Posted on 12/13/2008 3:24:44 PM PST by james500
An Oregon State Police bomb technician became the second victim of a bomb in a Woodburn bank branch, State Police spokesman Lt. Gregg Hastings confirmed Saturday. Two state troopers were killed when a bomb exploded inside West Coast Bank in Woodburn, Oregon.
Technician Bill Hakim, a senior trooper, and Woodburn Police Capt. Tom Tennant were killed in Friday evening's blast, Hastings said. Both men were 51 years old.
Woodburn Police Chief Scott Russell, 46, was critically injured. A female bank employee also was injured. She was treated at a hospital and released, the State Police said in a written statement. Her name was not immediately available.
...
Their investigation led to a suspicious device outside West Coast Bank, and all but two employees were evacuated from the bank, Hastings said. It was not immediately clear why those two employees were not evacuated.
The device was brought inside, and it exploded, Hastings said. He said it was not clear why it had been brought inside.
Bank President Bob Sznewajs said Friday that his employees told him authorities "scanned it outside, then brought it in." Video Watch a witness describe the explosion »
...
Hastings urged anyone with more information about the bomb to come forward.
"This individual or individuals took the life of two police officers and critically injured the chief of police and potentially could have killed one or both of the bank employees that were still inside," Hastings said.
"That person is very dangerous, and that person needs to be found as soon as possible," he said. "And if it takes a $35,000 reward, or if that reward even grows, to convince someone to come forward, to give us that information that's going to break the case, then that's money well spent."
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
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Prayers for their families.
About 12 miles north of me. Woodburrito town.
Woodburn is a fairly small city. Located about midway between Portland and Salem. 'Bout 20 miles north of Salem and about the 25 south of Portland. There might be 15,000 in the area. It's a sprawling farm area with some really big agriculture due to being in the Willamette valley. It has been over-run by hispanics and russian immigrants. Not such a great town anymore, as you can guess. The immigrant population is pretty destitute.
If MSNBC discovers the bomber is a liberal that is exactly what they'll do. They'll fawn all over him - just like Ayers. If the bomber's a conservative he'll be the Timothy McVeigh treatment.
And these guys wonder why people don't trust the MSM?
Being that it’s Oregon where it happened it could be any manner of extremist group or a lone nutcase. Oregon seems to have more than it’s share of whackos and we have large extremist populations on both sides of the political spectrum. From leftwing anarchists, communists, Alf/Elf, to rightwing militant religious groups, and white supremicists. Oregon seems to be a melting pot for nutjobs.
Another thing not mentioned is that Woodburn with its HUGE illegal and barely legal Mexican population may mean this is a narco related hit gone bad (or good if the narcos were after cops). Woodburn being right next to I-5 is a major hub for trafficing meth from the Mexican superlabs. Lucky for me I live only 15 minutes South of there. (sarc/)
**Lucky for me I live only 15 minutes South of there. (sarc/)**
We must be neighbors.
Through the grapevine I heard they inspected quite a number of hoax bombs that day. Sounds like they were set up.
I am trying to wrap my head around WHY they would move a suspected bomb inside? Where a blast would be intensified by being indoors, not to mention increased risk of glass flying or building collapsing? Was there a K-9 unit on the scene to check the item? In the (admittedly very limited) bomb training I received, a blast indoors or in a small enclosed area was considered a worst-case scenario that would maximize casualties.
Every city in the Willamette Valley, plus the Oregon State Police, are well equipped and well trained in this type of thing, and the Salem-Woodburn area has had it's share of this type of event over the years.
To characterize these guys as untrained hicks is unthinking. Something went wrong no doubt, and it may have been through error of someone on scene or not. Right now all I can say is what's being reported doesn't make sense.
Uh, thanks for that. Nicest thing I've heard all day (though it's not quite 5:00 AM).
Reference your tagline:
My guess would be a yes.
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