Two Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control Park Rangers were involved in a shooting incident this afternoon that resulted in the fatality of an individual wanted for first degree robbery and possession of a deadly weapon.

One of the two park rangers was shot and is receiving treatment at Christiana Hospital; the injury is not life threatening. The incident took place on the north side of the C& D Canal on a roadway to the canal in the community of St. Georges.

A park ranger with six years of service came upon an individual in close proximity to a car stopped in the middle of the road. The ranger asked the individual for identification and discovered after running a license/tag check that the individual was wanted for the armed robbery charge on a warrant issued out of Newark, Del. on March 23, 2006.

The park ranger asked the individual to stand next to the vehicle and called for and received a backup unit. Shortly after arrival of the backup unit driven by a 24-year veteran ranger, the suspect individual reached into his vehicle and pulled out a roll of clothing that held a gun. The individual began firing at the park rangers, shattering the windows of both vehicles and injuring one ranger. The rangers returned fire and struck the individual, who was later pronounced dead.

Both park rangers were traveling with an unarmed seasonal patrol officer. The park rangers were put on administrative leave with pay – a normal procedure during investigations – and their guns used in the incident will be replaced with alternate guns.

“Our two park rangers acted as true professionals,” said DNREC Secretary John A. Hughes, “and it is unfortunate that they were forced to protect themselves and return fire. I fully support their actions."

DNREC is conducting a joint investigation with the Delaware State Police.