Arizona man accused of terrorizing kayakers on waterway near Wikieup

An Arizona man is accused of terrorizing four kayakers in northwest Arizona in a case that evokes scenes from the movie “Deliverance.”

Danny Button, 60, faces charges of attempted murder, aggravated assault, unlawful imprisonment, kidnapping, endangerment and disorderly conduct for allegedly shooting at the kayakers on Feb. 4 on Burro Creek, near Wikieup.

River guide Patrick Phillips testified in an evidentiary hearing Wednesday that he and three other kayakers from Flagstaff were fired upon from the shoreline at mid-afternoon, shortly after they had left the Bureau of Land Management-administered Burro Creek campground.

After hearing a shot, they saw an elderly man emerge from the bushes and walk toward the water while continuing to fire at lead kayaker Tyler Williams, 47, an outdoor writer, with a handgun.

“I couldn’t believe my eyes, and I started yelling for him to stop,” Phillips testified.

He said they were in disbelief as the man, later identified as Button, fired four more rounds from a long-barrel, nickel-plated .44 magnum handgun while they were “sitting ducks” on the water.

“The man again walked closer, took very careful aim, using both hands on his revolver and pulled the trigger again,” Phillips said. “That’s when Tyler flipped over in the river and was upside down under his kayak.”

Phillips said Williams rolled his kayak, popped upright and paddled away, finding cover downstream. Phillips said Button then ordered him and his companions Eric Meudt, 50, and John Govi, 51, both nurses, out of their kayaks while holding them at gunpoint.

The kayakers told Mohave County sheriff’s deputies that Button claimed they had trespassed on private property and ordered them to return upstream to the campground. Phillips testified that Button appeared upset that Williams had gotten away.

He said Button held them for about 10 minutes, then ordered them to return to the campground.

Phillips said they did so and then phoned police. Williams camped out overnight, and authorities found him the next day. None of the kayakers were injured.

Deputy Kyle Bridgman testified that Button was arrested late that evening after telling officers that the kayakers had trespassed on his property. He said that he’d been target shooting and that some of his shots might have come close to the kayakers.

Bridgman said the sheriff’s office had received a late January complaint from other kayakers who claimed they had encountered gunfire in the same area.

Two other men told the sheriff’s office they loaded their raft and went home Jan. 22 after Button told them they might get shot at. Deputy County Attorney James Schoppmann said the law-abiding water recreation enthusiasts should have been left alone.

The incident with the kayakers was not Button’s first run-in with authorities. Carrie Wostal, a BLM ranger, testified that a number of Burro Creek campers complained in May that Button had misrepresented himself as the campground host. She said he collected camping fees and made logs noting license plates and camping space assignments.

Complaint letters from the campers referred to the man as “creepy” and “strange.”

Wostal testified that Button surrendered his campground logs and $712 in camping fees when contacted by the BLM about the complaints. She said agency officials decided not to prosecute but sent him a cease-and-desist letter noting that it is a felony to impersonate an officer or falsely claim to represent the agency.

Testimony at Wednesday’s hearing revealed that Button had lived for more than 30 years on the nearby ranch owned by his mother-in-law, Mildred Schipp. Button’s wife, Joyce, testified that her husband had never harmed anybody and that she did not consider him a threat.

But her sister, Ruthie Schipp, countered that her mother has taken out a protection order against Button, essentially evicting him from her ranch. She further testified that Button had previously pointed a rifle at her from a distance.

Mohave County Superior Court Judge Steve Conn noted that he and the attorneys involved would have to brush up on water law if the case proceeds to trial. All agreed that the law is murky so far as private property rights extending over a navigable waterway.

Button remains jailed on $25,000 bail.