Woman: Man 'accosted' me at park

BERLIN TWP. — A local woman's account of her unwelcomed interaction with a man at an area park has garnered widespread attention, prompting reaction from community members and responses by officials overseeing this site. What happened? The incident in question occurred on Oct. 29 at Edison Woods MetroPark in the Berlin Heights area. An Erie County Sheriff's Office report states an uncharged suspect — described as a white man wearing jeans and a blue sweatshirt — ran at the woman. The man reportedly yelled obscenities at her and "had an odor of alcohol." After deputies spoke with the man, who denied any wrongdoing, he claimed the woman's dog tried to nip at him. The woman denied this occurred. He wanted her name to inform his friends about an aggressive dog. All parties then left the scene without further incident. The aftermath Fast-forward to Sunday and the woman, in a public post on Facebook, provided her perspective on what happened. In about a 24-hour time frame, the post has, as of late Monday, generated more than 600 reactions, including 350-plus shares from other users. "I wasn't going to post anything, but I see women posting about being out in the metroparks by themselves or with their dogs, and I feel like I need to say something," she wrote on Sunday night. In her post, she described being "accosted" by the man on three separate occasions. The woman claimed the man "lunged at me" and used profanity toward her. The woman repeatedly yelled, "Stay away from me," as she ran away in the opposite direction. She then called 911. Upon returning to the parking lot, about 1 mile away from this encounter, the man and another man stood near a gate, "staring me down," the woman stated. This prompted the woman, describing herself as "hysterical," to call 911 and scream in fear. For those unfamiliar, Edison Woods MetroPark has many winding and circular trails, leading to or extending from the parking lot, off Ceylon Road (Ohio 61), a main entranceway. At this time, deputies arrived on scene and interviewed the woman and the man she initially interacted with. The deputies "grill(ed) the man who accosted me," the woman wrote on social media. "It was clear he was the aggressor, and my dogs weren't a problem, but what I still don't know is what were these men planning to do with me? This was the first time I've ever feared for my life." In closing, the woman offered some advice to others who use the parks. "Pay attention to your surroundings," the woman said. "Use only one headphone. Stay visible. Bring mace or your weapon of choice. Get loud real (expletive) quick if there's an issue, and run the second you have that gut instinct, even if you think it'll make you look crazy." As of late Monday, many people commented in support of the woman, collectively agreeing about how safety should be a paramount concern for those using and overseeing Erie MetroParks properties. Speaking up In a follow-up email, the Register reached out to Erie County Sheriff Paul Sigsworth and Erie MetroParks executive director Melissa Price. With no park rangers, the park district works with the sheriff's office to provide police protection in these public spaces. Both offered a statement about, specifically, this incident and, generally, park safety. • Sigsworth: Concerning what we do to ensure the safety of the parks, we are in regular communication with the Erie MetroParks administration and routinely patrol the park areas. In addition, we will respond to the trails or any other portion of the park system if it is necessary to do so. Given the overall number of daily visitors to the various metroparks properties, complaints of this type are relatively few in nature, and the metroparks have historically been overwhelmingly safe for visitors and staff. As with this complaint, though, we will respond to any incident in the metroparks that requires our response — whether a call of this type, a lost person, a medical emergency or any other issue that we can assist a park visitor or the metroparks administration with — to render any necessary aid and to take any necessary law enforcement action in our ongoing efforts to keep Erie Metroparks safe(r) and enjoyable for everyone. • Price: Erie MetroParks prioritizes visitor wellness and safety within our parks. Our internal safety team meets monthly to assess risk management and coordinate with local law enforcement agencies when necessary. Additionally, the district has established emergency meeting locations throughout every metropark, and all first responders within our jurisdiction retain these maps for visitor safety, health, and well-being. Overall, Erie MetroParks remains a safe place for our public, however, if anyone feels unsafe or witnesses illegal activity, they should contact 911 immediately.