Crackhead Gunman Penetrates US Capitol Security
At 8:30 AM today, a hispanic gunman in a SUV penetrated US Capitol security, crashing through traffic barriers and clipping police cars, entering the US Capitol building, passing through the rotunda and past the offices of Reps Nancy Pelosi, Bill Frist, among others, before he was finally subdued.
Police officials and congressional aides said the man was tackled outside a basement office after leading police on a chase through the building. They said he was carrying a small weapon but there were no reports of shots fired. When he was detained, police determined that he carried a two shot Derringer pistol and a bag of crack cocaine.
The incident occurred shortly after 8 a.m. EDT, but throughout the day Capitol Police declined to provide details of the suspect or how he got into the building. Calls to police spokeswoman Kimberly Schneider were not returned, and her answering machine said it could no longer take messages.
Despite the Capitol Police having more policemen than the Boston Police Department, and having a mere 95 acres to patrol, the gunman easily penetrated security with his brazen infiltration. After abandoning the vehicle the man ran up the east front steps into the Rotunda, then down a stairway into the basement. He was captured outside an office used for distribution of American flags that lawmakers send their constituents.
Later identified as Carlos Greene, 20, of Silver Spring, Md., Greene was recently arrested for illegal posession of a weapon and was out on bail. What his motivations might have been for this penetration, other than an attempt to avoid arrest, but if it was entirely unplanned, it speaks very poorly of the Capitol Police's ability to deter or defend against a well planned attack by terrorists. It is sure that this prospect will figure significantly in the investigation. It will also figure into criticisms of harsh security measures imposed on normal citizens as being neigh well useless even in the face of a spur-of-the-moment insurgent.
Greene has been charged with felony posession of a weapon.
Forbes, Houston Chronicle, Reuters
Police officials and congressional aides said the man was tackled outside a basement office after leading police on a chase through the building. They said he was carrying a small weapon but there were no reports of shots fired. When he was detained, police determined that he carried a two shot Derringer pistol and a bag of crack cocaine.
The incident occurred shortly after 8 a.m. EDT, but throughout the day Capitol Police declined to provide details of the suspect or how he got into the building. Calls to police spokeswoman Kimberly Schneider were not returned, and her answering machine said it could no longer take messages.
Despite the Capitol Police having more policemen than the Boston Police Department, and having a mere 95 acres to patrol, the gunman easily penetrated security with his brazen infiltration. After abandoning the vehicle the man ran up the east front steps into the Rotunda, then down a stairway into the basement. He was captured outside an office used for distribution of American flags that lawmakers send their constituents.
Later identified as Carlos Greene, 20, of Silver Spring, Md., Greene was recently arrested for illegal posession of a weapon and was out on bail. What his motivations might have been for this penetration, other than an attempt to avoid arrest, but if it was entirely unplanned, it speaks very poorly of the Capitol Police's ability to deter or defend against a well planned attack by terrorists. It is sure that this prospect will figure significantly in the investigation. It will also figure into criticisms of harsh security measures imposed on normal citizens as being neigh well useless even in the face of a spur-of-the-moment insurgent.
Greene has been charged with felony posession of a weapon.
Forbes, Houston Chronicle, Reuters
posted by Mike Lorrey at 7:00 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Links to this post:
Create a Link
<< Home