At a campsite north of Alaska's largest city, a 21-year-old Anchorage man allegedly caused such a violent disturbance that his friends and others hogtied him to prevent anybody getting hurt.
It all went down late Aug. 11 or early Aug. 12 at Red Shirt Lake in Willow, north of Anchorage and up the highway from Wasilla. According to Alaska State Troopers spokeswoman Megan Peters, the story goes like this:
A group of hikers, we'll call them Group B, had headed out on the Red Shirt Lake Trail, in the Nancy Lake area of Willow. As Group B approached its intended destination -- a campsite near the lake -- they were surprised to find another group, which we'll call Group A, already occupying the spot.
Groups A and B, previously unknown to each other, struck up a quick friendship and soon merged. Some folks were drinking and the vibes were good. That is until Aaron Chambliss, 21 and of Group B, became "erratic," Peters said.
Chambliss started creeping out fellow campers of both groups when he spontaneously "ran off into the woods" and began "digging in the dirt," Peters said.
When Chambliss returned to the campsite, he "attempted to tackle" a guy from Group A, who deflected the advance without incident, Peters said. However, an inconsolable Chambliss then allegedly went after the guy's female partner as she protected their small child, according to troopers.
At this point, both groups allegedly decided Chambliss needed to be subdued. Some members of the groups restrained Chambliss and hogtied him with "ropes and Zip-Ties," called troopers, and then turned in for the night, according to a trooper report.
We're not sure how long Chambliss was left in this position, or if the act was performed humanely; just think of all the mosquitoes. But we do know the troopers didn't get to him until 4 a.m. Aug. 12.
Troopers escorted Chambliss off the trail and into a jail cell. He has been charged with two counts of fourth-degree assault.
Contact Katie Medred at katie(at)alaskadispatch.com