...1:52 pm Jan 27, 2003
Park ranger cites border civilian patrol leader
Tim Steller
© 2003 Arizona Daily Star
A National Park Service ranger on Sunday cited Chris Simcox, leader of a Cochise County border militia, for carrying a loaded weapon and operating without a permit at Coronado National Memorial.
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 this morning 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. 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 cellphone and his pistol.
Weigand said the charges against Simcox and Dore are misdemeanors.
http://regulus.azstarnet.com/hourlyupdate/pm_story.php?id=7
Park ranger cites border civilian patrol leader
Tim Steller
© 2003 Arizona Daily Star
A National Park Service ranger on Sunday cited Chris Simcox, leader of a Cochise County border militia, for carrying a loaded weapon and operating without a permit at Coronado National Memorial.
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 this morning 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. 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 cellphone and his pistol.
Weigand said the charges against Simcox and Dore are misdemeanors.
http://regulus.azstarnet.com/hourlyupdate/pm_story.php?id=7