Man Who Threatened To Kill Bus Passengers Sentenced In Court

On the morning of May 21st, park dispatch received a report that a man was threatening to execute passengers on a concession tour bus at the Wilderness Access Center (WAC). The WAC is the park hub for tour and shuttle buses and was experiencing a high volume of vehicle and pedestrian traffic at the time. Ranger Michael O'Connor was first on scene and found a full tour bus parked there with many of the passengers moving about the bus rapidly. The bus driver told O'Connor that the man had run off the bus toward the entrance to the WAC. O'Connor contacted the man, subsequently identified as Mauricio Chiessi, who he found sitting on a bench and immediately arrested him. Chiessi continued threatening to kill people around him and said that the only way to stop him was for police to kill him. While being searched by ranger Scott Pariseau, Chiessi became combative. Pariseau and O'Connor were able to control him by using knee strikes and control techniques. The whole episode was witnessed by hundreds of rather astonished park visitors. Chiessi was charged with disorderly conduct and threatening federal officers. He remained in federal custody until his scheduled trial on July 23rd. Chiessi pled guilty; he was credited with time served, placed on six months of supervised probation, and ordered to undergo a mental health evaluation.