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Navy Yard: Swat team 'stood down' at mass shooting scene
The BBC ^ | Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Posted on 09/18/2013 11:00:32 AM PDT by kristinn

A tactical response team of the Capitol Police, a force that guards the US Capitol complex, was told to leave the scene by a supervisor instead of aiding municipal officers.

The Capitol Police department said senior officials were investigating.

Aaron Alexis, 34, killed 12 people at the Washington Navy Yard on Monday.

"I don't think it's a far stretch to say that some lives may have been saved if we were allowed to intervene," a Capitol Police source familiar with the incident told the BBC.

A former Navy reservist, Alexis was working as a technical contractor for the Navy and had a valid pass and security clearance allowing him entry to the highly secure building in south-east Washington DC.

He entered the building about 8:15 local time (12:15 GMT) and opened fire. He was later killed by police who stormed the building.

But multiple sources in the Capitol Police department have told the BBC that its highly trained and heavily armed four-man Containment and Emergency Response Team (Cert) was near the Navy Yard when the initial report of an active shooter came in about 8:20 local time.

The officers, wearing full tactical gear and armed with HK-416 assault weapons, arrived outside Building 197 a few minutes later, an official with knowledge of the incident told the BBC.

According to a Capitol Police source, an officer with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), Washington DC's main municipal force, told the Capitol Cert officers they were the only police on the site equipped with long guns and requested their assistance in searching for the gunman.

When the Capitol Police team radioed in to their superiors, they were told by a watch commander to leave the scene, the BBC was told.

(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Breaking News; Crime/Corruption; News/Current Events; US: District of Columbia
KEYWORDS: aaronalexis; alexis; banglist; bruceleshan; capitolpolice; leo; navyyard; navyyardshooting; swat; washingtonnavyyard; wusa
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To: Blueflag
This team was described as a 4 man QRF. If taking them (just four of them) to the Navy Yard exposed the Capitol to frontal assault, then their ops plan SUCKED.

My thoughts exactly!!! If the Capital has only one 4 man QRF they are truly in a sad state.

61 posted on 09/18/2013 12:55:05 PM PDT by thegrump
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To: Salgak

Thankfully Bill Clinton made all those buildings safe by making them “gun=free” zones. The sign should have stopped the shooter. Right?


62 posted on 09/18/2013 1:11:01 PM PDT by matt04
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*


63 posted on 09/18/2013 1:57:19 PM PDT by PMAS (All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing)
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To: justlurking

Thanks. Some better but still.....


64 posted on 09/18/2013 2:09:12 PM PDT by mad_as_he$$
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To: kristinn

Why is it the British whose country is going to hell are the only integrity left in the press when it comes to digging dirt on US government politics?

A revenge thing for 1776, or payback for Barry’s Churchill slight?


65 posted on 09/18/2013 2:12:54 PM PDT by Rebelbase (Tagline: (optional, printed after your name on post))
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To: kristinn

Their desire to assist is what we want from law enforcement.

Entering a complex of buildings under this scenario and operating with other teams in this dynamic situation...teams that you have not trained with and may not be able to communicate with via radio....and who are getting intelligence updates at different times...not a good scenario.

You really don’t want to have multiple moving elements operating in this type of scenario unless they have trained together and have a unified incident command structure.


66 posted on 09/18/2013 2:14:13 PM PDT by TheErnFormerlyKnownAsBig (It is going to be Foot to Ass combat on election day....my foot and a Rat's ass.)
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To: kristinn

Anyone hear from Homeland Security yet????? Looks like the Gorelick Wall is still intact.


67 posted on 09/18/2013 2:44:28 PM PDT by SueRae (It isn't over. In God We Trust.)
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To: kristinn

What, is STAND DOWN the only thing in the Washington playbook?


68 posted on 09/18/2013 2:44:38 PM PDT by NonValueAdded (Henceforth, the Office of the President shall be known as IMPOTUS)
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To: Blueflag

Exactly!


69 posted on 09/18/2013 2:49:21 PM PDT by rockinqsranch (Dems, Libs, Socialists, call 'em what you will. They ALL have fairies livin' in their trees.)
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To: Mr. K

“Obama needed a disaster so he could implement gun control by execturive order”

People wondered why they had SWAT teams in Colorado when those two dopes shot up Columbine; I guess now they realize they are not to deal with lone gunmen but larger-scale civil unrest. After watching the Branch Davidians whip their asses in their staged assault on their compound, I’m convinced these SWAT teams are just to fatten the ranks and pockets of our gubmint worker class.


70 posted on 09/18/2013 3:05:11 PM PDT by kearnyirish2 (The talking heads have admitted is economic war against white males (and therefore white families).)
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To: kristinn

What’s a few more lives compared to a political scheme?


71 posted on 09/18/2013 3:22:33 PM PDT by RWB Patriot ("My ability is a value that must be purchased and I don't recognize anyone's need as a claim on me.")
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To: CMB_polarization

Yep...That is what I would be inquiring into: Who was allowed to be killed? Did any of the 12 victims have a history with Benghazi? Passport office? Point of interest?


72 posted on 09/18/2013 4:44:18 PM PDT by SisterK (the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly Romans 16:20)
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To: kristinn

Real wars sometimes become turf wars...


73 posted on 09/18/2013 4:46:03 PM PDT by Gritty (Nobody wants to hear about American exceptionalism when the issue is American ineffectualism-MSteyn)
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To: kearnyirish2

You do remember that the only SWAT man killed in Waco had been Hitlary’s body guard in Arkansas? And that he was killed by friendly fire?


74 posted on 09/18/2013 4:49:24 PM PDT by SisterK (Alex Jones is starting to make sense these days)
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To: Rebelbase; All

“Why is it the British whose country is going to hell are the only integrity left in the press when it comes to digging dirt on US government politics?”

It is not that the British press has so much integrity. It is that it has always had considerable *diversity*, and everyone knows what the biases are for the different outlets. (most thought the BBC was kinda, sorta, objective, until they have proved themselves to be decidedly leftist)

In the U.S., nearly all the MSM is in lockstep in support of President Obama and the politically correct insanity the “Progressives” have morphed into.


75 posted on 09/18/2013 5:26:12 PM PDT by marktwain (The MSM must die for the Republic to live. Long live the new media!)
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To: kristinn
I understand that the media reported non-stop garbage for several hours.

They can't seem to stop themselves.

That aside, the lone shooter was killed fairly quickly.
Not fast enough to save any of the 12 murder victims, obviously, but the danger was all done before any of the other elite government “rent a cops” could get in on the “action”, and possibly pollute the crime scene.

76 posted on 09/18/2013 6:43:54 PM PDT by sarasmom (Extortion 17. A large number of Navy SEALs died on that mission. Ask why.)
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To: SisterK

I don’t know the specifics, but watching those Branch Davidians shoot those SWAT/ATF guys right through the walls didn’t make the gubmint look too bright.


77 posted on 09/18/2013 6:47:17 PM PDT by kearnyirish2 (The talking heads have admitted is economic war against white males (and therefore white families).)
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To: kristinn

Based on all the armed police at the scene, this was probably a good thing, based on what terrible shots these officers are.

SWAT bodily harm might have been avoided.

Didn’t it take 30 mins for them/police who were allowed in, to bring Aaron Alexis down? Wonder how many shots were fired from the police units?


78 posted on 09/18/2013 9:22:16 PM PDT by Daffynition (*In memory of FReeper Blackie. God rest his *Hooligan* soul.*)
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To: Uncle Miltie

“Benghazi stand down equivalent. Let Servicemen die.”

No, I have to disagree, you know how many soldiers were on that base with empty weapons in their possession!!!

I know, I was in, and routinely carried an M16 on base with no ammo. The SWAT team would have created another layer of tragedy.

Let the military deal with on-base incidents....

Not an easy call, but the right call, IMHO.


79 posted on 09/18/2013 9:30:39 PM PDT by Bshaw (A nefarious deceit is upon us all!)
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To: kristinn

Don’t you know?
Swat teams are only supposed to go into citizens homes, shoot them and their dogs and get home safe?
They aren’t for these situations anymore!

Sadly, that may be an on the ball and accurate assesment despite it being snark and venom at the idiots in charge.


80 posted on 09/19/2013 6:18:12 AM PDT by Darksheare (Try my coffee, first one's free..... Even robots will kill for it!)
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