Posted on 08/11/2004 1:41:10 PM PDT by aomagrat
SAVANNAH — An anti-tank missile was found under the home of two men recently jailed on federal firearms charges who are also suspects in a Dumpster explosion about a block from the house.
A two-block radius around the home of Broderick Dass, 48, and his 19-year-old son, Brandon, was evacuated for at least two hours Monday after police found the AT-4 anti-tank missile, said Savannah police Sgt. Mike Wilson.
Officers went to the house to respond to a report of a burglary when the missile was found, Wilson said.
“They said, ‘Whoa,’ in light of the history of the residence,” Wilson said, referring to a search of the home last month that yielded 10 automatic weapons, some with altered serial numbers.
Savannah authorities contacted the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Army bomb-disposal unit at nearby Fort Stewart, which took the missile to a nearby fairground and detonated it.
The Dasses, who remain in federal custody, were arrested by game wardens July 17 after they were caught wandering in an aerial gunnery range used by helicopters at Fort Stewart. The charges included illegally possessing automatic weapons and high-capacity magazines, as well as harassing an endangered gopher tortoise with a Rottweiler, said Steve Hart, spokesman for Hunter Army Airfield.
Hart said it’s possible the men could have taken the AT-4 missile from the range. “There’s unexploded ordnance out there,” he said.
The Dasses were released by the military, but ATF agents arrested them four days later and authorities later found the weapons in their home, said Atlanta ATF Agent Gary Orchowski.
The day after the men were arrested, a Dumpster exploded as it was being emptied into a garbage truck a block from the Dasses’ home. It obliterated the trash bin, and the truck was severely damaged. No one was hurt.
That incident also prompted an evacuation of nearby homes after police found another explosive in the truck’s trash compartment as well as 20 mm bullets used in mounted military machine guns.
Orchowski said no charges have been filed in the explosion, but the Dasses are suspects.
Kathy Kirby, who lives two houses away from the Dasses, was one of roughly 25 families evacuated Monday. Though the missile was detonated almost a mile away from where she and neighbors were standing, they heard and felt the explosion, she said.
“We could feel the shockwave hit you,” Kirby said. “Your hair was moving like a breeze hit you all of a sudden.”
This is the charge that will hang them.
Weapons of Dass destruction.
I think one way to keep gopher tortoises from being endangered is to let them all have rottweilers. Very protective, those rotties.
Charge them with tresspassing and theft of property. Not sure what else they should be charged with?
Much to the chagrin of the folks on the ferris wheel.
An AT-4 from a mile away?? Nope.
This is the media. They are not interested in accuracy. Only a good story...
The missle was going to be used for deer hunting right. LOL
That WAS some blast, if they could feel the shockwave hit ME.
They may have been talking about the other explosive, not necessarily the AT-4. The story is a little vague. But you're right.
I could pat on his hole and he would come out. I would play with him awhile and put him back. He loved peas in the shell.
I'm glad I never cut these guys off in traffic! We're talking serious road rage potential with an AT. Might need to install some countermeasures into my Town & Country.
Looks like the feds done found yer varmint gun you lost during that last boar hunt!
This shouldn't even be about the guns they had. Just the property they stole and the tresspassing they did to get it.
It'll look pretty goofy with the slat armor off a Stryker.
This is, however, hilarious. An AT4 is a moderately serious piece of ordnance. This ain't no wimpy RPG.
Dangerous is me getting my hands on a pair of 20MM's that I can mount in the bed of my truck. Then let one of the tejanos cut me off in the fast lane and slow down to 52MPH in a 65MPH zone.
Let me guess, your hair has fallen out - that's why you're trying to use someone else's hair for your metaphor..
sexually harassing or just name-calling the turtle?
possibly poking fun of it's slow nature
Baba Rum's nephews ??
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.