A Capitol Reef National Park Ranger was allegedly shoved during a fight between two men having a dispute over parking near North Main Street.
Ranger Cameron M. Balazic was one of three bystanders who allegedly broke up a fight in front of a food truck on Thursday, July 19.
The Moab City Police Department was dispatched to the scene at approximately 2:30 p.m. A reporting party told the responding police officer that one of the men involved in the fight had fled in a green Chevy truck.
The other man involved in the altercation was still at the scene and told the officer that he had pulled to the side of the road to drop off his wife so that she could place an order at the food truck while he parked.
Reports said the driver of the green Chevy truck allegedly pulled in front of the man, blocked his vehicle and then walked up to him and began to yell about where he was parked, reportedly yelling, “This is my town, get out of my [expletive] turning lane.”
The victim said he agreed to move his truck, but said that the man allegedly started to push him. The victim said he pushed the man back and blocked his “attack,” reports said.
Three bystanders allegedly put themselves between the two men. Ranger Balazic reportedly faced the driver of the green Chevy truck because “he was the primary aggressor,” reports said.
Balazic said he told the man that he was a law enforcement officer and instructed him to sit down until police could arrive because he was being detained. The man allegedly responded with an expletive statement, shoved Ranger Balazic and got into his truck and fled the scene.
Witnesses gave the man’s license plate number to the police officer, who drove to the man’s house and waited for him to arrive.
When he arrived, the man allegedly told the officer that he had pulled over in his green Chevy truck to tell the other driver that he could not park there, and said they “got into a shoving match and some people broke them up and he drove away,” reports said.
The officer asked the man if one of those bystanders had identified himself as a law enforcement officer. The man said yes, but said since the man was dressed casually, he allegedly didn’t believe that the bystander was an off-duty law enforcement officer, reports said.
Police arrested the man for assault on a peace officer and simple assault, each a misdemeanor charge, and transported the man to the Grand County Jail.
The victim in the alleged fight told the police officer that “the most disturbing thing” was that his children were still in his vehicle and were disturbed from witnessing the altercation, according to reports.
Off-duty Capitol Reef National Park Ranger reportedly intervenes during fight
