Park Ranger Kenneth Carmel Patrick

Kenneth Carmel Patrick

Park Ranger Kenneth Patrick was shot and killed while making a traffic stop at Point Reyes National Seashore, California.

The vehicle that he stopped contained several members of a militant group, known as the Black Panthers. One of the men opened fire on Ranger Patrick with a 9mm handgun as he approached the car, wounding him. Ranger Patrick was wearing a winter coat and was unable to draw his weapon.

The suspects began to drive away but returned, and the shooter shot the wounded Ranger Patrick in the head, killing him. The suspect then stole Ranger Patrick's service revolver, and the group fled.

The suspects were apprehended and convicted of Ranger Patrick's murder. The accomplices were paroled in 2002.

Ranger Patrick had previously served with the Arizona Department of Public Safety before joining the National Park Service. He was survived by his wife and four children.

The Black Panther Party was a black nationalist and Marxist revolutionary political and militant organization active in the United States between 1966 and 1982. 

Members and former members of the group were responsible for the murders of over 20 law enforcement officers and the wounding of dozens more across the nation.

Please click here to visit all the law enforcement officers who have died as a result of the Black Panther Party's violent activism.