PARKS & ALTERCATION

Native American Man Tased by Park Ranger at Petroglyph Monument Sues

Darrell House says his rights were violated when a park ranger approached him and his sister demanding for his name and then tasering House.

A Native American man is suing the National Park Service, the city of Albuquerque, and a park ranger after he was tasered by a U.S. park ranger on native land at Petroglyph National Monument. In the 2020 incident, captured on body camera footage, a park ranger approached Darrell House and his sister as they walked off the trail. Once the two returned to the trail, the ranger demanded House give his name, which he refused, according to the lawsuit. House then asked for help from other hikers while the ranger asked for backup, eventually tasering House, the lawsuit says. The Park Service cited both House and his sister for going off-trail, refusing to provide identification, and obstruction of law enforcement functions, standing by the ranger’s actions after an internal investigation. The lawsuit asks a jury to decide if House’s rights were violated and ensure compliance with the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993, among other damages.