Tim Wild, an employee at Jordan Pond House in Acadia National Park, holds an ice bag to his injured face in August, when he claimed he was assaulted by a ranger while hiking in the park. Federal attorneys have decided not to pursue criminal charges against Wild, who was charged with disorderly conduct and interfering with agency functions in connection with the incident. Buy Photo
ACADIA NATIONAL PARK, Maine — Federal attorneys have decided not to pursue criminal charges against a man who claims he was assaulted by a park ranger, according to people involved in the case.
Tim Wild, 31, of Seal Harbor claims he was knocked unconscious and had four bones in his face broken by a park ranger when he and friends were at the summit of Day Mountain in the early morning hours of Aug. 18. Wild was one of about 45 people, many of them co-workers of Wild’s at the Jordan Pond House restaurant, who had hiked to the top of the mountain as part of an annual tradition by restaurant employees.
Wild claims he was assaulted by one of two rangers who appeared at the mountain summit and detained the group. Wild said that after he had been handcuffed and then verbally objected to the way a ranger was physically treating one of his female co-workers, the ranger threw him face first to the ground.
Wild was charged with disorderly conduct and interfering with agency functions. Katherine Junkert, the co-worker whom Wild said had been given rough treatment, was charged with disorderly conduct, failure to obey a lawful order and being under the influence of alcohol in the park.
This week, the charges were dropped, according to Wild and to his attorney, Jon Holder of Bar Harbor. Holder faxed a copy of a motion to dismiss the charges against Wild, signed Oct. 7 by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel B. Casey, to the Bangor Daily News on Friday afternoon.
“The reason for this motion is that further prosecution of this matter is not in the best interest of the government,” reads the motion to dismiss.
Attempts on Friday to contact prosecutors in the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Casey and U.S. Attorney Paula Silbsy, were unsuccessful.
“The [charges against both] are being dismissed,” Holder said Friday. “The behavior of the rangers was pretty poor. I don’t know why [the ranger who forced Wild to the ground] is not being charged with assault.”
Wild, contacted at the Jordan Pond House on Friday, said he was “very excited” when he found out this week the charges were being dropped.
“I’m pretty close to being fully recovered,” Wild said of his injuries. “I don’t have to have reconstructive surgery on my face, which is great.”
Park officials have said they went to Day Mountain after receiving noise complaints from people in Seal Harbor, where the group began the hike around 11 p.m. Rangers subsequently issued several citations to members of the hiking group related to underage drinking and possession of marijuana.
According to information posted on Acadia National Park’s Web site, people 21 years or older are allowed to possess and consume alcohol in most areas of the park, including Day Mountain. Being intoxicated in the park is illegal.
People who were on the hike have said that, though some of them may have been drinking underage or smoking marijuana, the event was more of a hike than a party and that the rude and rough treatment they received from rangers was unwarranted.
National Park Service officials have declined to comment further on the incident because it is under internal investigation by the agency.
Jill Hawk, the NPS regional chief ranger who is supervising the investigation, said Friday she had heard that the charges against Wild and Junkert were being dismissed but that she had not spoken to anyone with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Maine about it. She said any questions about why the charges were being dropped would have to be answered by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Hawk said the internal investigation is continuing and likely will take “awhile” before it is completed. More than 40 witnesses have to be interviewed, she said, and there likely will be more than 1,000 pages of material to sort through.
According to Hawk, Rangers Jim Lyon and Kevin Donnell have been on administrative duty since the incident. They will remain on administrative duty and will not return to their regular law enforcement duties pending the outcome of the NPS investigation, she said.
Wild, a waiter at the Jordan Pond House, said he still plans to take legal action against the National Park Service over the incident. His medical bills total between $4,000 and $5,000, he said, and he lost about $1,000 in income when his injuries caused him to miss a week of work.
Wild said having the charges dismissed, for him, reaffirms his decision to verbally object to the way he and his co-workers were being treated on Day Mountain.
“In one level or another, justice is being served,” Wild said. “Standing up for what’s right is always a good thing to do.”
On 10/11/08 at 5:11 AM,
karlajs wrote:
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wild should have brought charges of assault against the rangers
On 10/11/08 at 7:44 AM,
bassman4447 wrote:
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They dropped the charges because they new the rangers were wrong. And they could not make a buck......
On 10/11/08 at 10:28 AM,
pcme2000 wrote:
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The charges should not have been dropped the Ranger was doing his job! Wild was drunk and got mouthy! he was in the wrong.
On 10/11/08 at 11:00 AM,
cmcguire05 wrote:
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One weeks pay for a waiter was $1000??? I'm in the wrong profession. Next time someone handcuffs you, dont resist. Problem solved. Hopefully this guy learned a lesson and stops hanging out with underage stoners and boozers. “Standing up for what’s right is always a good thing to do.” What a hypocrit.
On 10/11/08 at 11:01 AM,
FrankfromBrewer wrote:
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I think we pretty much knew that. Good PR
On 10/11/08 at 1:15 PM,
RichardS wrote:
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I'm sure Wild didn't learn a lesson from his drunkeness.
On 10/11/08 at 11:10 PM,
bassman4447 wrote:
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sure blame the poor guy having a good time. not the ranger that bulled and beat up everyone .
On 10/12/08 at 2:17 AM,
Johninphilippines wrote:
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Apparently there were mitigating circumstances that balanced the charges against "Wild Man" and Junkert and the Park Ranger's actions the night of the contact. There was a default in the drug and alcohol testing, and apparently there were no certified technicians on duty or no test equipment available at the medical facility...or both...to warrant the evidence of alcohol consumption and alcohol levels, or drug intake on "Wild Man". Preponderance of the evidence on both parts, the plaintiffs and the defense, cancelled each other out, as Wild could have spent jail term (and could not support his family otherwise) and the US Government did not want to pursue the case with this and other evidence against them and the publicity it created already, and the costing of the continuing hearings. I hope that in the future, screwballs such as "Wild Man", learn their lessons when requsted by a police officer to cease and desist, show identification and quietly comply; and that the Park Ranger, too, being reprimanded for using excessive force.
On 10/12/08 at 7:29 AM,
Mainefriend wrote:
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These idiots should not be considered Rangers!!! They lost their cool and should be terminated from all state funded positions for life!!! Pushing your position around is most of the problems in todays society. Big Egos! Fat Heads! and PRIDE is what caused these past law enforcment officials to loose it. They simply cannot practice law enforcment any longer!
On 10/12/08 at 12:29 PM,
JoeCentral wrote:
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Just another example of the authoritarian police state encroaching our society, and the US Attorney covering up for Ranger Thugs who think they're on COPS. So much for Freedom; stop and behave - "We're from the Government and we're here to help smash your face in because we have a badge and we can. We're Park Rangers, and we live for this."
On 10/12/08 at 12:29 PM,
LawDisOrder wrote:
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Why don't we wait and see what the the IA investigation shows before we jump to conclusions. Seems that two Rangers trying to deal with 45 intoxicated people, some under age, some having and using drugs on a mountain top in the middle of the night might cause some problems. How many of us would want to be in their place? I am sure that when alcohol and drugs are added into the mix everyone was not on there best behavior. One post stated there was problems with the blood/alcohol testing. If evidence is not usable then the charges would have to be dropped. And FYI Acadia Park Rangers are federal law enforcement officers not state officers and even Rangers are considered innocent until proven guilty.
On 10/12/08 at 8:10 PM,
Johninphilippines wrote:
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Gestapo....anyone?
On 10/13/08 at 8:33 AM,
anonon wrote:
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I don't care what anybody says ,It was wrong for the ranger to do what he did, and all of you people whineing that the rangers were dealing with a bunch of out of control drunks and druggies, WERE YOU THERE ? DID YOU SEE THE SHAPE THEY WERE IN? If it was one of your kids that these rangers assulted I'm damn sure that you would be the first person cutting these rangers down. Maybe next time you will be getting a call from your daughter or son that will say that they were bruitilized by the rangers. All of you are idiots to think that anybody who is in law enforcement government/State or otherwise can use bruital force like this ranger did when it wasn't warrented. If Wild and the others had started attacking the ranger,then I would say go right to town and beat them, but all they were is being mouthy,what did the rangers feelings get hurt?
I hope that Wild gets justice and that the ranger in question loses his job, being in law enforcement you have to have control, and maintain your cool with allot of situation and Dudly did not.
On 10/13/08 at 8:35 AM,
bassman4447 wrote:
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ditto anonon
On 10/16/08 at 9:47 AM,
tightlines wrote:
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Noone of us is capable of being totally objective about anything, as we are products of our past. If the BDN checks I think they will find that the writer of this article once worked at the Jordan Pond House. Responsible journalism would make this disclosure because it increases the writers predilection for bias regarding this incident.
On 10/18/08 at 8:53 AM,
cmcguire05 wrote:
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Fact: National Park Rangers are the most assualted law enforcement agents in the country. Question: Would this even be a discussion if "Mr. I hangout with intoxicated minors while I should be resting for my $1000 a week waitoring job so I can support my family whom I am neglecting right now" resisited arrest on a State Trooper? He's lucky he didnt get tazed and maced for showing off to his high school friends who unfortunately probably think he's cool.
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