CHEYENNE, Wyo. — Oregon resident David Tyler Regnier was convicted by a federal jury on May 21 for assaulting a Yellowstone National Park employee in a construction zone. He was charged with assaulting a federal employee with a dangerous weapon.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, two Yellowstone National Park employees were directing traffic near Canyon Junction on Sept. 18, 2024, where road construction was underway. They noticed a Jeep approaching the intersection and driving the wrong way down the road to bypass waiting traffic.
Regnier, a 67-year-old resident of Bend, Oregon, was driving the jeep. He expressed his displeasure at how traffic was being directed through the construction zone. One employee told Regnier that he could not proceed and needed to back up. The other employee stood in the way of the Jeep with a stop sign. Regnier accelerated, driving into the employee and physically pushing him backward. The employee jumped out of the Jeep’s path after it struck him.
Regnier was later stopped by Yellowstone National Park Service law enforcement officers and arrested.
“Our office will take a strong stance against the frequent acts of violence directed at public servants who are merely doing their jobs to protect the community,” said acting U.S. Attorney Stephanie I. Sprecher.
Sentencing has been set for Aug. 7. Regnier faces up to 20 years in federal prison with three years of supervised release to follow, up to a $250,000 fine and a $100 special assessment.
