Law enforcement officials arrested a Colorado state park ranger Thursday and accused him of stabbing himself and staging it to look like he was the victim of an attack.
The accused Staunton State Park seasonal ranger, Callum Heskett, 26, called for help at about 9:30 a.m. local time Tuesday, claiming that someone attacked him, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office said in a release.
First responders airlifted Mr. Heskett for treatment and the sheriff’s office initiated a manhunt and a temporary lockdown. As the investigation continued, law enforcement found inconsistencies in the ranger’s statements. Evidence they uncovered led the sheriff’s office to conclude that the incident was an “elaborate hoax.”
Prior to the incident, Mr. Heskett searched online for information about abdominal injuries and also looked at a Reddit page titled “$1mil for each time you get stabbed,” according to court documents cited by the Denver Post.
Mr. Heskett was still hospitalized as of Thursday. The sheriff’s office said he faces felony charges of attempting to influence a public servant and tampering with evidence, misdemeanor charges of reckless endangerment, false reporting to authorities and obstructing government operations.
He is also charged with second-degree official misconduct as a public official, the sheriff’s office said.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife said in a statement that “CPW appreciates the county sheriff’s professionalism and partnership in investigating this incident and will share additional information as this matter develops.”
