The National Park Service is investigating after an officer used a stun gun against a Native American accused of venturing into enclosed territory at a sacred archaeological site in New Mexico.
Images from the body camera released by police from the park of the incident, which occurred on Sunday at the Petroglyph National Monument, show the policeman stopping a man and a woman walking a dog and notifying them that they have ventured off the trail, asking them to stay in the fenced area to protect the surrounding vegetation.
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The police officer can be heard telling the pair, identified by NBC News as Darrell House and his sister, that he was simply “warning” and that the incident “was no big deal”.
House refused to obey the police, instead he left the scene, even when the officer said he “was not free to go”.
The officer then asked for their identification, and both provided false names and birth dates after House initially refused to identify himself completely, park officials said.
On camera, the unidentified police officer can be heard telling House, as he continues to walk away, to stop walking and put his dog on the floor or he will receive a shock.
After he doesn’t obey, House starts shouting “Help!” before the officer reaches you.
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“Before the officer used his electronic control device, or Taser, the officer tried to resolve the interaction with an educational contact and a simple warning,” Park Services said in a statement.
He added that the Chamber received citations for being in a closed area off the runway, providing false information and breaching legal order. Her sister received quotes for providing false information and being in an enclosed and off-track area.
The incident is being investigated by the NPS Office of Professional Responsibility, an internal affairs unit.
House told NBC News that he was venturing off the monument trail to offer prayers and meditate in honor of the land and its ancestors, who are Oneida and Navajo.
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The Petroglyph National Monument contains more than 20,000 cave paintings or rock engravings, several archaeological sites and traces of native habitats. Dozens of tribes in the area consider Petroglyph a sacred place and visit it to connect with their ancestors, for prayers and ceremonies, the park said.