Posted on 10/26/2002 5:36:19 AM PDT by B4Ranch
The FBI was told by a witness last summer in Washington state that sniper suspect John Allen Muhammad was trying to obtain a silencer for his gun and wanted to kill police officers, and authorities decided to treat it as a local police safety matter, law enforcement officials say.
FBI agents had concerns about some aspects of the witness' account and did not interview Muhammad at the time, the officials told The Associated Press.
Authorities said emphatically Friday that nothing they received in June or July from the witness, Harjee Singh, suggested Muhammad and a 17-year-old companion, John Lee Malvo, would later cross the country and go on a random killing spree in the suburbs of the nation's capital, as they are now suspected of doing.
FBI agents, however, reinterviewed the witness again this week and received new details from him, but still have reservations about certain aspects of his accounts, officials said.
Singh, of Bellingham, Wash., said he met with authorities last summer and told them Muhammad and Malvo — whom he had met at the local YMCA — had talked to him about a possible plan to shoot police officers.
``I raised the red flag three months ago,'' Singh said. ``I told them what their intention was.''
Asked to elaborate, Singh said, ``They told me they were likely to do a sniper attack. They told me they were going to shoot to kill.''
Asked by AP if the two men named targets, Singh responded: ``Yeah, cops.''
He said the pair also mentioned possibly firing at a tanker truck.
One law enforcement official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Singh told the FBI that Muhammad was trying to equip a gun with a silencer and was threatening to kill police officers but had few details.
``We looked at this as an officer safety issue,'' the official said. ``This came to us in July. He (Singh) complained about Muhammad and his desire to obtain a silencer and to kill police officers.''
The official said the FBI did not try to interview Muhammad at the time, concluding the silencer issue was a matter for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and that the threats against police were a matter for local law enforcement.
ATF Special Agent Patrick Berarducci said Friday night that his agency heard about Muhammad and the silencer issue only in a casual conversation at the Bellingham Police Department.
``In a conversation about other law enforcement matters, mention was made of Muhammad and the fact that he was attempting to obtain a silencer, but there was really no specifics and it was just one of thousands of conversation that our agents have with law enforcement,'' Berarducci said.
Singh wasn't the only witness to provide the FBI with information that Muhammad was trying to equip a gun with a silencer. A former Army buddy told the FBI earlier this week, just before Muhammad was arrested, that the Gulf War veteran talked to him about equipping his rifle with a silencer and remarked that such a weapon could do damage, according to court documents.
Bellingham Police Chief Randy Carroll said his agency had met with Singh last summer. Police met again with Singh on Wednesday night, Carroll said.
``There was nothing he told us three months ago or last night that would lead us to believe Mr. Muhammad or Mr. Malvo would have the kind of future that led them to where they are today,'' he said.
The chief added that Singh's story changed when he was re-interviewed this week
Bellingham police spokesman Lt. Dac Jamison said there wasn't enough information in the original interview over the summer to arrest Muhammad. He said he did not know whether his department issued an alert based on Singh's information, but added ``it wouldn't surprise me if something was issued.''
``If you hear that somebody has started thinking about the crime, but there's no plan, where do you go with that, other than to go interview the people?'' Jamison asked. ``By the time we were aware of it, Muhammad had been gone six months.''
During the reinterview this week, Singh provided additional details about what he knew about Muhammad, but law enforcement officers are concerned about some conflicting facts, officials said.
Singh said he did provide ``additional information'' Wednesday night that he had not offered previously, but has not changed his story.
Bellingham is proving to be an important location in the investigation of the sniper shootings, which left 10 people dead and three wounded.
The chief added that Singh's story changed when he was re-interviewed this week
Here comes the CYA stories.
Satisfied? [rolling eyes]
You can buy a silencer for about $1000, then you are supposed to regerister it with the ATF, another $250.
I don't know if the background check is more detailed for this Class 3 equipment. I imagine it is. I have a friend who has a couple of these Class 3 type weapons and he complains about the ATF fees.
The following Saturday, the SAC called me at home and told me that the information I had over heard turned out to be correct. They had the local Sheriff stop the car on a false charge, something to do with brake lights, and the young men inside were all carrying guns and masks and were 1/4 mile from the bank.
The guys were arrested on a variety of charges, none of which was bank robbery of course because that was prevented. This is what we have cops for, correct?
I would imagine if someone had followed up on the tip about Muhammed and his desire for a silencer, they might just have scared him enough to think twice before murdering innocent Americans.
The following Saturday, the SAC called me at home and told me that the information I had over heard turned out to be correct. They had the local Sheriff stop the car on a false charge, something to do with brake lights, and the young men inside were all carrying guns and masks and were 1/4 mile from the bank.
The guys were arrested on a variety of charges, none of which was bank robbery of course because that was prevented. This is what we have cops for, correct?
I would imagine if someone had followed up on the tip about Muhammed and his desire for a silencer, they might just have scared him enough to think twice before murdering innocent Americans.
There is no way to tell. But in my opinion, the number of people coming to the FBI on the average day, week, or even month, and accusing someone they know of threatening to kill law enforcement officers, is zero.
if this was the military, these incompetents would have been out the door for their absoulutely unacceptable failure to investigate the tip from Singh
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is busy 24 / 7 / 365 protecting America. They were heroes who did their best to save lives at a fire in Waco, Texas that burned alive a large group of criminal children.
The FBI was also right there trying to stop the evil terrorist Kevin Weaver. Weaver’s psycho 14 year old son was valiantly “neutralized” by machine gunning him in the back. Then a highly skilled and courageous FBI sniper stopped that traitorous Vicki Weaver. Unfortunately for America, as Vicki’s head was shattered, her body turned and fell, and the courageous FBI hero was unable to get a head shot on the infant. Oh well, there’s always next time.
Don’t forget Florida: an FBI agent was falsely accused of drunk driving, killing two brothers, then allowing the Florida Highway Patrol to spirit him away until he sobered up. The fact was, these two brothers were the true perpetrators.
We all admire the patriotic FBI agent who unflinchingly defended his fellow agents by shooting the “bank robber” in the face while he sat in his car with his girlfriend. That WAS the real robber, and you know it!!
then 9-11, then, then then...
Thank God for the Federal Bureau of Investigation. God bless Amerika, Heil Hitler!
That is, um, interesting.
Mr. Muhammad should have been arrested for illegal possession of firearms.
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