Posted on 01/26/2025 4:42:38 AM PST by marktwain
At about 5:30 a.m., nearly two hours before sunrise in Garland, Maine, a suspect stole a Komatsu front end loader from a nearby gravel pit. The suspect then used the front end loader to attack a nearby home with people inside. The machine caused significant damage to vehicles parked in the driveway in an apparent attempt to force entry into the house. The sheriff’s officer reports residents exited the house and fired shots at the driver, wounding him and forcing his retreat.
Here is the report from the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office:
Gunshots were fired during an incident involving a stolen front-end loader in Garland.
On Tuesday, January 14, 2025, at approximately 5:30 a.m., the Penobscot Regional Communications Center received a report of individuals who appeared to be stealing a large front-end loader from a gravel pit near their residence. The incident was reported to be occurring on Upper Notch Road in Garland.
Shortly after receiving the initial call, the complainant reported that the front-end loader was now in their driveway, attempting to run through their house. The complainant also mentioned that the machine was destroying vehicles in the driveway.The initial investigation suggests that individuals exited the home and fired several rounds at the front-end loader. The machine then reversed out of the driveway and fled the scene. It crossed a large field and went down a woods road.
At approximately 6:10 a.m. PRCC received another report that a large front-end loader was driving on the roadway, it was eventually located by law enforcement on the Center Road in Charleston. The lone occupant surrendered to law enforcement without incident and told them, he had been shot.
(Excerpt) Read more at ammoland.com ...
Should have used a D-8
Ah.. A .50 cal to the motor isn’t necessary, a .22 to the skull works just fine too.
If it was a John Deere product, it could have been remotely disabled.
Yes, sarcasm.
Millions of dollars worth of heavy equipment parked and poorly guarded when union workers go home at night is not a good thing.
Once upon a time I worked the oil patch. I ran a large John Deere trackhoe and a coworker ran a Cat D6. We used to argue who would win if we started to fight each other with those things. He argued he could just tip me over and smash the cab. I argued could extend the bucket and crash down on his cab before he got to me. Of course this never happened, it was just idle humor while having lunch.
Union is not the issue. Many construction workers are not union and leave the machinery open for misuse after hours. Having worked heavy equipment myself, we always just shut them off and left. It’s somewhat like when we used to leave rifles hanging in the back window of a pickup truck. Society is becoming more violent.
Besides, to start any sort of vehicle, just reach under the dash, pull out a hand full of wires. Two of them will have bare ends, touch them together and the engine starts and transmission shifter and steering wheel both unlock. They do this on TV all the time.
“I argued could extend the bucket and crash down on his cab before he got to me. “
This. I sank a D2 one time cleaning out a pond that was supposed to be dried out. I took one swipe and hit good old Tennessee blue clay and blub, blub, blub. The wrecker driver laughed his butt off and didn’t even charge me.
“The machine exited the driveway” and so on. It was the machine doing the damage. 3rd graders are now journalist?
We were working a mine reclamation project when a D6 fell into a cavern. It took two double engine scrapers with 1 inch cables to pull it out.
“... residents exited the house and fired shots at the driver, wounding him...”
We can call all use a little target practice from time to time and save a few bullets, or a larger caliber, or both.
Fun with construction equipment.
Maine? The headline made me think the story would be about the ubiquitous “Florida man...”.
>> They do this on TV all the time.
ROFL! I was just about to call “BS”... :-)
Basically one key for each brand starts most older machines. I carry a John Deere, Komatsu, and Cat key and can start most anything. These days you need a code to start many brands. Some ask for a code after the key, some need code entry and push a button.
Should have used a D-8
—
D-11
Cabin fever.
I’ll take .50 cal to the skull for a $1,000 Alex. That would really put an end to the rampage.
Was that the attack where the perp had a .50 cal rifle with him but didn’t use it, but the anti .50 cal crowd decided to count it a a crime with a .50 cal anyway?
Remember the 35-year-old guy who stole an M60A3 tank from a National Guard armory and drove around San Diego wrecking cars? Back in 1995. I was in Orange County at the time.
P.S. Police cut open the hatch and shot and killed the guy after the tank became disabled due to a track coming off.
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