Campers subdue man acting ‘like an animal’

WILLOW — Court filings detail why a group of campers felt compelled to hog-tie Aaron Chambliss at a remote campground in the early morning hours of Aug. 18.

According to an affidavit Alaska State Trooper Kevin Blanchette wrote based on witness reports, after getting very drunk, Chambliss “began crawling around on his hands and knees ‘like an animal,’ growling at people, ‘like he was possessed by demons’ scratching at the top of the cooler and throwing dirt in the air.”

Campers reported Chambliss started charging them. One of them threatened to kick him in the face if he did it again. Later, he had to make good on that threat.

“(He) kicked Chambliss in the face; Chambliss stood up, laughed and charged toward (the man) and his wife,” Blanchette wrote.

Four people from two different groups of campers at Red Shirt Lake held Chambliss down and secured his hands and feet with rope and zip ties. Blanchette said he was lying face down next to a group of tents when troopers arrived on ATVs borrowed from the Willow Fire Department.

Chambliss was arrested and jailed on assault charges, but has since bailed out.