‘Marshal’ claims he took Yellowstone heavy wrecker to get to ‘headquarters’

CASPER (WNE) — Yellowstone National Park rangers arrested a Virginia man Saturday after he allegedly stole a heavy wrecker while intoxicated and told rangers he was a federal agent on a mission.

The incident began just before 5 p.m., Saturday, when Alan Bowling, born in 1967, attempted to buy a beer at the Old Faithful Upper General Store and had his credit card declined. He then “left the general store, got into the heavy wrecker without permission of [the park] and drove the wrecker away,” according to an affidavit.

Rangers received a report of the stolen red, heavy wrecker about five minutes after Bowling’s card was declined. But they didn’t have to chase him down.  The wrecker was heading toward them. After driving through a large wooden fence, the wrecker cruised through a field, past Old Faithful, near a ranger station and a helipad.

Rangers detained Bowling following a short chase on foot.

Bowling initially identified himself as “Nathan Patterson, undisclosed United States Marshal,” and told rangers that he needed the wrecker to “get to the United States Marshal’s headquarters.”

A police report also stated that Bowling had an odor of alcohol about his person.

Bowling faces charges of operating a vehicle while under the influence; interfering with a government employee engaged in official duty; destroying government property; creating or maintaining a hazardous offensive condition; operating a vehicle in a prohibited area; disobeying a rule of a court of the United States; driving a vehicle with disregard for the safety of people or property, and unlawfully exercising possession over the property of another with the purpose to depriving the owner of the property.

This story was published on August 16, 2024.