Machine guns stolen from SWAT van

The Commercial Appeal ^ | April 23, 2007 | By Alex Doniach

[SubGeniusX]

Memphis police were looking Monday night for the thieves who stole seven weapons from a North Carolina SWAT team van parked in South Memphis.

Members of the SWAT team based in Raleigh, N.C., were eating at Interstate Bar-B-Que, 2265 S. Third, about 3:30 p.m. Monday when they realized their van had been broken into, said Lt. Jerry Gwyn of Memphis felony response.

Taken were three machine guns, two semi-automatic handguns, and two 12-gauge shot guns, Gwyn said.

The officers, who were traveling from Raleigh to Little Rock for training, noticed two thieves driving away in a burgundy Ford Expedition, Gwyn said. A video surveillance camera also caught the thieves in action.

"We’re concerned with getting these guns off the street," Gwyn said. "We have a lot of folks working on it right now."

The theft was reminiscent of a heist in 1997, when thieves stole a Little Rock FBI team’s Suburban. Inside the SUV were grenade launchers, M-16 rifles, submachine guns and other potent weapons, which were found after an intense three-day search.

[vetvetdoug]

This is the second time a FBI SWAT team has lost their weapons in Memphis. About four years ago the diverse component of Memphians broke into and stole several fully automatic M-16’s, grenade launchers, sniper weapons, and grenades from an FBI SWAT van. Memphis is a cesspool I keep telling you, you park there for anything at your risk no matter who you are.

[exit82]

Hey, Sub, can you send them to the Republicans in Congress? They haven’t been able to grow a pair for some reason.....

[trumandogz]

I bet the doors to the SWAT van were unlocked, perhaps even open and the guns inside the van were unsecured because the SWAT team was jacking around with the guns inside the van.

[2ndClassCitizen]

If guns are outlawed, then people would only be able to shop for guns by taking them from those who have them. No registration, no waiting period, guns would be just for the taking.
Every policeman, soldier, armory, bodyguard of a senator or representative, is transformed into a gun resource. No tax, all sales 100% off.

[enuf]

If this happened to any law abiding citizen, they would be charged with Gross Negligence and getting that proctology exam. From “behind” bars. Furthermore, if someone gets killed with one, they would most likely be looking at 20 to life!

[Rb ver. 2.0]

Raleigh’s finest ping.

[Andrew Byler]

Inside the SUV were grenade launchers, M-16 rifles, submachine guns and other potent weapons, which were found after an intense three-day search.

Why does an FBI unit need grenade launchers? Does our government really consider its citzens its enemy?

[Rb ver. 2.0]

It wasn’t an FBI van, it was the Raleigh, NC police.

[ErnBatavia]

for sure....for damn sure.

[Centurion2000]

mp3 and m4’s

Do those take Zune or ipod clips?

I think you meant this

[ErnBatavia]

Interstate Barbeque left holding the tab.

Yep...and we can be assured there were a few "go cups" in the mix...

[ErnBatavia]

Los Angeles Police Department is better armed then 90% of the world’s countries.

Be refreshing if they'd do something with the armada, other than shoot the shit back and forth on the radio all shift long.

[microgood]

Cops do not need this kind of firepower. Nor do we need 99% of the SWAT Teams we have now. It is really a bad trend over the last twenty years that needs to be reversed. There are over 40,000 SWAT Raids a year now, even for things like child support payments, where 20 years ago there were less than 1000.

Most cops are not very well trained to use this military equipment, and some police forces have modified their autos to only operate in single fire mode as a result. Part of the justification is that criminals are using more and more firepower, which is simply false.

[elkfersupper]

[miliantnutcase]

I’m a gun expert. I stayed at a Holiday Inn last night!

[11B40]

Does our government really consider its citzens its enemy?

Yes. Consider Waco and Ruby Ridge.

[Diggity]

It’s just more bloated government waste.

This is why so many towns are starting to use traffic cams to catch traffic violations. It’s how they pay for their toys.

It’s extortion.

John

[untrained skeptic]

Then they'd be sitting around saying "would someone shut off that stupid car alarm?!?!".

But seriously. It says that officers saw the thieves driving off. It was probably a quick smash and grab.

They smash a window to get in, grab what they can quickly, and speed off.

We had it happen here to a swat team in a restaurant parking lot where they stopped to get dinner.

There are some things you really can't prevent unless you just leave the guns locked up in a safe all the time.

[petertare]

Let me splain sometun folks.

There is so much Homeland Security cash floating around that every little Barney Fife cop shop is now stocked with the equivalent of a company size armory. Almost everyone now has a sniper rifle beside the M16. I aint kidin. Barney would even get a new glock and a full magazine in his pocket nowadays.

[lndrvr1972]

mp3’s they used music? You have no idea what in the hell you are talking about. Do you?