News Release

Man sentenced for DUI, assault, and other violations in Grand Canyon National Park

Nathan D. Goodman, age 36, was recently sentenced to imprisonment and supervised probation for DUI, assault, and other violations in Grand Canyon National Park.

NPS photo of a limestone cliff along the rim of the Grand Canyon.

News Release Date: September 22, 2017

Contact: NPS Investigative Services Branch, 202-379-4761

After pleading guilty to several charges, a man was sentenced to imprisonment and supervised probation during a recent court hearing. Nathan D. Goodman, age 36, is also banned from Grand Canyon National Park. 

Goodman was contacted by US Park Rangers on the night of August 16, 2017. Court documents detail that Goodman showed several signs of impaired driving, including weaving, driving at erratic speeds, nearly striking a stationary object, and failing to yield to an emergency vehicle. 

Officers observed a significant amount of blood on Goodman’s clothing and detected a strong odor of alcohol. When tested, Goodman’s blood-alcohol content was 0.215, well above the legal limit. Though Goodman, a convicted felon, is prohibited from possessing weapons, he had several on his person at the time of the incident. Additionally, Goodman did not have a valid driver’s license and the vehicle he was operating had invalid registration. Due to the volume and severity of offenses, rangers requested assistance from Investigative Services Branch (ISB) Special Agents.

The next morning, park Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel were called out by the victim of an assault. Rangers were able to identify Goodman as the assailant, who had inflicted blunt-force trauma on the victim and destroyed property in the victim’s home. ISB Special Agents were asked to take the lead on the assault investigation. 

Goodman was sentenced to six months in jail for DUI and driving without a license, followed by four years of supervised probation for assault and possession of methamphetamines. Goodman may not contact the victim, enter Grand Canyon National Park, or possess weapons. He must also pay restitution and seek mental health counseling. 

The US Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona thanked the US Park Rangers and ISB Special Agents who worked on this case.  “From the great instincts [of the officers] on scene to the fast response [and] follow-up work to determine the extent of the victim’s injuries, it was a team effort.”

 

ISB: the Investigative Services Branch of the National Park Service
www.nps.gov/ISB