Park ranger Steve Pederson chokes a local business owner Justin Ebel during a 2022 encounter

Nearly nine months since first filing its request, the Timberjay has received body camera videos of the arrest and tasing of Ash River business owner Justin Ebel from the National Park Service.

The two videos, from cameras worn by Rangers Steve Pederson and Ryan Houghton, show the incident unfolding from what appears to be their initial contact with Ebel through the point at which Pederson boarded Ebel’s boat and attempted to detain and subdue him. Pederson’s camera apparently stopped operating after he began grappling with Ebel.

Houghton’s camera operated continuously through the incident, showing Pederson struggling with Ebel in the cabin of Ebel’s boat before wrestling him down to the deck. Taser barbs can be seen projecting from Ebel’s left and right thighs after Houghton fires his taser twice, and the video shows a handcuffed Ebel lifted to a seated position on a toolbox, where he remains in conversation with Houghton until the end of the clip.

The incident was precipitated after an elderly couple, piloting a houseboat they had rented from Ebel, ran aground on rocks near the Ash River Visitor Center. They contacted Ebel shortly after running aground, and he was responding to assist his clients.

The two rangers watched from a distance as Ebel checked out the boat, freed it from the rocks, and set off for safe harbor in Sullivan Bay, away from high winds and choppy waters. Approaching the houseboat once it was in open waters appears to have been a deliberate choice by the rangers. Given that the rangers had previously spoken with the couple operating the houseboat, prior to Ebel’s arrival to assist, it is unclear why they found it so urgent to talk to them a second time.

According to Houghton’s report, released along with the videos, “Based on information from other federal officers and local DNR, (redacted, but clearly referencing Ebel) has been known to have a temper and be aggressive towards law enforcement. (Pederson) had even stated; to give him space and time to leave the area before contacting the houseboat, attempting to minimize contact with (Ebel).”
Once freed, Ebel had directed his clients to pilot the houseboat to the protected waters of Sullivan Bay, where he would conduct further inspection of the craft.

Yet, as the houseboat was making its way to Sullivan Bay, and nearing a narrow that separates the bay from the main body of Lake Kabetogama, the rangers decided to initiate a second contact with the operators of the craft and instructed the elderly couple to pilot further out onto Kabetogama where they could talk. After a radio conversation with Ebel, the couple resumed their original course toward Sullivan Bay. The rangers encountered Ebel after he had circled back to the scene from the narrows.

While the sound is distorted in places by the wind and by the parties talking over each other, the videos clearly illustrate the gist of the conflict between Ebel and the rangers. Ebel was intent on getting his customers to safe harbor first, and told the rangers they would be free to board the boat and speak to his clients once that was accomplished.

The rangers insisted that they talk with the houseboat owners before they proceeded to Sullivan Bay, although it is unclear why that was a priority for them. As the argument continued, Ebel refused numerous commands telling him to stop his boat, eventually leading to the rangers’ decision to board it and detain Ebel for interfering with a law enforcement activity.

Along with the two videos, NPS provided about 100 pages of documentation that includes reports written by both rangers directly involved in the incident and a third who tended to Ebel’s taser wounds when they came ashore.