Brent Douglas Cole, the man accused of shooting a Bureau of Land Management ranger and a California Highway Patrol officer earlier this month in a national forest, was allegedly camping illegally on federal land when the confrontation occurred.
The Sacramento Bee reported Saturday that the BLM ranger and the highway patrol officer, who were both wounded, had been investigating Cole’s campground when the gunfire erupted. Cole, who was also shot in the incident, is facing charges of attempted murder, according to the Bee.
The law enforcement officers were attempting to tow motorcycles from Cole’s campsite immediately preceding the shootout, according to the Bee.
As TPM previously reported, Cole has been linked to the “sovereign citizens” movement, which views the federal government as an illegitimate conspiracy.
