The Pope County sheriff's office on Monday arrested a man who had chained himself to equipment intended for use in the construction of the Diamond Pipeline.
Police arrested Tyler Vance Hamilton of Hot Springs, who had chained himself to an excavator at an Illinois Bayou drill site, according to a volunteer with the group Arkansas Rising. Only Hamilton and a friend were at the site, and only Hamilton had chained himself to equipment.
Arkansas Rising opposes the pipeline and supports demonstrations against it.
Hamilton will appear before Pope County District Judge Don Bourne Wednesday to face charges of criminal trespass, refusal to assist a law enforcement officer, obstructing governmental operations and second-degree criminal mischief, according to the sheriff's office.
The sheriff's office did not release a full police report to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
The Diamond Pipeline will run from Cushing, Okla., to Valero Energy Corp.'s refinery in Memphis, and it has been opposed by people concerned that the pipeline poses a risk to nearby drinking water and crosses the Trail of Tears.
Metro on 03/21/2017