A Flowery Branch man was released on a $10,500 bond after blowing in a law enforcement officer’s face during an incident at Tallulah Gorge State Park on Easter weekend.
David Christopher Ramzanali, 20, was charged with felony obstruction of an officer, reckless conduct and criminal trespass on a state park for being in a restricted area, according to a Georgia Department of Natural Resources incident report completed by Sgt. Derek Dillard.
Between 2 and 3 p.m. Saturday, April 11, Ramzanali was hiking with another male and three females and had entered a restricted area of the park when Game Warden 1st Class Joe Hill observed them walk down to a rock ledge below Overlook 1, the report states. Because Hill was on foot in another part of the gorge, he called Dillard, who drove to the interpretive center parking lot and walked down the North Rim Trail toward where Hill was seeing the group.
When confronted by Dillard, Ramzanali “knowing and willfully violated the law by leaning forward and blowing in my face to the point where I felt the heat off his breath,” the report states. “Also, due to the social distancing requirements in Gov. Kemp’s executive order, I felt as if my personal health along with the health of my family was hindered and placed into jeopardy by Mr. Ramzanali’s actions.”
Dillard wrote that Ramzanali “kept saying he was sorry and that he was not thinking.”
Once at the interpretive center parking lot, Game Warden First Class Beth Gilbert and Capt. Stan Elrod met Dillard and the group there, the report states.
The Rabun County District Attorney’s Office told Dillard to charge Ramzanali with felony obstruction of an officer since it was unknown whether he had the coronavirus, the report states. Had officers known Ramzanali had the coronavirus, that charge would have been aggravated assault on a peace officer.
Ramzanali was released from the Rabun County Detention Center the following day after posting bond.
