BEND, Ore. — A 67-year-old Bend man has been convicted of assaulting a Yellowstone National Park employee after deliberately striking him with his vehicle during a road construction dispute, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Wyoming announced Friday.

David Tyler Regnier was found guilty by a federal jury on Thursday of assaulting a federal employee, a charge that carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, up to a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release. Sentencing is scheduled for August 7.

The incident occurred on September 18, 2024, near Canyon Junction in Yellowstone National Park, where road construction had led to significant traffic backups. According to prosecutors, Regnier attempted to bypass the traffic by driving the wrong way. When confronted by two National Park Service employees who were directing vehicles, Regnier became combative.

One of the employees instructed him to back up, while the second stood in front of the Jeep holding a stop sign. Prosecutors say that Regnier then accelerated, striking the employee and pushing him backward. The employee managed to avoid serious injury by jumping out of the way.

Regnier was stopped and arrested shortly after the incident by Yellowstone National Park law enforcement.

In a statement, Acting U.S. Attorney Stephanie I. Sprecher condemned the assault, emphasizing the importance of protecting public employees from violence.

“Our office will take a strong stance against the frequent acts of violence directed at public servants who are merely doing their jobs to protect the community,” Sprecher said.

The name of the injured employee has not been released, and no major injuries were reported.

The case was prosecuted in federal court due to the incident occurring on federal land within the national park system.

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