Owner scoffs at idea junkyard is a threat $1 million damage caused during raid by agents

San Francisco Chronicle ^ | Sunday, April 18, 2004 | Jim Herron Zamora, Matthew B. Stannard

[Travis McGee]

Warehouse ping. The power of the anonymous tipster, in the age of terror.

[Bonaparte]

How do you know it was a tipster?

[endthematrix]

"Chapman said he purchased most of his stuff from federal auctions of surplus machinery and supplies. Many of his items come from auctions of old machinery and equipment from the now-closed Alameda Naval Air Station, Oakland Naval Supply Center and other defunct military sites in Northern California."

Now we are getting somewhere. Did our favorite Uncle "lose" something?

[Travis McGee]

Several other news accounts.

[Bonaparte]

Thanks, TM!

[macrahanish #1]

Anything that has military usefullness has probably been purchased convertly by the Chinese.

[macrahanish #1]

"covertly" not convertly

[AmericaUnited]

Chapman said he purchased most of his stuff from federal auctions of surplus machinery and supplies

Bingo! Some idiot bureaucrat screwed up and possibly sold something at auction that should not have been sold and this poor, law-abiding citizen gets screwed over.

[endthematrix]

"and this poor, law-abiding citizen gets screwed over. "

Really we ALL get screwed. Most of the Fed stuff is obsolete but still useful to any resourceful and desperate adversary. Remember the targets were rockets. A while back and still in the news for Iraq contract scamming is SAIC (or subsidiary)who had gobbled up fed auction and hard drives still had crap on it or to that effect.

[Rebelbase]

"The power of the anonymous tipster, in the age of terror"

My first thought, also. Great way to settle a grudge and get even.

[doodad]

Back when I was in environmental emergency response we came across surplus mil goods in NC. The farmers wanted the used oil for dust and weed control on their roads, but were forced to take drums of hazmat as part of each "lot." Taxpayers and property owners got to pay for the removal.

[Carry_Okie]

This kind of crap is truly scary. There is an "us versus them" mindset building in our LEO community in which decent citizens all too easily become "them."

[Wolfie]

"They trashed the place for no reason."

No, Harold, they trashed the place to show you who's boss. Its SOP.

[Lockbar]

"There is an "us versus them" mindset building in our LEO community in which decent citizens all too easily become "them.""

I agree with you Okie, except I would say we have already been the "them" for longer than any of us might believe.

[Carry_Okie]

The part that really gets me is that this guy gave them the keys. These SWAT nutjobs probably thought he had the doors booby trapped, except that the owner could have simply opened them himself.

Is this what are they teaching cops in police academies these days? Officers and citizens, as if they weren't the latter? If not, what are they? One wonders if these people ever think.

[JimRed]

A million bucks worth of busted locks & doors? What were they made of, gold? And, please, no flames; I do NOT approve of their tactics.

[Atlas Sneezed]

Bang

[lewislynn]

A million bucks worth of busted locks & doors?

Lawsuits/negotiation 101...You'll never get what you ask for, always ask for more than you need.