Park Ranger Pulls Woman Over for Driving Slow, Arrests Her for Trying to Film the Stop

Utah Park Ranger Pulls Woman Over for Driving Slow, Arrests Her for Trying to Film the Stop


Reason.com
Mike Riggs, July 19, 2011


Utah Park Ranger Steven Powers marked the 4th of July by pulling a woman over for driving too slowly, then yanking her out of her car and slapping on cuffs when the woman insisted on filming the stop with her phone.

Maybe its just me, but when I think of a Park Ranger, I think of someone who goes around making sure people are careful with their campfires, acting as a tour guide at national monuments, and going after Yogi and Boo Boo for stealing picnic baskets. Not keeping a 50 year old woman in handcuffs for an hour and a half.

From Reason TV:

 

Hope she gets a good lawyer. At 50 a supplemental retirement fund never hurts.

 

Carlos Miller at pixiq.com also did a writeup on this event:

http://www.pixiq.com/article/Park Ranger Arrests Woman For Attempting To Record Traffic Stop​

Carlos Miller has also posted a PDF of her entire report from her Facebook page:

http://www.pixiq.com/sites/default/files/celia_sullivans_account_of_her_arrest_0.​

There are many more details in the PDF. These are the names of the three park rangers & supervisor who participated in detaining & harassing her:

(PRSP) = Park Ranger Steven Powers, Capitol Reef National Park​

(PRBZ) = Park Ranger Brenda Zirwas, Capitol Reef National Park​

(WCDSSB) = Wayne County Deputy Sheriff Scott Brown​

(PRMZ) = Park Ranger Mike Zirwas, Capitol Reef National Park​

Note: Scott Brown is not a Wayne County Deputy -- he is listed on Capitol Reef staff rosters as the supervisor of Mike & Brenda Zirwas. The NPS directory lists him as a "Chief Ranger" for Capitol Reef NP.

It's always good to post this stuff around the internet with links to the stories. Eventually, after they've screwed over enough people, Google searches will start helping victims & their attorneys piece the real picture together.

More info ...

Chief Ranger Scott Brown​

Scott Brown​

CHIEF RANGER​

435-425-3791x4130 / Scott_Brown@nps.gov CAPITOL REEF NP

Park Ranger Steven Powers​

myspace page: http://www.myspace.com/steven_powers​

Steven Powers​

U.S. PARK RANGER-LAW ENFORCEMENT​

619 523-4576 / Steven_Powers@nps.gov

CABRILLO NM​

Park Ranger Brenda Zirwas:​

Brenda Zirwas​

U.S. PARK RANGER ​

435 425 3791 Ext 4131 / Brenda_Zirwas@nps.gov CAPITOL REEF NP

Park Ranger Michael Zirwas:​

Mike Zirwas​

U.S. PARK RANGER​

(435)425-4132 / Mike_Zirwas@nps.gov CAPITOL REEF NP

MyLife.com has records for Brenda Bentley Zirwas, age 34, and Michael Zirwas, age 42, both of Torrey, UT

From Capitol Reef: Our Staff & Offices (http://www.nps.gov/care/parkmgmt/staffandoffices.htm):

Visitor and Resource Protection​

Scott Brown, Chief of Visitor and Resource Protection​

Mike Zirwas, Park Ranger​

Brenda Zirwas, Park Ranger​

Chad Riggin, Park Ranger​

Vacant, Park Ranger​

The main protagonist -- Park Ranger Steven Powers -- is not listed on their web page. He apparently is based at Cabrillo, NM, rather than at Capitol Reef NP.

 

This is so sad in so many different ways. Used to be the rangers were there to help you keep from either hurting yourself or burning down the forest. Keep it quiet, don't make a bonfire, control the drinking, etc and you would only see a ranger drive by. For any LEO to do this smacks of official oppression and should result in both jail time and a felony conviction barring them from any law enforcement position ever again.

I think the first step should be getting rid of the paramilitary garb a lot of LEOs have adopted and going back to something that accurately reflects what they are doing, not what they wish they were doing. Some attitudes might change.

 

In a way, many of the cops featured in the video sound like TSA A.S.S. on power trips