FOX: SWAT TEAM AT PHONE BOOTH /VA (SNIPER?) [Man Arrested, Press Conference Soon]

FoxNews | October 21, 2002 | FoxNews

[RobFromGa]

Fox reports SWAT team has surrounde phone booth in Richmond, VA

[RobFromGa]

it may be a diversion for an even bigger event by testing emergency preparedness in various jurisdictions adjacent to Washington.

If you're right, AQ is licking their chops at this point. Our police appear to be too afraid to release a sketch of the perp for PC reasons.

[Mo1]

CNN reporting NOTE implies demand for money.

Money??? .. that doesn't make sense ..

[El Sordo]

Saw it too. Went through my book of flags.

The only one that I found that came close were Moldovia and Iowa.

But, it's an older book....

[Sender]

70% of the way closing this case

Hah. It's that last 30% that's uphill. And maybe that last 1% that gets really messy.

[Constitution Day]

Yahoo! Free Republic site

[Allrightnow]

"Yeah, that's the spirit that made America great."

Been wondering about this myself. I go into NYC often and remember the when violent crime used to be high. The possibility always existed that you could be randomly killed but life went on as usual. Heck, look at how dangerous DC is even without the sniper. Try walking a few miles in the downtown area after dark. Talk about feeling like you are in the cross-hairs!

[tortoise]

My only contrary thought about both of these theories is that if he didn't have the barrel all the way out of the van, the flash from the shot would briefly light up the inside of the van like a flashbulb. This would have to get someone's attention.

Not necessarily true. There are flash suppressors for .223 rifles which essentially reduce the flash to zero, even with very short barrels. And many flash suppressors don't produce much beyond a dim flicker of blue flame when shot at night. I've shot quite a few rifles on my ranch at night that have little or no flash and the .223 is among them; it depends on the cartridge and the rifle design. Expecting a flash or bloom of light when a shot is fired is not a safe assumption.

[Lucas1]

What if they are lying to us about the bullet? The last guy that was shot...they got the bullet out of him and it does not match the other bullets. They hold this information back...for obvious reasons. Then this ends up being a copycat crime...for money...too many mistakes being made?

Thoughts

[FootBall]

CNN reporting MAN arrested was MEXICAN NATIVE.

[Letitring]

CNN announcing 24yo Mexican native.

[RobFromGa]

CNN reported short while ago that authorities told them that they are 70% of the way closing this case.

By this reckoning, we are probably 95% of the way to eliminating Saddam. It's the last 5% that's the kicker...

[MEGoody]

I normally prefer FOX over CNN, but FOX has been doing some things that have ticked me off. For example, on Saturday night when we were watching coverage about the most recent shooting in VA, Rita Cosby had a reporter calling in every so often to say where the roadblocks were. Good grief! Lets just tell the sniper what routes not to take so he doesn't get caught.

[KsSunflower]

It is just so difficult to believe that a criminal(s) who has been so stealth to this point would fall so easily into a trap like this...it just seems so incredible, but who knows, maybe he thought that they would continue to focus to the north and that he was safe operating in Richmond.

[WSGilcrest]

As seen on the news of the van being towed:


You guys are paying $2.95 for Marlboros in Virginia? geez!

[Jambe]

Live press conference with Chief Moose - no sound. Click here

[r9etb]

CNN reporting NOTE implies demand for money.

Huh?

This is too strange -- but then, there are reports now (see MeeknMing's posts above) that tarot cards have been found at more than one site, which suggests that strange isn't all that uncommon with this case.

I've long thought that this is a nutjob case, and that the key would be to find the movie that most closely matches the MO for this case. Now the demand for money makes me wonder if it's Denzel Washington's John Q.

More likely, though, it's some dimbulb who thought he could extort some money by writing a fake sniper note. I guess we'll know today or tomorrow, if/when the sniper strikes again.

[ClancyJ]

He can just use them, but not give them or us (the public) any info

Well, maybe you should call the news and tell them to quit covering it if they are not going to reveal everything to the public - leaks and all. We HAVE TO KNOW RIGHT NOW!!!!!

Just maybe the public in Virginia wants whatever necessary to prevent being shot dead in their tracks. If it inconveniences you and your viewing pleasure, maybe you could just change the channel.

[michigander]

Him-a-look-a-like-a-man?

[El Sordo]

Wait! This was it, wasn't it?

Mexcio...

Curiouser and curiouser....

[El Gato]

The NRA and/or Bush/Cheney and/or USMC bumper stickers

NRA and USMC stickers are surprisingly similar, especially from any distance, so one could be being mistaken for the other quite easily.