Cole Blevins, a ranger with the Farmington field office of the Bureau of Land Management, approached a group of young adults drinking alcohol near Pi on Hills Boulevard and Glade Road at 11:30 p.m. Saturday, according to court documents. Blevins told San Juan County Sheriff's Office deputies that Farmington resident Charles Palmer, 21, ignored a command to stop and walked to his truck and got in. Palmer allegedly started the vehicle, and Blevins grabbed onto him from outside, according to court documents. Blevins said he was hanging onto Palmer as Palmer started to drive away. A woman in the car was yelling at Blevins and trying to get him to let go, according to court documents. When Blevins let go, his left leg was run over by the truck, according to court documents. His leg was on soft dirt when it was run over, and he wasn't hurt, according to the documents...
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So the BLM is enforcing drinking laws in town now? Remember that the next time you hear their law enforcement budget is too low. They are too busy approaching "young adults drinking alcohol" rather than protecting federal lands.
And where does BLM get the authority to enforce a state statute? By NM law it could only come from the San Juan County Sheriff.
In many jurisdictions, BLM rangers are "deputized" to enforce state and county laws. Is that the case here? Still, if he was not on BLM land, the ranger should have let things be.
ReplyDeleteWhat sort of court case is referred to in the article?
ReplyDeleteDid Palmer file charges against the BLM guy for assault?