Publicola

An Arizona man is being prosecuted for attempting to protect his property from thieves.

The Arizona man owns a ranch. On that ranch he has a pond that he uses for irrigation & to water his cattle. Last year the feds took water from the pond to fight wildfires. The man sent them a bill for the water they took. The Feds have not paid it.

So when a U.S. Forest Service helicopter descended over the same pond to take more water, the Arizona man shot at the water bucket the helicopter was attempting to use to steal his water.

He's being charged with "interfering with the performance of federal officers or contractors".

He could receive up to a year in jail for protecting his property.

No, i don't think the man over reated. He sought compensation for water previously taken & when reimbursement was refused he informed them that they could not take any more water from him. They were no different than non-government affiliated agents who attempt to take property without prior consent or any compensation.

Yes, there was a wildfire. Yes there was a need for water. But the Feds should have thought about that when they threw his bill into the trash can.

But "an attack upon the Kings' soldiers is an attack upon the King" so I suspect that this man will be punished. Wrongly so, but unless he gets a jury who understands the concept of jury nullification then things won't be looking good for him.