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Downtown sniper alert
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review ^ | Thursday, March 23, 2006 | Mike Wereschagin

Posted on 03/24/2006 12:04:47 PM PST by Supernatural

A worker at a Downtown steam plant who brought a pellet rifle to work to shoot pigeons was mistaken for a sniper Wednesday afternoon, prompting police to shut down part of the city for about two hours.

Richard Wills, of Dawson, Fayette County, a maintenance worker in the Pittsburgh Allegheny County Thermal building, brought the weapon to work to chase pigeons away from broken windows on the building's roof, said PACT President Robert Fazio. Someone apparently spotted him - and his rifle - when he stepped out onto the roof for a few seconds, Fazio said.

At least three witnesses called police, claiming they saw a sniper atop a Penn Avenue building, sparking a two-hour shutdown of several city blocks and a brief manhunt by the city Police Bureau's most heavily armed officers. Police arrived on the scene shortly after 1 p.m., stunning lunchtime crowds as they set up a command center in Fifth Avenue Place and blocked off parts of Penn Avenue, Stanwix Street, Liberty Avenue and highway ramps into the Golden Triangle.

A police officer standing guard outside the door of a Penn Avenue restaurant gave bar manager Carie Wakinekona a terse and troubling answer when she asked him about the massive police presence. "Guy with a rifle," he said. The news traveled fast.

For rest of article: http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/search/s_435980.html

(Excerpt) Read more at pittsburghlive.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events; US: Pennsylvania
KEYWORDS: 2a; 2ndamendment; airgun; airguns; airrifle; bang; banglist; bb; bbgun; donutwatch; firearm; gun; pelletgun; pelletguns; pest; pests; pigeon; pigeons; pittsburgh; rifle; rkba; secondamendment; swat; varmint; varmints
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Weird story about a guy shooting pigeons with an air rifle in downtown Pittsburgh that caused a panic. A SWAT team was called out, the downtown was closed down for hours and the Mayor donned a bullet-proof vest.

All over a guy with an air rifle.

1 posted on 03/24/2006 12:04:48 PM PST by Supernatural
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To: freepatriot32; MRMEAN; mugs99; Wolfie; Know your rights; winston2; Ladysmith

Ping!


2 posted on 03/24/2006 12:06:19 PM PST by Supernatural (Ea wull staun ma groon, Staun ma groon al nae be afraid)
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To: beyond the sea

Ping!


3 posted on 03/24/2006 12:07:09 PM PST by Supernatural (Ea wull staun ma groon, Staun ma groon al nae be afraid)
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To: Supernatural

yoi..............................


4 posted on 03/24/2006 12:07:58 PM PST by beyond the sea (The definition of a 'Targeted Tax Cut' is ........................ you ain't gettin' it)
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To: Supernatural

For every pigeon you kill, ten more will rise up to take its place.


5 posted on 03/24/2006 12:09:29 PM PST by dead (I've got my eye out for Mullah Omar.)
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To: Supernatural
brought the weapon to work to chase pigeons away from broken windows on the building's roof

Wouldn't they be better off by fixing the broken windows?

6 posted on 03/24/2006 12:09:49 PM PST by csvset
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To: csvset
There you go, thinking rationally again! LOL!
7 posted on 03/24/2006 12:10:50 PM PST by Supernatural (Ea wull staun ma groon, Staun ma groon al nae be afraid)
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To: csvset

And aren't windows on roofs called "skylights"?


8 posted on 03/24/2006 12:11:42 PM PST by dead (I've got my eye out for Mullah Omar.)
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To: Supernatural

"...he's up on the roof with his boids. He keeps boids. Dirty... disgusting... filthy... lice-ridden boids. You used to be able to sit out on the stoop like a person. Not anymore! No, sir! Boids!... You get my drift?"


9 posted on 03/24/2006 12:11:51 PM PST by steveo (Father's Against Rude Television. You may already be a member.)
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To: steveo

Hey, I saw that line in a movie. "The Producers", I think.

Springtime for Hitler and Germany. Winter for Poland and France.


10 posted on 03/24/2006 12:13:26 PM PST by Supernatural (Ea wull staun ma groon, Staun ma groon al nae be afraid)
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To: Supernatural

Hmmmm. There could be a " consulting " gig opening in Pittsburgh. I'll let 'em off cheaply, say $150,000 ?


11 posted on 03/24/2006 12:13:56 PM PST by csvset
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To: steveo

You should see what they've done to the statues in NYC. Yuk.


12 posted on 03/24/2006 12:14:31 PM PST by butternut_squash_bisque (The recipe's at my FR HomePage)
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To: Blue Jays
Hi All-

One wonders if the police officer who told the bar manager about a "guy with a rifle" would have been better off saying there were "conflicting requests for assistance" or something like that. The first explanation, while somewhat truthful, has the potential to really spook the hoplophobic horses...and the officer should know that.

~ Blue Jays ~

13 posted on 03/24/2006 12:14:51 PM PST by Blue Jays (Rock Hard, Ride Free)
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To: csvset

Too cheap. The liberal government of Pittsburgh would pay much more than that for consulting work on pigeons, especially if they get a big kick-back for themselves.


14 posted on 03/24/2006 12:15:27 PM PST by Supernatural (Ea wull staun ma groon, Staun ma groon al nae be afraid)
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To: Supernatural

bingo.


15 posted on 03/24/2006 12:15:49 PM PST by steveo (Father's Against Rude Television. You may already be a member.)
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To: Supernatural

Well, isn't it obvious that we now need to ban assault air rifles?

Poor pigeons. Poor endangered pigeons...


16 posted on 03/24/2006 12:20:28 PM PST by kenth
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To: JoeSixPack1; B4Ranch; Beelzebubba; calljack; Zon; planekT

Ping!


17 posted on 03/24/2006 12:20:58 PM PST by Supernatural (Ea wull staun ma groon, Staun ma groon al nae be afraid)
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To: Supernatural
Image Hosted by ImageShack.us
18 posted on 03/24/2006 12:21:14 PM PST by Rakkasan1 (Muslims pray to Allah, Allah prays to Chuck Norris.(one nation, under sharia))
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To: Supernatural
Use all the force necessary.

That guy could've shot his eye out.




19 posted on 03/24/2006 12:21:54 PM PST by G.Mason (Duty, Honor, Country)
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To: Rakkasan1

Cat AND a rifle.

Double-trouble for pigeons. LOL!


20 posted on 03/24/2006 12:22:18 PM PST by Supernatural (Ea wull staun ma groon, Staun ma groon al nae be afraid)
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