Officer had clue before OU blast (police admit knowledge of attempted ammonium nitrate buy)

The Daily Oklahoman ^ | 10/6/05 | Randy Ellis and Ty McMahan

[hispanarepublicana]

Officer had clue before OU blast

By Randy Ellis and Ty McMahan The Oklahoman

NORMAN - Police here last week missed a chance to investigate a University of Oklahoma student three days before he apparently blew himself up Saturday outside the university’s packed football stadium, The Oklahoman has confirmed.

Joel “Joe” Henry Hinrichs III raised the suspicions of a Norman feed store manager and an off-duty Norman police officer Sept. 28 when he tried to buy the type of fertilizer used in the 1995 bombing of the Oklahoma City federal building.

The off-duty officer, who just happened to be in the store, was concerned enough about Hinrichs’ demeanor that he jotted down his license tag number and called the police department to check his identity, officials said.

“Normal protocol is for that officer to submit an intelligence report when he comes back on duty,” said Lt. Tom Easley, spokesman for the Norman Police Department. “My understanding is that when the officer did return to work, he did submit one, but that was after the fact.”

The bomb had already gone off.

Hinrichs, 21, is believed to have died in an explosion about 7:30 p.m. Saturday on a campus bench about 100 yards from Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Investigators are treating the death as a suicide. He was a junior engineering major.

Easley declined to release the intelligence report or name the officer who filed it, saying intelligence reports are confidential. A copy of the report was turned over the FBI, he said.

Dustin Ellison, general manager of Ellison Feed & Seed, said Hinrichs came to his store about 4 p.m. Sept. 28 and said he was looking for a particular kind of fertilizer called ammonium nitrate.

“I told him I didn’t have that,” said Ellison, 25.

Ellison said he became suspicious when the young man couldn’t answer the most simple questions, such as how much he wanted or what he planned to do with it.

“I asked if he was trying to green up his yard, and he said, ‘Something like that,’” Ellison said.

Hinrichs was wearing blue jeans, a T-shirt and a light green vest with a number of pockets on each side when he visited the store, Ellison said.

“All the pockets were full,” Ellison said, adding that he saw what appeared to be a wire with headphones attached protruding from one pocket.

“I don’t have any reason to believe it was anything other than that,” he said.

Ellison said Hinrichs was alone and calm throughout his visit.

Hinrichs drove off in a blue Lincoln Towncar, Ellison said.

Ellison said FBI agents came by his store Sunday and he identified Hinrichs from photos.

Easley, the Norman police spokesman, said he is skeptical police could have stopped the bombing, even if they immediately had begun investigating when the officer first called in the license number.

“Seventy-two hours on a piece of intelligence like that, I don’t know what we could have done anyway,” he said.

Officers could have used the tag number to get an address and then checked to see whether it was current, Easley said.

If they could identify a current address, they could have tried to question him, but that doesn’t mean Hinrichs would have had to answer, he said.

Intelligence reports normally are forwarded to the police department’s special operations unit, which categorizes them and decides what to do next, Easley said.

The unit deals mostly with drug investigations, so the information probably would have been forwarded to counter-terrorism officials to evaluate, he said.

Hinrichs’ Towncar remained outside his Norman apartment Wednesday.

The FBI apparently collected 13 plastic bottles, one car title and one insurance form from the car, according to paperwork on the front seat.

There also was a large atlas and several road maps on the front seat.

Cesar Robledo, Hinrichs’ next-door neighbor, said FBI agents questioned him about Hinrichs’ personality and habits, but didn’t ask about his religion or any materials he may have taken into the house.

“We always say, ‘What do they do over there?’ They don’t talk to us, so we don’t know,” said Robledo, 22. “We have no idea what’s on that side of the wall.”

Contributing: Staff Writers Nolan Clay and Jane Cannon

[mewzilla]

“Normal protocol is for that officer to submit an intelligence report when he comes back on duty,” said Lt. Tom Easley...

Okaaaaay....

[popdonnelly]

"They got Town Cars these days!"

I understand it's a used Town Car. And you need a big trunk to haul all that ammonium nitrate.

[JulieRNR21]

Tony says the 'Sooner Boomer' discussion is coming up.....sure hope it's woth the wait.

Good news is ...this indicates that FOX NEWS is on the story.....first major news outlet to even discuss the Jihad connection!

[hispanarepublicana]

Aaarrghh!!! I've got to step out! PLEASE provide a running narrative!!!

[chadwimc]

There was a bomb scare at the local univesity several years ago. A son of privilege was incensed that no one met him at the airport. He was outraged that he had to carry his own luggage, find his own cab, etc. He left his luggage in the lobby of the Engineering college, where it was ripped apart and "disrupted" by a robot. I thought it was a hoot when he showed up and was pinned against the wall. In the accent of Baboo from Seinfeld "What are you doing? That is my luggage!My father will have you arrested!"

[Idisarthur]

"The guy with the towncar is not a foreigner. "

Oh, sorry, I have been writing without reading... I haven't had much time but recently realized that this is a big story... Today at work I'll do a personal survey to see if these people know about the story...

The results will probably show that they don't know of the story as the MSM is not covering it.

I wonder if the FBI and CIA told them not to cover it... maybe. As to gather as much info as possible.

About the Kid with the Town car...

Well I do remember that there was always rich kids in school... not the brightest kids.

But I was poor and loved the experience...

Not all people in college are rich and even some that are rich like a Toyota Corolla like Jeff Van Gundy.

[JulieRNR21]

Still awaiting Tony Snow's discussion of what he calls the 'Sooner Bomber'....and a possible Jihadist connection.

He promised to discuss the story about 45 minutes ago....

LIVE STREAM here:
http://www.foxnews.com/tonysnow/livePlayer/player.html

Now he says....'later in the hour'!

I'll try to hang in to hear what he says.....but I've got to get going on 'my day job'....expecting weekend house guests tomorrow & my house is a mess!

If I turn on the vacuum.........I might miss what Tony says....LOL

[spokeshave]

"I understand it's a used Town Car. And you need a big trunk to haul all that ammonium nitrate."

Also has an air bag self leveing suspension....so when carrying a trunk load of bombs the car is level and non-suspisious.

Known as mafia staff car for carrying bombs, bullets, bodies and drugs.

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

I wonder what those girls have to look forward to from here on out? Once they're out of college and as young newleyweds/professionals just trying to get started, they're either going to be deeply disappointed or deeply in debt..

Their fraternity brothers, otoh, have 72 virgins (or is it raisins, I keep getting those two confused) to look forward to.

Not all kids at public universities are spoiled snots, but it is a shock for upper middle class kids to find out what pay and living standards in the real world are like.

[hispanarepublicana]

Did Tony spike the story?

[JulieRNR21]

DRATS....No.....he said....there was too much to the story do cover in the time he had left....so he'll discuss it tomorrow.

TOMORROW.....Suggest you follow the Tony Snow live thread on FR and/or LIVE stream of his show here:

http://www.foxnews.com/tonysnow/livePlayer/player.html

[not_apathetic_anymore]

Very good;)

[ladyjane]

“We always say, ‘What do they do over there?’ They don’t talk to us, so we don’t know,” said Robledo, 22.

That quote is quite revealing. Their behavior was such that the next door neighbors wondered what *they* were doing, not what *he* was doing.

[hispanarepublicana]

I thought that quote was revealing/disturbing too. I've never wondered about neighbors "What do they do over there?" unless I suspected something weird or disturbing.

[newgeezer]

Easley, the Norman police spokesman, said he is skeptical police could have stopped the bombing, even if they immediately had begun investigating when the officer first called in the license number.

“Seventy-two hours on a piece of intelligence like that, I don’t know what we could have done anyway,” he said.

A highly-suspicious person walks into a feed store -- in Oklahoma, yet! -- and inquires about something he thinks is called ammonium nitrate. He cannot say how much he wants or what he wants it for. An off-duty policeman just happened to be in the store at the time, and watched this unfold -- Is that a lucky break or what?!! -- and three days isn't enough time to get anything done about it.

Apparently, this is what is meant by "Homeland Security."

That's got to be encouraging to any would-be Tim McVeighs in our midst.

[popdonnelly]

"Also has an air bag self leveing suspension...."

Now I'll get paranoid every time I spot an old Town Car.

[wouldntbprudent]

You're right: bombs + suicide = suicide bomber

[wouldntbprudent]

Also has an air bag self leveing suspension....so when carrying a trunk load of bombs the car is level and non-suspisious.

Known as mafia staff car for carrying bombs, bullets, bodies and drugs.

Well, that's an interesting tidbit.

[backhoe]

What are the keywords for the list you're keeping on the Oklahoma suicide bomber?

I'm embarassed to say I had not thought of that! Another member has been using OUBOMBING, which is probably as fitting as any.

[pageonetoo]

Now I'll get paranoid every time I spot an old Town Car.

...as I gaze at my blue Towncar in the driveway. Nothing else rides like it, though!