Lost in the chaos Branch Davidian tragedy at 25: How the story overtook the storytellers

WacoTrib ^ | 2/24/2018 | J. B. Smith

[Elderberry]

On a drizzly February morning 25 years ago, a Waco Tribune-Herald reporter knocked on a door on Double EE Ranch Road, 12 miles east of town.

He was preparing to ask permission to set up to observe “a news story” expected to unfold at a religious commune across the street.

A face appeared in the door, twisted in surprise and anger. The man didn’t let the reporter finish the question.

“Get the f--k out of here,” the man sputtered.

The reporter, Tommy Witherspoon, hurried back to a silver Honda Accord, where a photographer and another reporter waited. The car backed out of the driveway at 9:45 on Sunday morning, Feb. 28, 1993.

Up to this moment it was possible to believe that this was a local story — newsworthy but not world-shaking. Those in the car that day recall thinking of it as a coda to the big story that had started running the day before.

In a seven-part “Sinful Messiah” series, readers were learning about the Branch Davidians and their messianic leader, who had recently changed his name from Vernon Howell to David Koresh. A slew of ex-members accused him of asserting divine mandate to take at least 15 “wives” and to have sex with young girls.

Witherspoon had a tip that that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms might serve a warrant that morning for the possession of illegal automatic weapons. Witherspoon recalls expecting to see Koresh and a crowd of his followers come out with their hands raised.

Reporters from KWTX had gotten a similar tip and were waiting in cars down the road, but the station management hadn’t staffed up for live coverage and was scheduling the story for the 6 p.m. newscast.

For the moment, everything seemed under control. A moment later, nothing did.

[coloradan]

The narrative was that the roof "collasped" on those huddled underneath, killing them in the fire, but the following two photos show a hole in reinforced concrete that is not the result of a collapse but rather of a high explosive charge, and also of people standing on the allegedly collapsed roof - except that the room interior is dark, which means the roof didn't collapse. (Otherwise it would have been filled with daylight.) The Davidians were murdered by the US government.

.

[TTFlyer]

They did an excellent, and fair and balanced, job. So fair in fact I am shocked it ever got aired on American TV, cable or otherwise.

[shanover]

To preface,I have nothing but disdain for that POS preacher who called himself a god.

One of the most sickening events in American history at so many levels.

FUBC,FUJR and the rest of what shamelessly called itself American government. Nothing has gotten any better since then. That fact that the dog of a wife of the former POS treasonous,Commie,libtard hick from Arkansas came very close to assuming a throne is sickening.

[Terry Mross]

Ross Perot said something like “Being president is a stressful job. You get elected and a month later Jesus shows up in Waco.”. Like I said, something like that.

I worked about 14 miles from the compound. Drove by it many times. Left the area about a year before the raid.

[Max_850]

I’m not sure she is smiling, they are wearing radios on left shoulder, maybe she is speaking into the mic...

[napscoordinator]

I am watching it and I will say that until I watched this (last episode on Tuesday I believe), I thought the BD’s were just a bunch of wackos who deserved what happened to them. At the time, the media did a great job protecting the FBI and everyone else except the BD’s. I see now that they did not deserve death and really were trying to just live a quiet life.

[a fool in paradise]

The video crew was assaulted by authorities who were angry about their f*** up being caught on camera. I think they even tried to get them to surrender the tape. That attack was caught on video too.

It appeared in one of the Waco documentaries (not the Oscar nominee).

[a fool in paradise]

The KKK offered their help to the authorities (again footage in one of the documentaries).

But the media never played up that Klan endorsement of the attack on the “Waco” compound.

[a fool in paradise]

Some other footage of the KKK at the Waco Siege backing the police.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6K6iVBeP3as

[uncbob]

To prevent them the pain of being burned alive

[The_Media_never_lie]

what was illegal about using cs gas?

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Wouldn't nerve gas have been more humane?

[ml/nj]

Looking back, I didn't realize just how short of a time WJC had been in office.

And Janet ("The Torch") Reno wasn't confirmed as AG until March 11.

ML/NJ

[ml/nj]

The film Waco, The Rules of Engagement is devastating.

ML/NJ

[bmwcyle]

The local sheriff said that if when he went to serve any warrant, he had no issues but then he never showed up with an army.

[TexasGunLover]

I'm always amazed by those here forget the crimes committed by David Koresh. Did the innocents deserve what they got at the hands of the government? Absolutely not, but David Koresh was a child abuser of the worst kind.

Those that lived in the area and knew the cult, knew the children were sexually, mentally, and physically abused and had reported the situation for YEARS. LACK of action for so long by the police is what got the situation to where it was.

[morphing libertarian]

Non responsive to question generally the use of cs was not illegal

[AppyPappy]

A guy in my Bible Study was indirectly involved. He was part of the military group that told the FBI that military personnel could not be used with the equipment. They ended up getting the National Guard to fly the choppers.

[AppyPappy]

Sounds familiar (Parkland)?

[The_Media_never_lie]

Non responsive to question generally the use of cs was not illegal

---

From wikipedia: Another assault came at 9am with the tanks inserting another four bottles of CS. By that time, the levels of tear gas inside the building were reaching extremely high levels. A 1995 report prepared by Failure Analysis Associates for the National Rifle Association estimated that when the third assault ended, CS concentrations inside the building ranged from "30 to 90 times that required to deter trained soldiers." The report also found that levels of methylene chloride, a compound similar to chloroform, were reaching levels nearly two times those considered "immediately dangerous to life and health" -- IDLH, a common measure of toxicity for chemical compounds.

I believe David Koresh/Vernon Howell was scum. However, it might not be illegal to gas women and children in a confined area, but it surely is unethical.

[T-Bone Texan]

"...What does the BATF have to do with children...

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