Woman Sentenced for Attacking Buffalo River Park Rangers

A Perry County woman has been sentenced in federal court for attacking park rangers at the Buffalo National River.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Arkansas, 30-year-old Kristie Hudson of Bigelow will serve one year and one day in prison followed by two years of supervised release on one count of assaulting, resisting and impeding a federal officer.

Court documents show two United States park rangers with the National Park Service made contact on June 24, 2021, with Hudson, who was involved in an apparent verbal domestic altercation with her partner in the Spring Creek Campground in Searcy County, after a citizen complaint to the officers. Officers reportedly determined Hudson appeared to be under the influence of an unknown substance and had been fighting with her male companion.

Rangers attempted to identify Hudson, who refused to cooperate with the investigation. She allegedly began fighting with the officers and was detained.

Based on the statements of Hudson’s traveling companion and her extreme erratic behavior, officers attempted to take her into custody at which time she began fighting with NPS officers and a Marion County deputy. During the contact and custodial arrest, one of the NPS officers sustained and injury. Hudson was arrested and transported to the Marion County Law Enforcement Center, where she was restrained. She was later taken for medical evaluation and subsequently tried to escape the officers.

Hudson’s sentence was handed down by Judge P.K. Holmes III in the United States District Court in Fort Smith.

(From KTLO)