Armed man waving flag shuts down highway [SANTA BARBARA, Calif.]

Sacramento Bee ^ | Monday, Nov. 03, 2008

[Hadean]

A masked man waving an American flag and holding a handgun on a Santa Barbara freeway overpass has shut down Highway 101 for nearly two hours.

Police Sgt. Lorenzo Duarte says the man is on the La Cumbre Avenue overpass wearing a ski mask and brown fatigues. He's waving an American flag in one hand and a handgun in the other.

No shots have been fired.

The freeway has been shut down in both directions...The police special weapons team and a crisis negotiation team is on the scene.

[cantfindagoodscreenname]

Witnesses on the scene say he’s yelling out anti Obama comments.

Hired by the Obama team, no doubt.

[penelopesire]

ok..thanks for the info. Had me a little concerned.

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

“THE SIGN SAYS YOU SERVE BREAKFAST UNTIL 11:00!!!”

[norton]

"Overreaction is a way of life there. "

Maybe they could loan him an SUV.
Then we could watch another car chase instead of another stump speech.

[GOP Poet]

looks as though they are bringing the robot in. Not going toward him yet, just getting ready.

[cantfindagoodscreenname]

He has put his gun down. Still waving the flag, hope he knows he shouldn’t be touching the ground with the flag.

Yeah, that's my main concern about this guy. < /sarc>

[tatsinfla]

if he is a mccain supporter i hope he voted first before they take him out....

[ladyvet]

Love that movie!

[stockpirate]

Several years back we had a guy on the WW bridge just south of DC with no gun saying he was going to jump. He held up traffic for something like 7-8 hours starting with the AM rush hour.

People stuck in traffic were saying they should shot the guy.

[meyer]

Why don’t they just shoot this idiot and reopen the highway?

[dragnet2]

He’s a nut case...But just smart enough to put his weapon down.. If he don’t cooperate soon, they’ll hit him with the bags...They *really* hurt too.

[penelopesire]

I find that hard to believe because MSNBC and CNN are not giving it wall to wall coverage....(eye roll) If he were yelling anti-Obama crap..the presses would have stopped. My guess is that he is yelling pro-Obama stuff....lol

[Mac from Cleveland]

Actually, I was just responding to post # 5.

[2Jedismom]

Our ice cream man did this a few years ago!

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?articleID=L092599062

[penelopesire]

This report says that a friend of the guy says he is an Iraq War vet!

http://www.ktla.com/content_landing_page/?Masked-Gunman-Shuts-Down-Highway-101-in-=1&blockID=124961&feedID=171

Prayers UP for this man and those trying to talk him out of a very bad situation!!

[TribalPrincess2U]

We’re bound to have a few insane people come out like this.

A death wish, no doubt.

[dragnet2]

I find that hard to believe because MSNBC and CNN are not giving it wall to wall coverage....(eye roll) If he were yelling anti-Obama crap.

All the roads are grid locked in the area due to the 101 being shut down. Probably hard for the news groups to get ground crews in. Besides, they wouldn't let the news teams in close enough to hear anything. FOX news has an affiliate chopper covering it intermittently.

The robot is taking this guy a cell phone...

Hey, at least they get to use their $200,000 tax paid robot.

Traffic must be back up to the Mexican border by now...lol

[VeniVidiVici]

Looks like someone has finally had enough of the porous border and is invading Mexico.

[dragnet2]

We’re bound to have a few insane people come out like this. A death wish, no doubt.

They won't kill him unless he picks up the weapon and points it at the LEOs.

I'd hit him with 5 bean bags and end this traffic nightmare.

[Recovering Ex-hippie]

Hey...CHILL OUT!

I really don’t appreciate your comment. this is no joke and the guy is reported to be an iraqi war vet.

In any case, this guy needs our prayers, not some stupid comment.