Recently, Brian Elliot, 37, was accused of confronting visitors at a local park with a bow and arrow, all while pretending to be a Park Ranger. Elliot is being charged with menacing and impersonating a park ranger.
One of those confronted by Elliot was Meghan Simpson, who stated that he kept screaming and cursing to keep them away from the archery station.
“It seems like he thinks he owns the archery,” Simpson said.
Brian Elliot is accused of confronting three visitors at E.P. Tom Sawyer Park in the month of June and another three visitors early in November. Both times, Elliot accosted visitors by the archery range.
“The first time he had a bow and arrow and actually shot it, and I think the second time he had a bow in his hand,” State Park Ranger Gill Lawson said.
Simpson stated that Elliot became very aggressive towards her and her group while they were trying to use the archery range. When Simpson and her party asked for the “park rangers” badge, he refused.
“He wouldn’t walk up to us. He just kept screaming at us and he yelled, like, ‘Bows and arrows cause death.’ We said, ‘Okay we are just going to go a different way then,’” Simpson said.
People who were actually employed by E.P. Tom Sawyer Park reported that Elliot was a familiar face by the archery range, but did not know him by name.
“We don’t know of any case in recent years where someone has impersonated a park ranger here,” Lawson said.
“The park is supposed to be nice and serene. So when people are yelling at you and essentially threatening you and has a deadly weapon doesn’t make you want to be there,” Simpson said.
Elliot and his lawyer pleaded not guilty to the two counts of impersonating a park ranger and three counts of menacing.
State Park rangers reported that out of the six guests that were threatened by Elliot, three were able to positively identify him from the photo pack.