell people why I’m coming there to pray and give things in honor to the land. I don’t need permission or consent,” House, who is Navajo and Oneida, told NBC News. “And I don’t think he liked that very much.”
“House said he tased several times and ticketed for three citations: interfering with agency function and resisting, being off trail and giving false identity information. He says he will be hiring a lawyer,” NBC’s Gadi Schwartz tweeted.
House said he tased several times and ticketed for three citations: interfering with agency function and resisting, being off trail and giving false identity information. He says he will be hiring a lawyer.
— Gadi Schwartz (@GadiNBC) December 30, 2020
The National Park Service has posted the body camera footage to their website and released a statement on the incident.
The National Park Service says in the interest of transparency, they have released body cam footage of the full interaction. That video is linked below. https://t.co/YrvT1CCtib
— Gadi Schwartz (@GadiNBC) December 30, 2020
This situation seems incredibly awful, and there was no winner here.
Although it seems that House was being defiant, the confrontation should have never gotten that intense.
Based on the clips, it was clear that House was a Native American on tribal land, and the officer should have respected that. He also was not putting anybody or anything in danger, making the ranger’s response seem even more excessive.
House is correct to take legal action for his treatment, so he can receive justice, whatever that may be.
Hopefully, the aftermath of this event will result in reforms coming from the National Park Service on how to better handle situations involving people going off-trail, especially with Native Americans going onto tribal lands claiming religious reasons.
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