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BASF guard shot Freeport, Texas Chemical Plant Complex
The Facts online newspaper ^ | 1-24-2004 | Staff Reports

Posted on 01/24/2004 6:54:06 AM PST by buffyt

FREEPORT — Police were looking for a man Friday night who they said shot a BASF security guard at the perimeter of the plant near FM 1495 and Highway 36.

Freeport Police Chief Henrietta Gonzalez said the guard approached a suspicious truck about 9:20 p.m. and the man inside said he had been taking pictures. He then shot the guard in the shoulder area, Gonzalez said.

“He was shot at point-blank range,” said Detective Sgt. Sue Dietrich. “You could see the powder burns.”

Police did not release the guard’s name, but said he was doing well at Brazosport Memorial Hospital late Friday night.

The guard told police the shooter was a man of Middle-Eastern descent with bushy hair and a mustache, and had been driving a white pickup with tinted windows and a black stripe. The truck did not have a front license plate, according to police radio reports.

BASF spokeswoman Sharon Rogers said there is no indication the shooting is linked to terrorism.

“There is nothing for us to indicate anything other than there is a shooting that happened on our property,” Rogers said. “We’ll just have to see what the investigation will reveal.”

Rogers said the security guard was employeed by Munday Corp., which provides the plant’s security force.

The culprit left the scene just after the shooting and did not get inside the plant gates, police said.

As of 10:30 p.m., Dietrich said the incident was not being investigated as an attempted terrorist attack.

FBI officials in Houston confirmed they had been notified of the incident but would not comment further.

The guard had been patrolling the perimeter of the plant, outside the gate and near a water tower, but in view of the plant’s ammonia tank. There was no access road or gate into the plant from the site of the shooting.

The wounded guard managed to drive down FM 1495 to the nearest plant gate, where an off-duty sheriff’s deputy working security at the plant called police.

The truck was last seen heading west on Highway 36, according to police radio reports.



TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events; US: Texas
KEYWORDS: basf; basfshooting; bushyhair; chemical; chemicalplants; domesticterrorism; espionage; fbi; fifthcolumn; fifthcolumnists; freeport; guard; gulfport; houston; nationalsecurity; petrochemical; plant; sabotage; shooting; shot; terrorism; terroristtargets; texas; waronterror; wedontmakethebullets; wot
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To: TheMom
"Scary thought, huh??? ;-) "

The SCARIEST... it gave me an idea... a new American special-ops corps, whose reputation would make our enemies quake in their shoes:

The Estrogen-Deprived Women's Corps

61 posted on 01/24/2004 9:31:11 AM PST by pax_et_bonum (Always finish what you st)
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To: freebilly
"Quick, go search all 68 year old women at the nearest airport..."

HA!
Don't laugh.

..that's exactly what they're going to do.

62 posted on 01/24/2004 9:32:42 AM PST by Landru (Tagline Schmagline...)
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To: Flyer; Eaker; Allegra; RikaStrom; MotleyGirl70; dix; bobbyd; stevie_d_64
Poor perp has been racially profiled.

He needs to file a law soot.. maybe involve Johnny Cochran.

63 posted on 01/24/2004 9:37:43 AM PST by humblegunner
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To: TheMom
This is a little off subject but I just gotta ask: Why does BASF have all those ads on t.v. that say "We don't make the _____________, we just make it better, brighter or whatever. If they aren't advertising a specific something what does it mean to the consumer? I've never seen a "BASF" for sale or even an item that says "made with BASF". It's got to cost a lot of $$ to advertise, so why do they do it???
64 posted on 01/24/2004 9:38:21 AM PST by pepperdog (God Bless and Protect our Troops)
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To: Flyer
Hmmmmm.... anyone consider a case of rent'acoposis ? It is the cold and flu season ya know.

Stay safe, Stay Aware....and don't play with yer duty weapon !

65 posted on 01/24/2004 9:39:56 AM PST by Squantos (Salmon...the other pink meat !)
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To: been_lurking
So where is the lie? What evidence of terrorism exists? Would you be able to distinguish between a "man of middle eastern decent" and an hispanic, or even a Texas redneck with dark hair?

You folks are a hoot!

You mean that "men of middle eastern descent" have the exclusive right to be the only people in the world that are allowed to carry out terrorist attacks?

YOU are a hoot!

66 posted on 01/24/2004 9:48:03 AM PST by judgeandjury
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To: humblegunner
Poor perp has been racially profiled.

Usama says: "All good muslim arab terrorists will join CAIR today!"

67 posted on 01/24/2004 9:55:36 AM PST by tubavil
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To: Flyer
Thanks for the ping Flyer, heard this on the news early. I hate reading the thread though as all the nuts post about terrorism. Nowhere does it say that this is NOT terrorism, just that nothing says it is. I suspect it may very well be and hope they catch the guy.
68 posted on 01/24/2004 9:59:00 AM PST by HoustonCurmudgeon (PEACE - Through Superior Firepower)
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To: tubavil; Eaker; RikaStrom; Allegra; Flyer
Take Action Now!
Alabama Muslims denied right to Islamic attire

Uh.... good.
Hey, I'm a Scot. I work in a plant.
They do not make fire-retardant kilts, and I have never asked for any.

It might be a good idea for me, though, as I tend to be careless with flammables.

69 posted on 01/24/2004 10:04:50 AM PST by humblegunner
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To: HoustonCurmudgeon
"Thanks for the ping Flyer, heard this on the news early. I hate reading the thread though as all the nuts post about terrorism. "

Wow. A personal attack against a whole thread full of people. You've outdone yourself!!! At least you earned your id honestly.

Just because you don't agree with a person's conclusion based on the information they have doesn't make them a NUT. I'd reserve that label for more extreme examples. Overuse of that insult, weakens it.
70 posted on 01/24/2004 10:09:17 AM PST by StolarStorm
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To: Dog Gone
In fact, it's pretty hard to imagine why anyone would want to take a photograph at all.


Heck don't you know...... it's a plot by the insurance compainies to drop the insurance or up the rates as the facility isn't compling with all safety/security precautions...... gotta get evidence

Then on the other hand maybe the dude was trying to collect some money for past debts not paid....... what's the drug situation around Freeport?
71 posted on 01/24/2004 10:14:07 AM PST by deport ( Owen, Kuhl, Brown, Pickering, Pryor, Allen.. [Estrada, they won])
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To: deport
FREEPORT, Texas (CNN) -- Police on the Texas Gulf Coast were searching Saturday for a man who shot and wounded a security guard at a chemical plant Friday night.

The guard was shot in the shoulder by a man he came across while conducting a routine patrol of the factory. The guard, whose name was not released, is in stable condition after surgery at a local hospital, Freeport Police Chief Henrietta Gonzalez said.

The guard approached a man in a pickup truck parked in a suspicious area, she said. The man rolled down his window and told the guard he was taking pictures of the lights around Freeport's port area and the BASF plant, Gonzalez said.

When the guard reached to open his microphone to report to his dispatcher, the driver of the truck pulled a gun and fired, hitting him in the right shoulder, she said.

The shooter sped away, and the guard drove himself to the factory gate where he knew armed, off-duty Brazoria County Sheriff's officers, employed by the company, were posted. The 911 call was made at around 9 p.m. local time, she said.

The guard said the male shooter had dark hair, a dark mustache and had not recently shaved. He spoke in accented English, the guard told authorities.

The FBI is monitoring the situation but said the Freeport police is the lead agency, FBI agent Bob Dogium said. "Right now there's no indication that it was terrorism," he said.

Gonzalez said the suspect was driving a white, half-ton, dual-cab Chevrolet pickup truck with dark-tinted windows and no front license plate, which is required in Texas. The security guard said he could not see if there was a rear plate because the tailgate was down, she said.

Police have found the slug, which went through the guard's shoulder, and are testing it. Gonzalez said officers believe it came from a 9 mm or .380 handgun.

The Ludwigshafen, Germany-based BASF is one of the world's largest chemical manufacturers. The Freeport complex includes 16 plants, including an ammonia plant next to the deepwater cargo port. The facility produces adhesives, super absorbers, paints, nylons and plastics.

Freeport is on the Gulf of Mexico about 60 miles southeast of Houston.

72 posted on 01/24/2004 10:16:44 AM PST by Dog Gone
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To: buffyt
Stinks.
73 posted on 01/24/2004 10:37:09 AM PST by jordan8
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To: StolarStorm; HoustonCurmudgeon
A personal attack against a whole thread full of people

C'mon, it can;t be personal AND against a whole thread full of people. Pick one.

74 posted on 01/24/2004 10:42:38 AM PST by Flyer (LOST - Tag line, disappeared 01/21/04, black Times New Roman, 73 characters - Reward!)
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To: Flyer
Hmmmm... Yeah.... Good point. :)
75 posted on 01/24/2004 10:43:42 AM PST by StolarStorm
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To: buffyt; Lazamataz; Travis McGee; Squantos; Grampa Dave; B4Ranch; Dukie; joanie-f; Chapita; ...
Laz...more info here. He was Mid Eastern and these idiots still parrot the same line.

Let's see... a man of Middle Eastern descent with bushy hair and a mustache is taking pictures of a chemical plant from his pickup and when approached by a security guard, he shoots the guard and drvies off.

And they tell still say that there is no indication that this can be terrorism?

Again I say, that these people, either through their ineptitude, their blindness, or their propensity to try and keep the truth from the poor masses who they feel can't handle it (only they can handle the truth and protect us poor defenseless and untutored folk) are going to end up making matters much worse and encouraging more terrorism from these animals.

That attitude, in part, led to 911 IMHO...and its continuance will lead ultimately to worse if we are not careful.

76 posted on 01/24/2004 10:48:12 AM PST by Jeff Head
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To: Dog Gone
FBI agent Bob Dogium said. "Right now there's no indication that it was terrorism," he said.

In the face of what happened, it is unbelievable that an FBI agent would make this statement. No comment, too soon to tell should have been the word.

77 posted on 01/24/2004 10:50:32 AM PST by Jeff Head
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To: Jeff Head
I posted this over on the other thread:

Freeport is located near Houston, Texas, right? Isn't the Super Bowl to be held in Houston in the next week or so?

Seems to me, a whole lot of people "not linked to terrorism" have been sighted taking pictures or observing such " scenic tourist attractions" like dams, resevoirs, chemical plants, nuclear facilities, etc. all around the country within the past two years. Free Republic has had a few threads on these activities and it's always the same story. Nothing suspicious--nothing related to terrorism; just some innocent tourists taking in the view. End of thread. End of story.

That poor tourist with the bushy black hair and mustache was obviously being racially profiled by that security guard. The tourist had every right to shoot the guard as well as some photos for his travel scrapbook.

Right...
78 posted on 01/24/2004 10:51:13 AM PST by demnomo
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To: freebilly; mylife; buffyt
So..a couple of questions.

Why did the goblin shoot, instead of simply drive away?

And--if the goblin shot, why couldn't he kill the guard, if it was at point-blank range?

Another way to ask the question: why did he shoot to disable, rather than kill? Seems to me that he should have tried to kill the guy if he did not want to be ID'd,

OR....if he didn't care about getting ID'd, then just driving away was a much better alternative.


Hmmmmmmmm.
79 posted on 01/24/2004 10:52:01 AM PST by ninenot (So many cats, so few recipes)
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To: freebilly
Many years ago Houston had an ammonia truck explode on one of our interchanges in a densely populated area. It was horrible. I'd hate to picture an entire BASF tank blowing!
80 posted on 01/24/2004 10:53:26 AM PST by Humidston (Two Words: TERM LIMITS)
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