#he could help the new sgts and take a load off of the three other LTs and give the ones newer to higher command advice

[kraviolis]

hi guys here's my weekly update for y'all about the GTA5 RP streams ive been watching constantly!

the government of los santos is planning on starting a war with a sovereign nation just off the coast of san andreas called the sanguine isles because the nation has been trafficking weapons and supplying gangs within los santos with guns and literal WMDs that have taken so many lives and destroyed entire buildings.

this all started because at first the PD decided to infiltrate sanguine by putting an undercover spy on the island and having him worm his way into the island's militia inner circle. he got heavy amounts of intel on everything and provided this intel directly to the commissioner of the PD and to the director of the detective agency of the PD.

recently, after about 2-3 months of UC work and intel gathering, his cover was blown after the agent was spotted by allies of the sanguine isles while on the mainland for his uncle's funeral (his uncle being the previous commissioner who set up this whole op) and was recognized.

it wasnt immediate recognition and there was a lot of doubt as to whether divine (the cop) and jamie (his undercover identity) were the same person, but it really all got fucked up last night when yaeger (the leader of the sanguine isles) was called by shelby (one of the new commissioner's fiance) because she was pissed the commissioner was focused on work (the spy possibly being in danger bcus he decided to go back to the island) instead of wedding planning and asked him directly if divine (the cop) was in danger. this directly confirmed to yaeger that jamie (the undercover ID) and divine (the cop) were the same person.

divine, having learned how his cover was blown, went full scorched earth because he's severely mentally fucked up from his time on the island. he snitched on the PD to yaeger. then he refused to leave the island and told everyone he was joining yaeger.

bundy (senior park ranger) was called in for legal advice and help with a possible assassination attempt. he managed to talk down the commissioners of PD and the director of detectives from pulling a full on CIA operation that involved infiltrating the island and assassinating divine. because that would've basically been the state of san andreas declaring war on the sanguine isles.

instead, bundy (senior park ranger) invoked legislation written months ago because divine also has a warrant out for his arrest (he shot someone in the head for pissing on his uncle's grave) and the legislation is very clear that if someone on the island has a warrant, then los santos/san andreas has every right to go to the island to apprehend this individual and yaeger has to cooperate and assist them in the apprehension or else it is considered a violation of international law and possibly a declaration of war against the state of san andreas.

bundy (who is, i cannot emphasize this enough, a park ranger who is just a senior patrol officer.) basically came in to what was about to be an international incident that would lead to san andreas being seen as the aggressors and turned it completely around to the point where the sanguine isles are now violating international law and san andreas military has every right to invade them.

[niqhtlord01]

Humans are weird: Merging multiple species into society

( Don’t forget to come see my on my new patreon and support me for early access to stories and personal story requests :D https://www.patreon.com/NiqhtLord )

Across the landing field the ground crews were in frantic motion. Landing pads that had been used as temporary supply dumps were cleared, refugees and civilians were moved up for transport off world, and for the first time in seven months the Galaxian base commander braided his face tentacles.

From his office overlooking the entire compound, Commander Zavar kept watch of the progress from the corner of his eye while his main focus was on the mirror in front of him. Carefully observing his reflection he intertwined the several dozen chest length tentacles that grew just beneath his jaw into elegant patterns.

He hadn’t bothered to for the last few months as the braiding of tentacles was meant to show a sign of respect. A Galaxian with unbraided tentacles was essentially stating that whomever they spoke with they held them in low regard. Zavar hadn’t braided them for some time as he felt no need to show signs of respect to anyone under his command.

It had been months since the landing base was established with the intent to use it as a jumping off point in new offensives. When Zavar had been given command he felt that he would be helping bring an end to this bloody conflict by maintaining such a crucial facility. Yet just as the offensive was about to begin their enemies decided to launch a massive counter offensive on an entirely different continent. In short order the manpower which had been set aside for the Galaxian offensive was pulled away to mount a rapid defense and halt this no enemy offensive.  

One by one troop ships stopped coming to his base and requested materials became increasingly diverted to other theaters of the war until finally this once crucial launching point became nothing more than a gas station for passing supply ships.

He grimaced as he made a wrong twist while braiding remembering his degrading morale and the effect it had on those under him. The drive that had once fueled Zavar was sapped away by months of repetitive supply transfers and paperwork, and this soon turned to ever laxening of base discipline among the work crews. When Zavar’s second in command came to him with information that several of the crews had taken an abandoned storage building and had turned it into an entertainment club of sorts, all he did at the time was put on his military cap and take a walk over to it for a drink himself.

That had all changed last night when in the middle of darkness moon Zavar had received an offworld communication from central command. After weeks of careful negotiation the human government they had agreed to join the war effort on the Galaxian side. A substantial force of at least four of their divisions had already arrived in system and would be sending down a battalion of 500 soldiers to further secure and expand Zavar’s base.

Within moment of the calls end Zavar had ordered all of his crews to standby and began issuing orders with renewed fire. As Zavar finished braiding his tentacles and looked out across his base he saw all of the landing pads had been cleared, and with moments to spare.

A loud rumbling could be heard and Zavar could feel the room slowly vibrating as he looked to the clouded skies.

Breaching through the murky grey clouds that had covered the sky for weeks Zavar saw a human landing craft. It was a bulky black mass of metal with a design reminiscent of an overweight bird Zavar thought as it slowly descended towards the base. He was slightly disappointed in the lacking design aesthetics of the human craft, but he had remembered that these transports were designed for carrying large amounts of troops to safe areas rather than enemy held landings. Zavar watched it for a few moments more before leaving his office and making for the landing pads.

It was a short ride from his office to landing pad three were Zavar met his second in command already waiting with a small detachment of honor guard. He exited the vehicle just as the landing craft set down sending gusts of wind out from the engines as they slowly died down.

As Zavar took his place at the head of the honor guard the loading door of the transport popped open with a loud thud and began to lower.

He had heard stories of humans before, how they were great warriors of the highest caliber, that their reflexes were heightened to such a level in the heat of battle they could see an enemy from miles away, that they could lose limbs and heal after a period of time only to forge new ones and return for more combat; truly these beings would bring a swift end to this war.

The ramp finally touched the surface of the landing pad and Zavar could finally see inside of the transport. What he saw rather surprised him however…..

At the top of the ramp stood several ranks of human soldiers dressed in combat gear, but at the head of them was a uniformed Kliptec; their serpent body draped across the decking of the craft.

Zavar cast a side long glance at his second who looked as dumb founded as Zavar was feeling before looking back at the Kliptec. Their upper body was humanoid in shape, yet they bore more hallmarks of a reptile. Scaled skin, slit like eyes, sharpened fingers, and in place of feet was a roughly six foot long tail.

As the Kliptec slithered down the ramp towards Zavar and the front ranks of humans followed Zavar was greeted by further confusion. Mixed in with the humans soldiers Zavar noted several other species not native to the human worlds.

A Draxic casually stomped forward with the ranks appearing to carry some form of heavy weapon casually over their shoulder, a Flinchestet with a communication device glided across the decking as if its limbs could not be bothered to touch the floor, a Valmorian with a red cross painted across their helmet stood alongside a Combra whose face had been ritually scared for the coming battles; but most surprising of all was the towering figure at the very back of the transport.

A hive warrior drone draped in the uniform of humanity. It held no weapon between its claws but Zavar was positive it would have no need of such a device to rip through the lot of them. Some of the honor guard made let out whimper of fear and one even went so far as to start to bring their weapon to bear.

With only a look Zavar’s second command was at the guard’s side and snatched the weapon from his hands in a single motion.

“Be. Calm.” Those two words were all he said to the guard before returning to his place next to Zavar, the weapon he had taken from the guard clutched at his side.

His men looked at their commander with silent awe as they saw Zavar look unphased at the sudden turn of events. Instead of humanity’s reinforcements they appeared to have been given a cavalcade of species that had once fought against humanity. In truth Zavar was deeply concerned about this development, but the one thing keeping him from panicking was his observations of the actual human soldiers present.

Their eyes lacked a sense of fear one would normally experience when coming upon something, or someone, so unnatural to themselves. They were alert and disciplined which was all that Zavar needed to know to reassure him that things were as they should be.

The Kliptec finally slithered in front of Zavar and gave a crisp salute which Zavar returned with a bow of comradery.

“Lt. Colonel Reginal Seth of the 17th Engineer battalion.” the Kliptec said.

“Base Commander Zavar Hatsval,” Zavar replied as he motion to his second, “and my second Xixvil Nog, of the Galaxian expeditionary force.”

“I must admit,” Zavar began as the column of forces began marching past the trio, “when I heard we were getting human reinforcements I was not expecting this.”

Reginal’s sighed and rolled his eyes as if he had heard that same statement a thousand times before.

“Our military allows anyone to enlist so long as they were born within our borders.” he stated as he turned to see his soldiers march by to the storage facilities. “It is an efficient system to use every natural resource available to your advantage, so why limit to a single species military?”

“We do not ask others to fight in our stead.” Xixvil spoke as he watched several humans walk by.

“And how has that turned out for you here?” Reginal said as his serpent mouth twisted to a half grin. “Because from where I am it looks like we’re here to fight in your stead.”

Xixvil’s mouth dropped open in shock before morphing into one of anger while Reginal continued smirking. Zavar thought he was about to see his second lash out when the hive drone he had seen before marched over to them.

It stood easily twice as high as a Galaxian and three times as high as the human soldiers around it. Its collection of eyes were constantly darting around randomly as if trying to observe everything at once while it hovered over the trio. It slowly opened its mouth to reveal rows of sharpened teeth as it surprised Zavar once again.  

“Dro…..go…..where?”

In all of his life in the Galaxian military he had never heard of a hive drone capable of speech. In the past the Galaxian’s had fought several wars with the Hive and at every encounter the drone warrior caste was found to be near mindless killing machines without a queen’s control. To hear one speak in a language he could understand, let alone in broken sentences was enough to end the careers of several Galaxian biologists.

“Report to Sgt Morris, Dro.” Reginal said as if the tower beast of flesh and chitin before him was just another average soldier.

The drone’s eyes stopped twitching for a moment as if concentrating before continuing “Morris…..yes…find…Morris….going….now…sir.” It tilted a blade like appendage which took a moment for Zavar to realize it was saluting Reginal which the Kliptec swiftly returned.

“Carry on Dro.”

With that the drone shambled off after the majority of humans who had left the landing zone leaving only a few behind to begin unloading the battalion’s equipment. Reginal turned to them and handed them a data pad. “Once our gear is unloaded we will begin expanding the landing fields by three additional pads. After that we’ll start reinforcing the outer perimeter walls and compound infrastructure.”

Zavar took the data pad and began going over the details while Xixvil continued to watch Dro walk away.

“I do not mean to be rude, but why did you call that drone “Dro”?” Xixvil asked once the drone was far enough away.

Reginal shrugged, an oddly human gesture for such an alien being, before answering “That’s his name; Dro Harris.”

“It was my understanding that hive drones lacked the capacity to develop individuality.” Xixvil continued as he watched the drone in the distance stop in front of a humanoid looking figure before following them into a storage bay.

“Normally they aren’t able to, but humans have this strange ability to impart personalities into beings should they stay around them long enough.”

Both Zavar and Xixvil looked at Reginal dumbfounded.

“Are you serious?” they asked, to which Reginal simply nodded.

“One of his parents fought in the human hive wars and took an egg back as a trophy. Turns out it hatched and they decided to raise him as their son.”

“I can’t imagine humans reacted well to a hive drone in their midst.”

To their surprised Reginal shook his head. “From what he’s told me he used to be a successful actor before he enlisted; he was popular in fast food commercials.”

“Now I know you are making things up.” Zavar cut in, unable to believe what he was hearing.

“Humans do weird things like this all the time,” Reginal said, “they act distant at first but once they warm up to you the majority of them will welcome you with open arms and treat you like kin.”

He stretched out his arms so Zavar and Xixvil could get a good look at him.

“People assume humans are barbaric isolationist xenophiles, and while it is true there are some of them out there they do not make up the entirety of humanity.”

“There are humans that will sit down with complete strangers and within an hour be closer than brothers with them, humans that will drop everything to come help you even when there is no benefit to themselves, humans that will check up on you just to see if you are alright.”

“It’s weird but at times it’s almost as if humanity has been sick of just knowing only humans and will throw themselves at anything different just so they can experience something new, something exotic and exciting.”

Reginal looked at the two Galaxians as they took in what he had to say and shook his head. He gave a quick salute and then slithered after his men as the heavy equipment began rolling off the transport leaving the Galaxians in the dust.  

[robertmcangusgroup]

The Daily Tulip

The Daily Tulip – News From Around The World

Sunday 28th January 2018

Good Morning Gentle Reader….  Bit of a struggle this morning to get up and take my Bella for her early morning walk.. finally yesterday I gave in and went to the Doctor’s ,, the young man diagnosed “Flu” which is what we all thought it was.. but unlike me he had a white coat and a stethoscope round his neck, so his diagnosis was the right one.. Rest, Liquids, and no effort.. I told him, where do I find a job like that.. I’m married with two children …..  

DRIVER CAUGHT WITH SHED BALANCED ON CAR IN NEWTON ABBOT DEVON ENGLAND…. A motorist has been caught by police driving with a shed balanced on a car roof. Devon and Cornwall Police said the car was spotted driving in Newton Abbot town centre on Saturday with the shed held in place "with a single rope and no roof rack". Sgt Olly Tayler tweeted that it "could have ended far worse than a ticket for an insecure load". The driver was issued with a fixed penalty notice. Sgt Tayler tweeted that he "didn't quite believe" what he had seen, and added: "If you're carrying a load on your vehicle please make sure it's secure."

AUSTRALIA SCHOOLGIRL LEFT IN LOCKED BUS FOR HOURS…. Australian authorities are investigating how a five-year-old girl was left locked on board a school bus for more than four hours. Alyssa Jade, five, was reported missing when she failed to return from her first day of school in Queensland. She was found about 19:00 local time on Monday (09:00 GMT) at a bus depot after a cleaner heard her "banging on the door", police said. They said she was in good health despite the scare. Bobbie Langdon wrote on Facebook that her daughter had been "petrified" during the ordeal in Logan City, 45km (27 miles) south of Brisbane. Police said the girl had fallen asleep in the back of the bus and had failed to draw the attention of the driver who drove to the depot thinking he had no remaining passengers. "She wasn't in clear view of the driver or other passengers," Detective Inspector Mark White told the BBC. He warned people to be mindful of young children at the start of a new school year… Just a thought, don’t they count them on and off?

ANGER OVER 'STINKING SEAWEED' IN EMSWORTH STREET HAMPSHIRE ENGLAND…. Piles of "stinking seaweed" from winter storms are being removed from the streets of a coastal town after residents claimed they had been left there for almost three weeks. The seaweed washed onto King Street, Emsworth from Chichester Harbour. Resident Brian Sims said it was a "disgrace" it was still there, despite him making eight calls to the council. Havant Borough Council said its contractors did not have a record of any complaints to its hotline. After being contacted by the BBC, a council spokesman said contactor Norse South East would be removing the seaweed. Contractors began work to move it on Monday afternoon. The seaweed was washed ashore along with other debris during Storm Eleanor on 2 January. Mr Sims said the smell was "very unpleasant". "I have tried moving this health and safety hazard myself, but being in my 70s found it too much," "This stinking pile still blocks our road. It's frustrating and worrying - if an emergency vehicle had to come down here, and there are a lot of elderly people living on this street, it would battle to get through," he added…. I think I would prefer to live next door to the seaweed myself….

ZIMBABWE FAMILY LEAVE BANGKOK AIRPORT AFTER THREE MONTHS…. If you've ever complained about being forced to sleep in an airport after a delay, spare a thought for one Zimbabwean family who have finally left Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi airport where they've lived for the past three months. The family - four children under the age of 11 and four adults - first arrived in Bangkok in May. When they tried to leave in October for Spain, they didn't have the right visas. They couldn't legally re-enter Thailand as they'd overstayed their tourist visas and had to pay a fine. But they said they could not return to Zimbabwe because they faced persecution. The family asked for assistance from the UN, saying they feared persecution in Zimbabwe after the November unrest which saw the removal of long-term leader Robert Mugabe. The UN said a the time that it was "exploring options". Thailand does not provide legal status to refugees and asylum seekers. Meanwhile, the family stayed inside the departure area, being looked after by airport staff. According to a Thai immigration bureau spokesman, they finally left Bangkok on Monday afternoon.

CHINESE STAFF PAID IN BRICKS TO TOP UP UNPAID WAGES…. Employees at a brick factory in southeast China who were collectively owed some 90,000 yuan (US $14,050; £10,080) had their unpaid wages topped up in bricks, it's reported. According to the Xinhua News Agency, some 30 factory workers in Nanchang, Jiangxi province, agreed to receive 290,000 bricks in exchange for 80,000 yuan of their owed earnings. Jiangxi Daily reports that the workers, all of whom were migrants, came from mountainous regions of Yunnan province in the southwest, and had no choice but to live "by candlelight, with wood fire heating". After their local labour department intervened with the help of the courts, the employees agreed to receive bricks from the factory in exchange for their unpaid earnings. Xinhua says that their employer, who has not been named by local media, is still trying to figure out a way to repay staff the remaining 10,000 yuan that they are owed… Well that’s the final story cemented firmly into place…

Well Gentle Reader I hope you enjoyed our look at the news from around the world this, Sunday morning… …

Our Tulips today are very colourful…..

A Sincere Thank You for your company and Thank You for your likes and comments I love them and always try to reply, so please keep them coming, it's always good fun, As is my custom, I will go and get myself another mug of "Colombian" Coffee and wish you a safe Sunday 28th January 2018 from my home on the southern coast of Spain, where the blue waters of the Alboran Sea washes the coast of Africa and Europe and the smell of the night blooming Jasmine and Honeysuckle fills the air…and a crazy old guy and his dog Bella go out for a walk at 4:00 am…on the streets of Estepona…

All good stuff....But remember it’s a dangerous world we live in

Be safe out there…

Robert McAngus

[bangkokjacknews]

Families of Thai shooting victims wait for answers, bodies

Sirirat Kualraksa blinked back tears as the ambulances delivered gurneys bearing cloth-shrouded bodies to the morgue of a public hospital on Sunday, hours after a vengeful #Thai soldier killed 29 people and wounded dozens of others in a shopping mall rampage.

Sirirat lost her sister, brother-in-law and young nephew in the attack. She was among dozens of victims´ relatives sitting in plastic chairs and on concrete benches outside the morgue, waiting to fill out paperwork to lay claim to their loved ones and receive compensation from the Thai government's criminal victims´ fund. On Facebook, she had talked with her sister, 33-year-old Papatchaya Kualraksa, as she hid with her husband and their 2-year-old in a supermarket storage room. Sirirat advised her sister to nurse her son so he wouldn't make noise and risk revealing the family to the gunman, whose rounds of automatic fire echoed around the seven-story mall. In a Facebook call, Papatchaya told her sister that she was scared. "Gunshots could be heard endlessly and loudly. But there was no sign" of a rescue, Sirirat said. Still, "both of us thought that she would be able to get out." They exchanged several Facebook messages before Papatchaya went quiet.

Morgue staff a push a trolley with a coffin at a morgue, Korat, Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand, Sunday, Feb. 9, 2020. Thai officials say a soldier who went on a shooting rampage and killed numerous people and injured dozens of others has been shot dead inside the mall in northeastern Thailand. (AP Photo/Gemunu Amarasinghe) About 13 hours later, the standoff ended when Thai special forces fatally shot the gunman, whom authorities identified as Sgt. Maj. Jakrapanth Thomma. Sirirat, 43, later received photos from a friend, an officer who responded to the mall, of the body of her sister, arms wrapped around her 2-year-old, and the boy´s father nearby. At the hospital, a team from the government mental health department handed out cake and tissues, screening people for abnormal expressions of grief, according to Wimonwan Panyawong, a clinical psychologist who traveled from Bangkok northeast to Nakhon Ratchasima, a city of 150,000 people about 250 kilometers (150 miles) away. The hospital´s lone forensic pathologist was joined by two others from out of town, but officials said it could be days before autopsies were complete and the bodies could be handed over. Kanokphon Watchawan, 28, came from Bangkok to retrieve the body of her brother, Wanchai, who was killed while working at a store on the mall´s second story. Kanokphon said hospital authorities told her to come back for him on Tuesday. Officials said the assailant was angry over a financial dispute, first killing his commanding officer and the officer´s mother-in-law and then seizing several assault weapons and ammunition from his army camp. He opened fire and wounded at least three soldiers before stealing an army vehicle to flee, shooting as he drove to the mall where shoppers ran in terror. A funeral was held Sunday for a 13-year-old middle school student who was riding his motorbike when Jakrapanth fatally shot him enroute to the mall. Gun violence is not unheard of in Thailand, and the shooting in Nakhon Ratchasima comes just a month after another high-profile mall shooting in the central Thai city of Lopburi. In that case, a masked gunman carrying a handgun with a silencer killed three people, including a 2-year-old boy, and wounded four others as he robbed a jewelry store. By Sunday evening, survivors were streaming back to the site of the rampage, Terminal 21 Korat, a gleaming airport-themed shopping mall, to retrieve vehicles abandoned during the police evacuation. The ground floor was spotless, with lights on, shops left open and a Haagen-Dazs ice cream kiosk freezer humming. Palawan Ployudee, 50, whose gift shop on the mall´s third floor sells her hand-painted clothes, bags and other decor, first hid other shop owners and customers in the back of her store. When they realized they were exposed, they ran to a security guard office and later fled to safety down an internal fire escape. "The security guard instructed us to take off our shoes so we won´t make any noise and notify the culprit," she said. Elsewhere in the city, under a full moon, about 1,000 people gathered around the city´s most important monument, a statue of Thao Suranari, who is credited with saving her people from an invading Lao king in the early 19th century. People chanted prayers along with a slate of Buddhist priests leading funeral rites, holding candles in one hand and with the other, pointing to the sky, a gesture Buddhists believe directs souls to heaven. - AP

Family members visit their relative, a victim of the mass shooting, at a morgue, in Korat, Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand, Sunday, Feb. 9, 2020. Thai officials say a soldier who went on a shooting rampage and killed numerous people and injured dozens of others has been shot dead inside the mall in northeastern Thailand. (AP Photo/Gemunu Amarasinghe)

Morgue staff carry in coffins in Korat, Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand, Sunday, Feb. 9, 2020. Thai officials say a soldier who went on a shooting rampage and killed numerous people and injured dozens of others has been shot dead inside the mall in northeastern Thailand. (AP Photo/Gemunu Amarasinghe)

Morgue staff load a coffin of a victim of a mass shooting, at a morgue in Korat, Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand, Sunday, Feb. 9, 2020. Thai officials say a soldier who went on a shooting rampage and killed numerous people and injured dozens of others has been shot dead inside the mall in northeastern Thailand. (AP Photo/Gemunu Amarasinghe)

Relatives of a mass shooting fatality offer Buddhist prayers as they prepare to receive the body at a morgue, Korat, Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand, Sunday, Feb. 9, 2020. Thai officials say a soldier who went on a shooting rampage and killed numerous people and injured dozens of others has been shot dead inside the mall in northeastern Thailand. (AP Photo/Gemunu Amarasinghe)

A family member comforts as they wait at a morgue in Korat, Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand, Sunday, Feb. 9, 2020. Thai officials say a soldier who went on a shooting rampage and killed numerous people and injured dozens of others has been shot dead inside the mall in northeastern Thailand. (AP Photo/Gemunu Amarasinghe) – You can follow BangkokJack on Instagram, Twitter & Reddit. Or join the free mailing list (top right) Please help us continue to bring the REAL NEWS - PayPal Read the full article

[superhollywall]

Murder in the city

Bullets exploded like fireworks early in the afternoon on January 1, heralding not only the beginning of a new year, but the city’s first homicide of 2017.

Two of Jeffery Gooden’s eight children were preparing birthday festivities for another sister. Mercedes, who’d just moved into the Riverview Park Apartments four days earlier, stepped outside onto the cold ground in her bare feet and was met with shouts from two neighbors across the way, a couple of guys she didn’t know whom she would later describe as black men in their 20s with braids and dreadlocks.

"You’re trifling for not having shoes on," one of them yelled.

"Get some shoes on," the other echoed.

And then, when she wouldn’t answer, "Bitch, you hear me talking to you?"

"Do y’all got something better-ass to do than harass females?" she fired back. "You need to go find a job and leave me alone."

At this, they rushed toward her, three women suddenly appearing alongside them. Mercedes scooped up her children, who were playing outside, and ran to her apartment, while these people, whom she said she didn’t know, circled her home. She called each of her parents and at least one of her siblings, repeating their threats: "Bitch, we’ll kill you and your kids."

When Nyesha Scott, Mercedes’ sister, older by two years, arrived at the apartment complex, there didn’t appear to be anyone outside, but when Mercedes opened the door, her harassers approached, one gripping the butt of a gun he’d tucked into his waistband.

Nyesha tried to talk them down. "We don’t need no weapons."

"Please, put the gun down."

"No, no, no, we’re not doing this."

Nyesha remembers one of the women saying, "We’re not here for no talking, we’re here to get down to business," and one of the men: "We’re from Louisiana, this is how we get down."

"My little brother Jamal came around the corner, thinking he saw one of the guys pull up his pants like he was getting ready to hit us," Nyesha recalled later. "The guy pulled his gun out, pointed it past my face to my brother. After he pulled his gun out, I saw my daddy and my brother Christopher, and Christopher was on the phone with my mama. And they walk up, and the guy just started shooting."

Jeffery Gooden grabbed his gun before heading toward his daughter’s apartment. His wife, Chestine Gooden, said he didn’t carry a firearm all the time; he thought he might need it to protect his children and grandchildren.

"He didn’t go out there for no trouble," Chestine said, "he just wanted to keep the peace."

But when the man who’d been fighting with his daughter started shooting, Gooden fired back, hitting one of the women in the leg. He was struck, too, multiple times, and his daughter said he dropped to his knees and looked skyward before falling onto his back. Tears ran down his cheeks. Chestine, still on the phone with Christopher, screamed for someone to tell her who’d been shot.

Nyesha says she attempted CPR, but Jeffery Gooden was pronounced dead at St. John Medical Center. The woman he’d struck was treated for her injuries and released.

2017 began a lot like 2016 had ended.

Last year, Tulsa saw a record number of homicides—82 as of December 31, or 20.5 murders per 100,000 residents. The previous record was 71 in 2009. From 2002 to 2015, the mean homicide rate was approximately 52 per year, or 14 murders per 100,000 residents—almost triple the national average.

2016’s homicide rate was four times the national average.

Homicide Unit Sgt. Dave Walker said 2016’s murders don’t appear to have a whole lot in common, other than proximity. Twenty-two of the homicides last year started with altercations between those involved, and 16 were domestic homicides.

"That puts 16 people real close to each other," Walker said.

When people are closer together, they become better shots, he said.

Bullets are more likely to meet their target. Stabbings and brute force become more lethal.

At least 54 of the crimes involved guns, including the year’s seven officer-involved shootings. Ten were robberies gone wrong, and five resulted in the deaths of children.

Gang violence appears to be down—by Walker’s tally, only two of last year’s homicides were gang-related—but drugs and mental health played a role in last year’s statistics. Walker said PCP, a dissociative drug with hallucinogenic side effects, is making a comeback from its 1990s glory days; it played a role in at least four of last year’s homicides.

Walker responds to every homicide call the Tulsa Police Department receives—"whether it’s the middle of day or the middle of night"—along with at least two of his unit’s nine investigators (there’s a tenth investigator dedicated to cold cases). Sometimes the warrants and patrol units get involved if there’s a suspect to chase. Walker said his team also relies on the community to help solve the crimes—and currently, the unit boasts a 94-percent success rate.

"It doesn’t matter whether the police chief solves it or the trash driver solves it," Walker said. "We want information and that’s how we respond.

"A lot of times we’re working with the transient community and people—people on PCP don’t want to wait around for cops to show up two days later. We try to get out to those people while it’s fresh in their minds. We get what we need from citizenry, get suspect identification and get help finding them. It’s not rocket science; it’s just work."

Walker said he believes his officers have a good relationship with members of the community, and that’s why they’ve had so much success in solving murders.

"I think people respect what we do," he said. "I think ‘The First 48’ [the A&E series has had camera crews embedded with Tulsa’s homicide unit since 2014] has something to do with it, I think open dialogue with the media has something to do with it. People see us more, they know what we’re up against. They know we’re not all-knowing. If citizens don’t want to take their protection of their community serious, they can blame us, but we’re not going to take the blame."

But solving homicides won’t necessarily stop people from killing each other. How can a city like Tulsa lower its homicide rate by preventing the crimes from occurring in the first place?

"Every time there’s a murder, we look at it and say, ‘What could law enforcement have done, or somehow government intervention—how could we have stopped that murder?’ " Walker said. "But when you and I are fighting and I pull a gun and shoot you, there’s not much we can do about that except take your gun away. And I’m not a big proponent of taking everyone’s guns."

Walker said drug-addicted and mentally ill citizens seem to have more contact with law enforcement, and more methods for getting their hands on guns and other "instruments of destruction," so "getting people off drugs and gainfully employed would be a big thing."

He also, in a sort of roundabout way, spoke of criminal justice reform, saying, "Who do we want to incarcerate, people writing bad checks, or people killing

people?"

He mentioned Wanda Cooper, a 60-year-old woman who was stabbed to death on December 27 by a man who was arrested on December 4 with a loaded firearm and a trafficking weight of heroin. Two weeks later, he was released on bond and murdered Cooper.

"We can’t keep putting these people out there and expect good things to happen," Walker said. "Why are we releasing people with handguns who’ve shown a propensity for violence when we’re keeping people—I don’t want to say my stuff is more important, because that gets me in trouble."

I asked the family of Jeffery Gooden what they think the city should do to prevent homicides.

His widow, Chestine, didn’t hesitate.

"They need to clear these guns out the streets," she said.

Nyesha thought for a moment and then said, "I don’t feel like there’s a way to prevent this type of violence. Because if a person got it in their mind they want to kill somebody, they’re going to do it. I just feel like staying out of that type of environment and staying out of the way is what will prevent it."

Chestine said her husband and children had had run-ins with law enforcement in the past but that they’d "turned their lives around." She moved her family to a quiet neighborhood in East Tulsa in an attempt to keep her children and 14 grandchildren away from crime, drugs, and gangs.

Chestine and Jeffery had just married in September, after 28 years together.

"He said to me, ‘Now we can grow old together.’ And they took him from me. They took part of my heart. I break down three or four times a day because I can’t take this. Every second I look for my husband to come around the corner."

Chestine, who walks with a cane and a portable oxygen tank slung around her neck and suffers from a number of ailments, including Lupus, COPD, fibromyalgia, and heart disease, says her husband was the one who took care of her.

"He was a good person," she said, "a deacon in the church and a hard-working man."

The Gooden family sees Jeffery as a hero.

"I think if my dad and brother had not come up, he would have shot me first," Nyesha said. "I think he drew attention toward himself to protect his kids. He basically saved us. He sacrificed himself for his kids."

"Both sides have taken the childlike way out and are hiding from us," Walker said. "We will find out who and what transpired probably only to resolve the case by self-defense or justifiable. Even though the original reason is sophomoric."

The Goodens say they’ve given the police all the information they have, and now they want justice for their husband and father. "Get them off the street."

Jeffery Gooden’s murder is, at the time of this writing, still unsolved. In the two weeks since, Tulsa has seen four more homicides.

Originally published in The Tulsa Voice on Jan. 18, 2017. Read it here.

[courtneytincher]

U.S. Army soldiers acquire skills of works with cutting-edge JLTVs

U.S. Army soldiers with 3rd Infantry Division’s 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team students learn the methodology and techniques in operator training for the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle at Fort Stewart.

According to a news release put out by U.S. Army, the JLTV, which is intended to replace many of the Army’s Humvees, is equipped with the TAK-4 intelligent independent suspension system that allows it to maneuver quickly over rough terrain.

Future plans are to procure over 49,000 JLTVs for the Army and about 9,000 for the Marine Corps by the mid-2030s, as part of a joint acquisition effort.

While being trained on the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle, Staff Sgt. Jonathan Sowards had a simple but effective way to test the vehicle’s innovative suspension.

He grabbed a cup, filled it with water and placed it in one of the cup holders found inside the Army’s newest tactical vehicle.

He then drove it along an uneven tank trail. When the test drive ended, the outcome surprised him.

“I hit the bumps going about 35 to 40 mph back through there,” he said, “and I didn’t even spill one drop.”

The JLTV, which is intended to replace many of the Army’s Humvees, is equipped with the TAK-4 intelligent independent suspension system that allows it to maneuver quickly over rough terrain.

For 3rd Infantry Division’s 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, that kind of mobility can help these new vehicles operate with its fleet of M1 Abrams tanks and Bradley Fighting Vehicles.

“The ability for a Humvee to keep up with a tank, you might think it’s easy,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Robert Leimer, the brigade’s senior enlisted leader. “But the terrain a tank can cover and the terrain a Bradley can cover is not the terrain a Humvee can cover.”

In January, the armored brigade began to train operators and maintainers on the first shipment of JLTVs a few months after its nine-month rotation on the Korean Peninsula.

The unit is set to receive about 350 JLTVs, which Soldiers will then use in the California desert as part of a National Training Center rotation early next year before an upcoming deployment.

The initial contract awarded in 2015 calls for the production of nearly 17,000 JLTVs at a cost of about $250,000 each, excluding add-on armor and other kits.

Currently JLTVs have two- and four-seater variants and four mission package configurations: general purpose, heavy guns carrier, close combat weapons carrier and a utility vehicle.

Future plans are to procure over 49,000 JLTVs for the Army and about 9,000 for the Marine Corps by the mid-2030s, as part of a joint acquisition effort.

That production schedule was shortened from the early 2040s after both services were able to obtain a vehicle with more capability at a lower cost through competitive prototyping — a nearly $6 billion reduction in planned costs.

“We took several years off and saved cost at the same time, which is pretty impressive for a program,” said Col. Shane Fullmer, project manager for the JLTV. 

The JLTV offers many creature comforts not typically seen in other tactical vehicles.

Besides its smooth ride and cup holders, those comforts include extra legroom, electronic mirrors, map reading lights and climate control for the rear seats. Indentations in the seats also allow for added comfort for those wearing personal water carriers on their backs.

Similar to a touchscreen computer found in a newer car, a driver’s smart display unit on the center console monitors the vehicle’s fluids, filters, tire air pressure and even has a rearview camera.

Routine preventive maintenance checks and services, or PMCS, will still be as important as ever, the sergeant major noted.

“Whatever that brain in the center of the vehicle tells you it can check,” Leimer said, “we still need to ensure Soldiers are getting out of the vehicle and lifting the hood and making sure they’re not cutting corners.”

The smart display, though, could make it easier for a mechanic when specific fault codes pop up on the screen as part of its self-diagnosis capability.

Sgt. Louis Accardi, a wheeled vehicle mechanic with the brigade’s 10th Engineer Battalion, said while the display will not replace the PMCS technical manual, it could help pinpoint a possible issue.

“It’s going to make my job and my Soldiers’ jobs a lot faster,” he said, “so we can focus on those trucks that need a little bit more care than hopefully the JLTV would need.” 

Another unique feature is the electronic adjustable height suspension, which can lower the vehicle to 8 inches from its exhaust to the ground for transport purposes. The vehicle can also be raised up to 30 inches when driven over difficult terrain, such as a waterway crossing.

Accardi, who recently finished a two-week master maintainer’s course for the JLTV, recalled how difficult it can be to transport vehicles on vessels.

“The dock, waves moving, low overhang can all affect how things are loaded or unloaded,” he said. “The fact it can adjust its height is amazing. That will help make a big difference.” 

Due to its lighter weight than most tactical vehicles, the JLTV can even be sling loaded by a CH-47 Chinook, unlike a similar vehicle, the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected All-Terrain Vehicle, or M-ATV.

The suspension system can also lower or raise the JLTV on one end, giving Soldiers another option in combat.

Sowards, a cavalry scout with 5th Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, said his unit could possibly benefit from that feature.

During a reconnaissance mission, for instance, the vehicle could be hidden behind a berm and then elevated on one or both sides to allow the gunner to see over.

“We’d be able to spy on the enemy a lot better from this vehicle,” he said, adding it is much quieter than his unit’s Bradley vehicles. “We’d be able to identify the enemy and they won’t even be able to see or hear us coming.”

The JLTV represents a drastic improvement in the so-called “iron triangle” balance of protection, payload and performance.

Not only does the JLTV have a maximum speed of 75 mph, it has greater protection and payload capacity than the Humvee.

It is also one-third lighter with a similar payload to that of the M-ATV, as well as the first vehicle to be purpose-built for battlefield networks.

“Despite our best efforts to enhance current vehicles,” Fullmer said, “no current option delivers the balance of payload, performance and protection that Soldiers and Marines need, along with a leap forward in improved maintainability, reliability and fuel efficiency.”

Plans still call for incorporating the JLTV alongside the Humvee, which has been around since the early 1980s. In two or three years, the JLTV is slated to be fielded to two infantry brigade combat teams to see how both vehicles can operate together.

The pilot programs aim to “get a better understanding of what mission roles each is going to fill, because they certainly both have a role,” Fullmer said.

Today’s JLTV could also change over the years, similar to how the Humvee and other vehicle programs evolved.

As a result of Soldiers’ feedback, Army leaders have asked the vendor to look into options to improve visibility from inside the vehicle, mitigate noise and optional seating in the utility variant.

“They’re taking a look at those issues,” Fullmer said, “and we expect a decision on them in the next couple of months and to move forward with production.” 

For many Soldiers who have driven it, the current JLTV is already impressive.

“It’s the best Army vehicle I’ve ever been in by far,” said Sowards, the cavalry scout. “If I’m in a Humvee, it’s shaking, rattling and bumping me all over the place.

“But in the JLTV, I don’t feel anything. Because of that independent suspension, it just takes the hit and keeps going.”

Photo by Sean Kimmons

Photo by Sean Kimmons

Photo by Sean Kimmons

from Defence Blog

U.S. Army soldiers with 3rd Infantry Division’s 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team students learn the methodology and techniques in operator training for the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle at Fort Stewart.

According to a news release put out by U.S. Army, the JLTV, which is intended to replace many of the Army’s Humvees, is equipped with the TAK-4 intelligent independent suspension system that allows it to maneuver quickly over rough terrain.

Future plans are to procure over 49,000 JLTVs for the Army and about 9,000 for the Marine Corps by the mid-2030s, as part of a joint acquisition effort.

While being trained on the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle, Staff Sgt. Jonathan Sowards had a simple but effective way to test the vehicle’s innovative suspension.

He grabbed a cup, filled it with water and placed it in one of the cup holders found inside the Army’s newest tactical vehicle.

He then drove it along an uneven tank trail. When the test drive ended, the outcome surprised him.

“I hit the bumps going about 35 to 40 mph back through there,” he said, “and I didn’t even spill one drop.”

The JLTV, which is intended to replace many of the Army’s Humvees, is equipped with the TAK-4 intelligent independent suspension system that allows it to maneuver quickly over rough terrain.

For 3rd Infantry Division’s 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, that kind of mobility can help these new vehicles operate with its fleet of M1 Abrams tanks and Bradley Fighting Vehicles.

“The ability for a Humvee to keep up with a tank, you might think it’s easy,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Robert Leimer, the brigade’s senior enlisted leader. “But the terrain a tank can cover and the terrain a Bradley can cover is not the terrain a Humvee can cover.”

In January, the armored brigade began to train operators and maintainers on the first shipment of JLTVs a few months after its nine-month rotation on the Korean Peninsula.

The unit is set to receive about 350 JLTVs, which Soldiers will then use in the California desert as part of a National Training Center rotation early next year before an upcoming deployment.

The initial contract awarded in 2015 calls for the production of nearly 17,000 JLTVs at a cost of about $250,000 each, excluding add-on armor and other kits.

Currently JLTVs have two- and four-seater variants and four mission package configurations: general purpose, heavy guns carrier, close combat weapons carrier and a utility vehicle.

Future plans are to procure over 49,000 JLTVs for the Army and about 9,000 for the Marine Corps by the mid-2030s, as part of a joint acquisition effort.

That production schedule was shortened from the early 2040s after both services were able to obtain a vehicle with more capability at a lower cost through competitive prototyping — a nearly $6 billion reduction in planned costs.

“We took several years off and saved cost at the same time, which is pretty impressive for a program,” said Col. Shane Fullmer, project manager for the JLTV. 

The JLTV offers many creature comforts not typically seen in other tactical vehicles.

Besides its smooth ride and cup holders, those comforts include extra legroom, electronic mirrors, map reading lights and climate control for the rear seats. Indentations in the seats also allow for added comfort for those wearing personal water carriers on their backs.

Similar to a touchscreen computer found in a newer car, a driver’s smart display unit on the center console monitors the vehicle’s fluids, filters, tire air pressure and even has a rearview camera.

Routine preventive maintenance checks and services, or PMCS, will still be as important as ever, the sergeant major noted.

“Whatever that brain in the center of the vehicle tells you it can check,” Leimer said, “we still need to ensure Soldiers are getting out of the vehicle and lifting the hood and making sure they’re not cutting corners.”

The smart display, though, could make it easier for a mechanic when specific fault codes pop up on the screen as part of its self-diagnosis capability.

Sgt. Louis Accardi, a wheeled vehicle mechanic with the brigade’s 10th Engineer Battalion, said while the display will not replace the PMCS technical manual, it could help pinpoint a possible issue.

“It’s going to make my job and my Soldiers’ jobs a lot faster,” he said, “so we can focus on those trucks that need a little bit more care than hopefully the JLTV would need.” 

Another unique feature is the electronic adjustable height suspension, which can lower the vehicle to 8 inches from its exhaust to the ground for transport purposes. The vehicle can also be raised up to 30 inches when driven over difficult terrain, such as a waterway crossing.

Accardi, who recently finished a two-week master maintainer’s course for the JLTV, recalled how difficult it can be to transport vehicles on vessels.

“The dock, waves moving, low overhang can all affect how things are loaded or unloaded,” he said. “The fact it can adjust its height is amazing. That will help make a big difference.” 

Due to its lighter weight than most tactical vehicles, the JLTV can even be sling loaded by a CH-47 Chinook, unlike a similar vehicle, the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected All-Terrain Vehicle, or M-ATV.

The suspension system can also lower or raise the JLTV on one end, giving Soldiers another option in combat.

Sowards, a cavalry scout with 5th Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, said his unit could possibly benefit from that feature.

During a reconnaissance mission, for instance, the vehicle could be hidden behind a berm and then elevated on one or both sides to allow the gunner to see over.

“We’d be able to spy on the enemy a lot better from this vehicle,” he said, adding it is much quieter than his unit’s Bradley vehicles. “We’d be able to identify the enemy and they won’t even be able to see or hear us coming.”

The JLTV represents a drastic improvement in the so-called “iron triangle” balance of protection, payload and performance.

Not only does the JLTV have a maximum speed of 75 mph, it has greater protection and payload capacity than the Humvee.

It is also one-third lighter with a similar payload to that of the M-ATV, as well as the first vehicle to be purpose-built for battlefield networks.

“Despite our best efforts to enhance current vehicles,” Fullmer said, “no current option delivers the balance of payload, performance and protection that Soldiers and Marines need, along with a leap forward in improved maintainability, reliability and fuel efficiency.”

Plans still call for incorporating the JLTV alongside the Humvee, which has been around since the early 1980s. In two or three years, the JLTV is slated to be fielded to two infantry brigade combat teams to see how both vehicles can operate together.

The pilot programs aim to “get a better understanding of what mission roles each is going to fill, because they certainly both have a role,” Fullmer said.

Today’s JLTV could also change over the years, similar to how the Humvee and other vehicle programs evolved.

As a result of Soldiers’ feedback, Army leaders have asked the vendor to look into options to improve visibility from inside the vehicle, mitigate noise and optional seating in the utility variant.

“They’re taking a look at those issues,” Fullmer said, “and we expect a decision on them in the next couple of months and to move forward with production.” 

For many Soldiers who have driven it, the current JLTV is already impressive.

“It’s the best Army vehicle I’ve ever been in by far,” said Sowards, the cavalry scout. “If I’m in a Humvee, it’s shaking, rattling and bumping me all over the place.

“But in the JLTV, I don’t feel anything. Because of that independent suspension, it just takes the hit and keeps going.”

Photo by Sean Kimmons

Photo by Sean Kimmons

Photo by Sean Kimmons

via IFTTT

[goarticletec-blog]

First Hispanic detective in Austin recalls police life

New Post has been published on https://www.articletec.com/first-hispanic-detective-in-austin-recalls-police-life/

First Hispanic detective in Austin recalls police life

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) – When Sgt. Leonard Flores Jr. joined the Austin police force in 1954, each cop was, to a certain extent, on his own.

“We couldn’t call for backup,” explains Flores, the city’s first Hispanic detective, “because there was no backup.”

The Austin American-Statesman reports once, Flores responded to a call from a bar on East Seventh Street where a patron had grabbed money out of a cash register.

“So I went there, got out, walked up to this little house turned into a bar,” Flores recounts. “There was this guy standing on the porch, bag in one hand, knife in the other. I said, ‘Drop that knife.’ He said, ‘Make me!’ What could I do? I had a gun. But I wasn’t going to shoot him. I just walked up and knocked him on the hand with my billy club. Took the money back in and gave it to the bartender. Everybody was sitting around drinking beer. Nobody tried to help me. I took him to jail.”

Flores, born and reared on cotton-and-corn farms in Williamson County, joined the department after serving in the Army. At first, he walked a street beat, including three years on East Sixth Street.

“It was a pretty peaceful place,” he says. “There were bars, cafes and stores. I walked up and down the street and never had any problems. Sure, I arrested drunks who wouldn’t go home. I can remember only one shooting.”

One man Flores found repeatedly in the vicinity of the 400 block of East Fourth Street was persistently inebriated.

“I told him to go on home,” Flores says. “He turned around and went on. I’ll be damned if he didn’t go around the block and came back. I had to put him in jail that night.”

In 1960, Flores rose to the rank of detective sergeant, assigned mainly to the homicide detail. His routine changed substantially once he became an investigator. Often in that job, he dealt with death.

“We got a call that someone had committed suicide,” Flores says. “Walked in and looked around. Thought he’d be in the bed or on the floor. I brushed up against a sleeve in the closet. It was him. He had hanged himself.”

At other times, he and his partners found themselves pumped up on adrenaline as they chased down criminals. For instance, sometime between 2:30 a.m. and 3 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 15, 1961, two youths from San Antonio gunned down attendant Walter Henry Dabelgott at the Refinery Outlet Gas Station on Guadalupe Street.

An all-points bulletin went out later that morning. By 9:30 a.m., a posse of peace officers had converged off the Lockhart Highway near Creedmoor, where a farmer had been robbed at gunpoint.

“We were in an unmarked police car, and it was raining,” Flores says. “We had the description of the stolen car, saw the license plate, and turned around to give chase. They didn’t speed up, but they didn’t stop. We shined a light on them. My partner was driving and said, ‘Shoot out the tires.’ But we were in this little town with people on the side of the road. I carefully shot – supposedly at the tires – but hit the trunk. They pulled over right away and threw a gun out the window. They were about to run. I told them to lie on the ground, then I picked up one loaded gun, and my partner found the other. We arrested them.”

Today’s Austin Police Department would seem almost unrecognizable to Flores. Out of 1,194 officers, 269 are Hispanic, and 75 of the “detectives and corporals” rank are Hispanic, according to a police force spokeswoman.

“I wouldn’t want to be a policeman now,” he says. “Back then, they respected the cops. Now they don’t.”

On the other hand, he encountered racism not infrequently during a time when all African-American police officers were assigned to the area around East 11th and East 12th streets, and if one of them flagged a white driver, a white cop was called to issue the ticket.

“One morning, we were told to be on the lookout for a car of so-and-so color with so-and-so license number, driven by a Mexican male,” Flores recalls. “One officer asked, ‘Was the car reported stolen?’ Another said, ‘Must be stolen. Have you ever seen a Mexican with something he didn’t steal?’ I called him a liar. I was the only Mexican in the room. For a long time, I was the only Mexican there.

“I ignored things,” Flores says. “Some of them were always trying to get a rise out of me. I wouldn’t let them.”

He also witnessed some pretty brutal scenes.

“One officer drove the paddy wagon,” Flores says. “He would ‘take them for a ride.’ You’ve heard the saying ‘You might beat the charge, but you can’t beat the ride.’ But it was really dangerous banging around in the back of the wagon.”

On Aug. 1, 1966, Flores had asked off to take his baby to the doctor. On the way back, he could hear the shooting as Charles Whitman took aim at passers-by from the University of Texas Tower.

“I dropped the baby off and went to work,” Flores says. “But by the time I got to the scene, they had shot Whitman.”

He never dealt directly with the notorious Overton Gang, which pulled off bank robberies across the state and organized all sorts of nefarious activities in Austin, its home base. One member of the crime family, however, did make a veiled threat on his home phone.

“Mostly, the vice squad took care of them and Hattie Valdez,” Flores says, referring to the infamous madam associated with the gang. “We had a wire on the Overtons’ house. One time I was assigned to stay and listen. That night they didn’t say anything interesting.”

Flores took his crime-fighting job seriously, but at times he found his authority challenged, even if only mildly.

“I arrested whoever needed to be arrested,” he says. “It didn’t matter who they were. I arrested a bunch for drinking after hours under the Montopolis Bridge. They said, ‘Why are you taking us in? We’re Hispanic. You’re Hispanic.’ I told them, ‘If the white people let the white people go, and the black people let the black people go, we wouldn’t have any law enforcement.’”

Life before the police force, for Flores, was comparatively quiet.

He was born near Jonah, an unincorporated village on the banks of the San Gabriel River on Texas 29 between Georgetown and Circleville. Leonardo Flores and Aurora Montelongo Flores – Leonard’s parents – came from Zacatecas, Mexico. Like so many other ancestral Mexican-American families in Central Texas, they arrived at the time of the Mexican Revolution, which lasted roughly from 1910 to 1920. The chaos, however, continued well into the 1920s, when the Flores family left.

Early photos show a young Leonard, the eldest of eight siblings, visiting farming country in Zacatecas, including one snapshot of him posed somewhat unsteadily on a burro.

Leonard’s father worked on the railroad, but also for farmers such as Williamson County Commissioner Will Stern.

Life on the Flores family farm was fairly predictable.

“We had to work all the time,” Flores says. “Got up to milk the cows, stayed out in the fields until sundown. We did that every day for the 20 years that I was there. It was a great life.”

He attended a two-room country school dropped into the middle of a cotton patch.

“On one side was the elementary school,” Flores recalls. “On the other was the high school.”

He also attended schools in Coupland, Elgin and Granger, but he didn’t graduate.

“I made pretty good grades, but I just didn’t go anymore,” Flores says. “Dad was a real believer in getting us educated. He gave me the choice of school or go to West Texas to pick cotton. ‘I’ll go to West Texas.’ Went one year and never went back. But I didn’t go to school.”

Flores eventually earned his GED in 1960.

What did he and his siblings and friends do for fun in rural Williamson County?

“As far as I remember, there wasn’t much fun,” he says. “Taylor was the place to go. We’d go dancing there. There was a church with a bandstand, picnic tables, bingo. We’d make beans and rice for dinner, rice and beans for supper. I still like to cook rice and beans.”

How did the generally segregated rural communities get along?

“Mostly, Hispanics did their thing,” Flores says. “Whites did their thing. I never had any dealings back then with the black community. Most of the Mexican people came over at the same time. All of them were friends. Daddy and others formed a club, bought land and laid a concrete slab for dancing.”

The Flores family arrived in Texas during one of those cyclical periods when the state’s farmers really needed Mexican labor, so their status here was legal.

“Daddy had to go to the post office once a year to fill out a card,” Flores says. “In cotton season, truckloads of people from the Valley helped pick the cotton crop. We didn’t have to migrate. A priest talked Daddy into doing his own farming. He sharecropped. At first on ‘halves’ – which meant giving half the harvest to the landowner, who also supplied the machinery and the seeds – then on ‘thirds’ on cotton or ‘fourths’ on corn, once Daddy bought his own machinery and seed.”

Flores came of age at the end of World War II and received a draft notice.

?’We want you!’” Flores recalls with a laugh. “I went to the post office to report. They said, ‘You guys can go home. The war is over.’ Four years later, they dragged me in again. I spent 23 months in the Army. Trained in California, shipped to Japan during the armistice. I spent nine months in Korea on the front lines, but no fighting. And I’m glad.”

Flores returned to Williamson County in September 1952. Three months later, he married Consuelo “Betty” Avila at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church in East Austin.

“I met her in Taylor,” Flores says. “Her daddy used to run a hamburger joint. We bought our first house on Kay Street in Govalle. I didn’t have a job. She didn’t either. I went to school on the GI Bill, and we lived off that for a while, but my first real job was as an orderly at Brack. With a regular salary. We were in high cotton. One day I was reading the paper, and I saw they that were hiring police officers. We had to go to University Junior High, take a test and sign up. They hired me.”

His brother Esau joined Austin Police Department later and eventually retired from the U.S. Border Patrol. Leonard rose to the level of senior sergeant in Austin.

Betty and Leonard had four children. Cynthia Gonzales works for the city of Austin; Deborah Zamorano is retired from the Texas Department of Transportation; Leonard Karl Flores is a retired Travis County deputy sheriff; and Michael Flores, who earned a degree in business administration, now works for a builders supply company in Conroe.

After 62 years of marriage, Betty died in 2015. Private caregiver Linda Gonzalez, who helped Betty in her later years, now looks after Leonard in his impeccably maintained one-story house. In retirement, he continues to volunteer in the community, especially at St. Louis King of France Catholic Church on Burnet Road, where he cooks for the Friday fish fries and the early-Sunday breakfast.

In 1989, he retired to his family’s modest 1950s-era home in the Georgian Acres district north of U.S. 183.

“It’s supposed to be a high-crime neighborhood,” Flores, 90, says. “But I don’t see it.”

Flores notices, however, the patrols. Whereas today’s Austin Police Department operates hundreds of patrol cars, Flores remembers when it fielded a total of six for the whole city.

“One south, one north, one east, one west,” he says. “And two extra ones – a traffic car, and another we called the ‘Eastside Car,’ driven by a black officer. Now we have more cars than that right here in this area.”

___

Information from: Austin American-Statesman, http://www.statesman.com

Copyright © 2018 The Washington Times, LLC.

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[licencedtoretire]

  With our walk up part of the Heaphy Track completed. We decided that we would visit the famous arches at Oparara the following morning. Waking up to the sounds of helicopters buzzing the camp I set out to investigate to discover a deer that had been shot hanging below one of the choppers which was then dropped into the back of the hunters ute and he was away with his prize.

I know these aren’t great photos as it all happened so quickly and I was a little far away but if you look closely you can see the helicopter with the deer hanging from it.

4 kms up the road from the camp is the turn off for the Oparara Arches however there is a big sign at the start of the road stating that it’s not suitable for campervans, or towing vehicles so we decided not to risk it and decided to head towards where we were set to spend the next night freedom camping at Little Wanganui.

However after driving down the road that follows the river to the beach we arrived to find a muddy/sandy mess. I tried to turn the motorhome around and misjudged where the soft sand was so got the motorhome briefly stuck. Thankfully we had purchased some rubber mats that we put under the two front wheels and with a little assistance from a couple of campers who had nice firm dry spots we got out of there, deciding then this was an omen an moved onto Murchison.

So sorry Dave and Nita we visited but we didn’t stay however thanks for your recommendation and we will try again another day.

The road to Westport takes you along the coast past the towns of Hector and Granity it also takes you past where the rail line terminates at the Stockton Coal Depot here you can see the coal arriving in buckets along the aerial ropeway to be deposited at the depot and then loaded onto the trains.

A lady we had spoken to talked about a large open cast mine still operating not far from here and I guess it’s this coal that’s being loaded

Back on the road and once past Westport it was into the Buller Gorge which was to provide our 4th crossing from one side of the Island to the other with the Haast, Arthurs and Lewis Passes all completed (see previous blogs for details). So although this is not called a pass it still feels like it especially further on in the upper parts of the gorge.

Of course no trip through the gorge would be complete without the obligatory photos of where the road is carved out of solid rock with one lane that crawls through the overhang right on a sweeping bend that has the river rushing past below you. With no traffic lights here like there are at other tight areas along the way you could imagine that you might have to wait a while during busy times on the road. Still I guess that would allow you time to grab a couple of good photos.

With Autumn in full swing the colours on the trees were just a million photo opportunities with Sarah having the camera on almost the whole way I was distracted by the constant clicking, not really, in fact I kept saying to her did you get that shot. Far to many photos got taken to post here but it will be some great memories when we get home.

Arriving into Murchison on a wet overcast day it was the perfect place to break the journey with a stay at the NZMCA camp located about 100 metres from the main road surrounding the old Murchison Theatre. The whole camp has been gravelled so whilst this might make it difficult if you wanted to put up an awning it’s an absolute bonus when choosing where to park on a wet day with no worries about getting bogged down somewhere.

As you can see the camp was quite empty on our arrival but did fill up quite a bit after I had taken this photo.

Murchison is the second smallest village we have stayed in and  after spotting the Launderette it was the perfect place to catch up with the washing. Whilst it felt like I had taken a photo of every shop in town this wasn’t really the case having missed out at least the pub and the 4 Square store as we wandered around waiting for the washing to finish.

Later we wandered down past the shops and along the main street coming across the war memorial with the remants of the ANZAC day parade that would have taken place two days prior. Obviously in these small communities the importance of this day still runs strong with the floral reefs still bright despite the rain.

Strange how things work I would never have noticed this name had it not been sitting the way it was on top of the stick rather than a cross like all the others. Here was the memorial to Sgt. Samuel Forsyth VC. since there have only been 70 holders of the VC. in New Zealand I was keen to do a little research about the gallant efforts that resulted in the awarding of this medal.

Sgt. Forsyth was awarded the medal posthumously after helping take out three machine gun emplacements during an attack in Grevillers France in August 1918 if you would like to read more click here

There are a couple of shops in town with some real character including the Rust & Dust store right next to the camp. They are a great way to spend some time when it’s not really the sort of day you want to be outside.

That night I could hear the river bubbling away at the back of the camp so in the morning I  wanted to see how far away it actually is from the camp. turns out it’s about 100 metres or more so that shows you either how quiet it was that night or what a good imagination I have.

The drive from Murchison to Motueka takes you through the upper Buller Gorge at this time of year the riot of colour continued with huge swathes of yellow, red and orange leaves to capture the eye as we drove through.

Back in very early February we drove the road from Motueka to Tapawera but it was a very different road this time after the effects of cyclone Gita with huge washouts that had carved out huge chunks from the hillsides around us. Even now 2 months later the amount of damage was stunningly evident. It would have been horrendous at the time. Sorry but no photos of this as the chief navigator said it was to wet to use the camera.

The NZMCA camp in Motueka opened just over 4 weeks ago so the timing was perfect for us to use this as a base for a few days whilst we explored the area. Regretfully with the enormous amount of rain that had fallen over the previous couple of days the ground was absolutely water logged with deep ruts beginning to appear in the centre of the camp as people drove in and out .

Despite our reservations about impending rain we decided to unpack the bikes to head out for a ride along one of the many bike trails they have in this area. Not really knowing where we were  headed down to the waterfront and rode west along the cycle trail that followed the coast. Without realising it we had stumbled onto the Great Taste Trail that runs from Nelson all the way to Kaiteriteri.

Heading away from Motueka the trail heads towards Riwaka and it’s here that we took a couple of detours out towards the water up and down a couple of side streets. In one of these streets is the mansion that belongs to one of the Talley Family, this place was huge complete with it’s own full size rugby field in the front garden. Although a woman we spoke to who lives down the road said she had never seen a game played there. So maybe just someones folly.

With the trail leading through a couple of working orchards it was really tempting to park the bike whilst nipping over to the trees and grabbing an apple or three but honesty prevents these sorts of actions. The trees were however laden and I am sure they wouldn’t have missed a couple. Further up the road we found a stall selling large bags of apples at $2 a bag so we grabbed a bag the honest way.

Getting closer to Kaiteriteri the trail headed back towards the water and it was here that the effects of the cyclone began to become more apparent with part of the trail almost washed away. Then when we dropped down to sea level instead of a nice gravel surface that we had been riding on suddenly the track was covered in loose sand making riding impossible. At this point  when the rain drops also started to fall we decided to return to the van.

The NZMCA has spent 4 years working towards opening this camp tied up in council and resource consent issues. The council will still not allow them to put down gravel, how crazy is this? However as I said it’s in a great spot directly across the road from the local recreation centre which also has the local cinema where we watched a movie on the wet afternoon. It also within walking distance of the supermarket and other shops, a great spot.

The following day we headed into town to the supermarket and I realised that carrying the groceries would be much easier if I had bags on the back of my bike.So I visited the bike shop handily placed next door to the supermarket to add a pannier to my bike. To make it easier to get the stuff back to the motorhome. A great investment and thanks to Coppins Cycles friendly quick service at a reasonable price.

We were so impressed with our efforts that the following day we decided that we would ride the trail in the other direction. Heading out of the gate at the back of the camp we headed east following the trail as it leads along the lagoon behind the camp. From here it’s back to the main road then right onto one of the side roads leading away from the town. If you look really closely at the above photo you can see the White Heron in the middle of the photo. It’s a bit of a shame I only had my phone to grab this shot as there are only about 150 of these in New Zealand.

Again it’s a really pleasant ride almost completely flat, well at least at this point anyway as again we followed the road alongside orchard after orchard. It was interesting to see that almost all of these had signs up stating no vacancies so there must be plenty of labour floating round as there was certainly heaps of fruit to be picked.

About 7 kms into the ride the trail switches back towards the coast up a rather narrow country road which after a short while becomes a gravel road, not much more than a farm track really but that’s OK as it’s still fairly easy riding but has started to wind up hill a little. Then a little further down the road as we crested the ridge we came to the above sign suggesting that the track deteriorates from here and that you may wish to walk as it steep and rutted.

As you can see it was exceptionally rutted but that was on the main track which we didn’t have to ride as there was a really good path on the side of the road. We were both thankful of our Ebikes however as it was a rather steep climb to the top.

It might have been a bit of a climb to the top but once there it was a great view down the hills back to Motueka and over to Nelson. Then it was time to start the ride back to the motorhome, going back down the steep hill we had just climbed. Oh what fun! The brakes got quite the workout but we both safely descended.

Obviously we did a better job descending that these car wrecks just dumped in the middle of nowhere really rather strange. We also came across the above Taniwha guarding someones farm. That’s the great thing about the bikes is all the things we have found whilst exploring.

When we got back to the motorhome we discovered Adrian and Sally  and their dog Zac parked next to us we had briefly met them during our first visit to Gore when I gave Adrian the business card of Transport Repairs who had helped out fixing my handbrake when they had clutch issues with theirs, but hadn’t really got to know them then. However being parked next to each other tends to give you the chance to make a friends and that’s what happened here.

Capping things off on the Thursday night when at about 8pm Sarah heard a noise outside the motorhome and rushed out to see what was happening only to spring Adrian and Sally attaching balloons and a birthday banner to the front of the van as they had learnt that it was Sarah’s birthday the following day. What a great surprise.

The NZMCA is a community and this was clearly shown when one of the campers at Motueka got stuck in the soft ground and was unable to extract his 5th wheeler. At this point almost everyone in the camp was behind it trying to help push it out. But in the end one of the committee members came down with a 4wd and helped pull it out. A real team effort.

Our time in Motueka was one that we both really enjoyed much more than I think either of us expected. It would be easy to retire to a place like this but if we did we wouldn’t be travelling and at the moment that’s what we are both really enjoying. I just had to include the photo about the handheld device, loved it!

Sorry for the length of this blog but I really wanted to catch up, back to some semblance of real time with me almost 12 days behind where we actually are which is currently back at Port Tarakohe at the NZMCA camp more about this on the next blog.

        Murchison to Motueka With our walk up part of the Heaphy Track completed. We decided that we would visit the famous arches at Oparara the following morning.

[characteresque]

'Sir, yes, sir!' is the only answer when war calls you.

Joseph Ryder was out of control and everyone in Sugar Land, Texas knew it. He was a troublemaker, a thief and handful for his hardworking father, a mechanical engineer, and his patient mother, a medical secretary. But while most looked at the well-mannered family with a smile plastered onto their face, anywhere they went in their neighborhood, whispered erupted behind their back loaded with gossip, at how 'poorly their son must have been raised to turn out that way'. But before anyone blames the parents for the pitfalls of their son, they have to realize: it wasn't for lack of trying - in fact, the Ryders were doing their best to whip him into shape but some children, like Joseph, just have to take the path less traveled, no matter how rocky and dangerous it may be, in order to learn the lessons of life...the hard way.

The couple had only one child, a healthy baby boy that they lovingly named Joseph who took up the majority of their time between work before he grew into an active, happy young boy. Although his parents' schedules kept them busy, Joseph found other ways to entertain himself through little league and peewee football, great American pastimes down into the heart of Texas where friends were plentiful. But even with all of the friends he was making, Joseph couldn't shake the feelings of anger and jealousy at watching his teammates hug their family in the stands after each game while he was left to sit on the bleachers until one of the other parents felt sorry enough for him to offer him a ride home. Joseph lashed out at his parents for the first time and even as they motioned to the great home in which he lived and all of the sports equipment that their jobs had afforded, all Joseph could feel was the ache of loneliness. Soon, the ache was filled as friends became a major source of entertainment and more nights were spent at their houses, as opposed to his own. Many nights, the Ryders would come home to find that their son was missing and frantically called all of his friends to see if he was with them, only to find out that Joseph had given himself permission to spend another night at their house. But it was only the beginning.

Soon, Joseph began acting out in class, bullying students and getting into physical altercations with the other children resulting in a call to his folks and sit-down in the principal's office with his parents by his side. The two might ground him or even yell but Joseph would stomp his way to his room and slam the door in their faces, all while they wondered what to do next. With the encouragement of the school, their son was sent to a counselor to try to work out his problems in a healthy, productive way such as volunteering but much like all other things in his life, Joseph wasn't going to do something he didn't want to and the 'volunteering' job only allowed him to meet other troublemakers like him. Before his parents even noticed, Joseph had picked up a nasty drug-dealing job and even worked as the driver in a number of small time robberies until all that he'd done finally caught up with him in a single night.

After meeting up with his friends at an independently owned jewelry store on the wrong side of Houston, the three make their way inside and raided everything as quickly as possible but what Joseph didn't count on was an employee coming up from the back room just in time to come face to face with the hooligans robbing his store. In the confusion and fear, Joseph fired off a gun he had been carrying as insurance and disappeared into the night but the security cameras lead police right to him and his parents were furious. Assault with a deadly weapon, combined with a slew of other charges added up for what Joseph assumed to be a hefty sentence, one that, this time, he couldn't talk his way out of. With high hopes that their son could be helped, his parents paid his bail and took him home but Joseph was not willing to face down the consequences for his actions. Only two days after his release, Joseph packed up his things and slipped off into the night.

For the next several months, Joseph avoided detection by living on the streets, celebrating his eighteenth birthday as a homeless teen looking for a way out of the mess he had gotten himself into. From Houston to Galveston, he met up with other vagrants and crashed at their small 'tent-cities' until an idea hit him - albeit a crazy one inspired by a friend. Near League City, just south of Houston and only a hop-skip-and-jump away from his hometown, Joseph and another vagrant traded food for supplies and amongst the necessities he had been given was a wallet, complete with all of man's personal information; initially, Joseph knew he should return it promptly but reconsidered as he devised a plan that might be his second chance. The next morning, Joseph showed up to a recruitment agency for the U.S Army and, with the credentials he had stolen (and a new look to match), he assumed the man's identity: Brody Sloan. What Brody had counted on was new start, his 'happily ever after', one that didn't involve a prison stay and in his young mind, it all made sense: following his training and a single deployment, surely, they'd forget all about looking for him and he could just start over somewhere new! No criminal record, no family breathing down his neck and no record - it couldn't be more perfect, right? Almost, except Brody didn't count on one thing: Sfc. Ellis Johnson.

As Brody gets into basic training, he isn't sure if he's made the right choice or whether he can survive the harsh, brutal tactics of Sergeant Johnson's training but, true to himself, Brody has always been a fighter and won't back down, even if that means he's got to pay for his smart mouth. But what Brody doesn't realize is that as Sgt. Johnson tears him down, he builds him back up again and that it might be his training alone that gets him back on track and saves his life in the long run.

Read More

[wavenetinfo]

WATCH New body camera footage shows chaos, carnage inside Pulse nightclub: Part 1

The Orlando police released 11 hours of new body camera footage on Wednesday from inside the Pulse nightclub on the night of the worst mass shooting in modern American history almost one year ago.

The footage contains dramatic scenes of chaos and carnage as first responders tried to save the wounded and hunt down the shooter who killed 49 people in the name of the Islamic State.

In a series of interviews ahead of the release of the footage to be broadcast tonight on “World News Tonight With David Muir” and “Nightline,” first responders and survivors told ABC News that the memories of that night, and the emotions stirred by them, are still raw.

“Several of us commented that this was gonna change the city forever,” said Roger Brennan, the police department’s commander on the scene, “and probably change what we do forever.”

By early morning on June 12, it had already been a violent weekend in Orlando. Litte more than 24 hours earlier, a young singer named Christina Grimmie was shot and killed while signing autographs for fans following her performance at the nearby Plaza.

On Saturday, Pulse, a popular spot in the city’s gay community, was packed with patrons, many of them young revelers eager to forget the previous night’s tragedy.

“We were all in a great mood,” said Jahqui Sevilla, a young woman who was at the club with friends. “We were in the club dancing. It was, like, one of the best nights I had — that turned into the worst day of my life.”

SLIDESHOW: Mass Shooting at Pulse Nightclub

‘)

Just after 2:00 a.m., a man named Omar Mateen, the 29-year-old American-born son of Afghan immigrants, entered the club, armed with a military-style assault rifle, and opened fire. Mateen, a security guard from Port St. Lucie, was an angry and troubled man with a history of violence and failure.

An off-duty police detective working security at Pulse radioed in, and less than a minute and a half later, backup units began to arrive. One officer, Graham Cage, heard the call and jumped on his bicycle. He ran into the club while everyone else was running out.

“I had a helmet, but a bicycle helmet,” Cage said. “It’s not gonna do a whole lot with that.”

As patrons rushed for the exits, the shooter rapidly fired shots from inside the club. The bullets missed Sevilla but hit the two friends she was standing with, one fatally.

“He had a gunshot wound to his chest,” she said. “That’s when I saw that he was injured. He was nonresponsive.”

The first responding officers returned fire, forcing the shooter to retreat further into the club. As those officers followed in pursuit, they passed bodies, dead and wounded, everywhere.

Police training calls for officers to head straight to the active shooter, even if it means ignoring the victims.

“A person reached up and asked for help, but at that point we didn’t know where the shooter was, if he was detained, if he was deceased, or what was going on,” said Kyle Medvetz, one of the police officers who responded. “So as much as I wanted to help, I could not help him until we know for sure the shooter was detained, contained or deceased.”

The shooter had barricaded himself in the bathroom with several hostages, which according to Maj. Mark Canty, who led the Orlando SWAT team, required the police to change their strategy.

“This went quickly, very, very quickly from an active shooter to what we call a barricaded gunman to a hostage situation,” Canty said.

The shooter was still inside, cornered and dangerous, but rather than immediately storm the building, Canty decided to wait. It was a decision that would later be criticized by some, as it would take three more hours for police to gain full control and get all the wounded in the back to safety.

Chief John Mina, in the command post, however, says it was the right call.

“During that whole three hours, we were in there saving people from the dance floor, from dressing rooms, from the other bathroom,” Mina said. “We took 22 people out of the front bathroom. Once we were inside that club, there were no more gunshots until the final assault.”

Play

Police release new body-camera footage from Orlando shooting

A half an hour after he first opened fire, the shooter called the Orlando police department dispatch center.

“I want to let you know I’m in Orlando and I did the shooting,” Mateen said. “I pledge my allegiance to Baghdadi on behalf of the Islamic State,” referring to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of ISIS.

Sgt. Andy Brennan, a trained hostage negotiator, was working an off-duty detail at a bar downtown that night when he responded the radio call from Pulse and headed to the dispatch center. He engaged the shooter over multiple phone calls, listening to his rants about ISIS and Syria.

“You need to stop the U.S. airstrikes,” Mateen said. “They need to stop the U.S. airstrikes, OK?”

Meanwhile, officers used the time to get as many victims out as possible despite concerns that the shooter might attempt to hide among the victims.

Officer James Hyland arrived in his personal pick-up truck, which a partner quickly turned into a makeshift ambulance.

“We didn’t have any ambulances or anything there. He just started loading people up,” Hyland said. “And he was just going back and forth, doing one run after another, after another, after another.”

Other trapped victims who could not be reached used their cell phones to call loved ones, who then called 911 to plead for help on their behalf.

“My girlfriend’s in the bathroom,” said one caller. “There are now four dead in the bathroom and two more are bleeding out. If somebody doesn’t get there soon they’re going to die.”

“Yes, my son is shot in the club in the Pulse in Orlando, and he’s still in the bathroom where he’s bleeding,” said a sobbing mother. “He got shot, and nobody’s going in for him.”

The rescue operation continued until Andy Brennan, the negotiator, heard words from the shooter that quickly changed the dynamic for everyone inside the nightclub.

“By the way, there is some vehicles outside that have some bombs, just to let you know,” Mateen said. “Your people are going to get it, and I’m going to ignite it if they try to do anything stupid.”

He escalated the threat, telling the negotiator that he had “a vest,” before abruptly hanging up.

“When you start talking about explosives,” said Roger Brennan, the scene commander, “now you have to pull your resources back.”

The information circulated among the officers on scene, but not a single officer pulled back to safety.

“We were in it to win it, you know?” Medvetz said. “And we didn’t want to leave.”

Instead, the police prepared to move in. With victims still trapped inside the nightclub, and the suspect threatening to set off explosives, Andy Brennan knew he was running out of time.

In his fourth and final phone call with Mateen, Brennan tried again to persuade him to come out of the nightclub without his weapons, but after making his demands, Mateen hung up.

It was after that fourth phone call that Mina decided his officers would have to storm the back bathrooms of the nightclub. 

“I wasn’t going to sit here in this command post and hear that explosion, knowing that he was going to blow up everyone, all those hostages inside that club, because there were many hostages left inside,” he said.

After getting Mina’s go order, the SWAT team moved toward the back bathrooms where they knew hostages were hiding.

“They said, ‘Hey, we’re going to push the air conditioning unit in, but before we do, you guys have to catch it because if you let it drop or make any noise, the killer is going to know where you’re at, and he might shoot through the walls and kill you,’” said Canty.

Canty said the hostages reached up to grab the air conditioning unit when it was pushed in and were able to set it down without making a sound. Eight hostages were able to escape from the nightclub through that opening, police said.

“I think the first person that came out was the person that was injured,” Canty said. “They were able to get out by themselves.”

Play

First responders to Pulse shooting describe eerie scene inside club

Inside a different area of the nightclub, Jahqui Sevilla also made her escape, carrying a friend who had been shot in the chest. He later died from his injuries. Her father, Benigno Sevilla, an Orlando firefighter, was waiting outside for her.

“I give her a quick once-over, make sure she has all her body parts,” Benigno Sevilla said. “I knew she was one of those who could be killed or injured.”

“It wasn’t until he was there and I knew that I could kind of just, like, collapse in his arms and I would be OK,” Jahqui Sevilla said.

After the air conditioning unit was out, police decided to move forward with their final assault. Officer Rob Woodyard drove an armored vehicle called a Bearcat toward the nightclub and tore open holes in the wall to create an escape route. SWAT team members following the Bearcat and then pulled hostages to safety as they ran out. 

“Every person we got out was a victory for us,” Woodyard said. “At that point, we know that we need to get these people out this building. So one by one, they’re coming out of these holes, and it’s a great feeling, seeing them come out.”

Even with the Bearcat, officers said they were still being cautious because the suspect had told them there were explosives. Canty said there was also a concern that the suspect would start firing on the hostages as they ran out, and they knew people were still trapped in that back bathroom.

“You’re trying to save as many people as you can,” Canty said. “There’s 13 people in that bathroom, you want to save them, there’s five with him.”

But the plan worked. Once the Bearcat came through the wall, police said Mateen stepped out into the open and started firing on the officers and the Bearcat.

“It was just, like, a wall of freedom,” said Michael Ragsdale, another officer who responded. “There was 30 seconds of just the most awesome sound you could hear, because it was us returning fire towards him.”

During the shootout with Mateen, Mina said a bullet struck Napolitano’s helmet. If it had been an inch lower, Mina said, Napolitano “would have been dead.” But instead, Mina said, the officer “went down to the ground still returning fire, and the other officers returned fire, killing the suspect.”

When the call went out over the police radios that the suspect was dead, Andy Brennan said, a “giant cheer went up” inside the command center.

“We all hollered, ‘Yay!’” added Bill Hammer, a dispatcher. “It was a big uproar.”

After hours of fighting, the massacre was finally over, but the officers involved felt there was little to celebrate. Mina said he and many of the officers were heartbroken by what happened.

“I was very proud of the police response, but still, you know, this person went in and killed 49 of our community members,” he said. “And so as a community, we were devastated.”

Editor’s note: Jahqui Sevilla was killed early Monday in a car crash.

ABC News’ Pete Madden, Lauren Effron, Randy Kreider, Cho Park, Margaret Katcher, Alex Gurvets and Erin Galloway contributed to this report.

1 June 2017 | 2:43 pm

Source : ABC News

>>>Click Here To View Original Press Release>>>

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); June 01, 2017 at 09:13PM

[tendaifmp-blog]

My dad, Ray “Slim” Mathis and my uncle, Jay “Fat” Mathis, were veterans of World War II and Korea. Like most World War II veterans, my dad and my uncle did not talk about World War II, the war to end all wars. However, I remember my dad and uncle reminiscing about Korea.

Dad and Uncle Fat enlisted in the Army on April 27, 1944, at Fort Sill in Lawton, Okla., and did their basic training at Fort Jackson in South Carolina. When they first arrived at Fort Sill, Daddy was assigned to Company B and Uncle Fat to H and S Company. Being identical twins and having not been separated from each other since birth, they were determined to get transferred to the same company. Having just recently read letters they sent home, my cousin and I found out that they went to the chaplain together and he assured them that he would make sure they shipped out of Fort Sill at the same time. Basic training for Company B 138th Combat Engineers began on May 15, 1944. They both wrote home in July 1944 that Uncle Fat received his transfer and they were together in Company B.

As 19-year-old Oklahoma farm boys, their duties included demolition, taking up mine fields, blowing up bridges and building roads to the front lines. Daddy supervised eight mechanics and was in charge of the maintenance of 80 trucks and other equipment.

After being selected for the second America Supports You Texas Panhandle Honor Flight, Daddy gave me the following World War II narrative:

“We left the states from the Port of Boston on Nov. 10, 1944, aboard the USS Amsterdam.

“On Nov. 17, 1944, we docked at Gourock, Scotland, traveled by rail to Liverpool, England, and then Wales for two weeks of infantry training for the Battle of the Bulge. We got on a ship and went up the Seine River to Rennes, France. When we landed, we loaded buses and went across France and hit the Battle of the Bulge at Arcen, Holland. It then took several days to cross the Rhine River. The paratroopers helped us cross the Rhine.

“When we arrived, the Germans were losing their air power. It was our job to blow up road blocks to get our equipment through.

“While in Germany, we found out the Germans had stolen some American uniforms. That night, we took off our jackets and waited in our fox holes. We almost froze that night, but when the Germans showed up, we got them. We knew they were Germans because they were wearing American jackets and none of our guys were. My brother and I fought side by side with our fellow comrades.

“When the war was over, my brother and I had it good because we were picked to drive officers to their destination. On weekends, we were able to travel the countryside.

“We left Europe aboard the USS George Washington on May 28, 1946, and arrived in New York on June 6, 1946. When our ship entered New York Harbor and the men saw the Statue of Liberty, we all ran to one side of the ship, The ship began leaning to one side and many of us shifted to the other side to steady our ship. We were discharged from the Army on June 13, 1946.”

“Shortly after being discharged, Fat and I joined the National Guard in Hollis because some of our friends told us we could make some easy money. Our National Guard unit was alerted for activation on Sept. 1, 1950. One Sept. 11, 1950, my brother and I, along with 64 other men, left Hollis to report to duty at Camp Polk, La. About a month later, we met up with some good ol’ Southern boys, and Company D 120th Combat Engineers was brought up to full strength. While we were at Camp Polk, there was an ice storm, and Capt. Metcalf had us do our training and maneuvers despite the storm. Our unit was the only one working in the ice storm, but Metcalf told the guys if we could withstand the ice storm that we could perform our job well in Korea despite the cold weather.”

“After training at Camp Polk, we departed from New Orleans, where we shipped out for Hokkaido, Japan. We arrived in Hokkaido in April 1952. In December, we were transferred to Korea. We held our own and only worried about the mortar, since they had no air power. We were on the front line, and if they were to break through, we would have been the first ones they encountered. We were dug in pretty good, and if the mortar came in, we got in our fox holes. We had them pushed off Old Baldie, north of the 38th parallel, and we held that.

“We worked at night, building roads on top of the frozen ground. The ground was frozen 4 feet deep. We built roads so the trucks could travel through in the spring. During the daytime, we built strips helicopters could land on. We were in No Man’s Land, three-quarters of a mile from them. We stood on the line and waited for them to come through. The Chinese were the brutal ones, and it was their mortars that we had to watch out for. In my platoon, three of my men were wounded, one died and one lost his leg.

“I was in charge of getting our equipment to and from the front line, and I also cleared land mines and build bridges. We were taking up a mine field when the medic stepped on it and tripped the wire. The mine field was already up when he tripped the wire. It blew up, and we got clobbered with frozen clods of ground. We weren’t killed because the ground was frozen. I believe that I still have a piece of that shrapnel in my leg.”

Shortly after my dad passed away, I heard from the medic, and he added some information to the story. The medic wrote, “At the time of the mine incident, Ray was probably 5 or 6 feet away from me. There were four or five of us in the mine field at the time. When it happened, I momentarily blacked out; the next thing I remembered, Ray had his hand on my shoulder and turned me around. Ray and another person led me out of the mine field. This all happened on a Wednesday afternoon. That night, we had our weekly chapel services, when the chaplain gave the weekly service. I was sitting on the front row, about 10 feet from the chaplain, but I could not hear anything he said because my ears were still ringing.

When I started attending Company D reunions with my parents, my daddy told me about a lot of practical jokes that transpired in Korea just to help them keep upbeat, like Dog Company’s exploding latrine in Camp Chitose, and in Korea the midnight requisition of lumber and the taking of the rifles of some sleeping guards, and they took care of a monkey as well as a Korean wildcat kitten.

My daddy was a hero, and he passed away Sept. 11, 2011, taking with him a lot of war stories that he held deep within him hidden away.

I will never forget about a week before he passed away, when he woke me up and asked for something to help him sleep.

He said, “I need something to help me sleep. I have been dreaming and reliving the Battle of the Bulge. I was at the Battle of the Bulge. Fat was there, too. I do not want to go through that again. Being at the Battle of the Bulge once is enough.”

At that moment, I knew why Daddy, Uncle Fat and other World War II veterans did not talk about the war. It also explained why Daddy did not want me to take his picture at the World War II Monument in Washington. We got off the America Supports You Texas Panhandle Honor Flight bus, and as we started walking toward the monument, Daddy got a strange look on his face, took me by the hand, and said, “Let’s go back to the bus.”

— Submitted by Master Sgt. Ray Mathis and Reta Mathis Howard

http://amarillo.com/news/local-news/2015-11-06/identical-twins-fought-side-side-world-war-ii

[courtneytincher]

U.S. Army soldiers acquire skills of works with cutting-edge JLTVs

U.S. Army soldiers with 3rd Infantry Division’s 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team students learn the methodology and techniques in operator training for the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle at Fort Stewart.

According to a news release put out by U.S. Army, the JLTV, which is intended to replace many of the Army’s Humvees, is equipped with the TAK-4 intelligent independent suspension system that allows it to maneuver quickly over rough terrain.

Future plans are to procure over 49,000 JLTVs for the Army and about 9,000 for the Marine Corps by the mid-2030s, as part of a joint acquisition effort.

While being trained on the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle, Staff Sgt. Jonathan Sowards had a simple but effective way to test the vehicle’s innovative suspension.

He grabbed a cup, filled it with water and placed it in one of the cup holders found inside the Army’s newest tactical vehicle.

He then drove it along an uneven tank trail. When the test drive ended, the outcome surprised him.

“I hit the bumps going about 35 to 40 mph back through there,” he said, “and I didn’t even spill one drop.”

The JLTV, which is intended to replace many of the Army’s Humvees, is equipped with the TAK-4 intelligent independent suspension system that allows it to maneuver quickly over rough terrain.

For 3rd Infantry Division’s 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, that kind of mobility can help these new vehicles operate with its fleet of M1 Abrams tanks and Bradley Fighting Vehicles.

“The ability for a Humvee to keep up with a tank, you might think it’s easy,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Robert Leimer, the brigade’s senior enlisted leader. “But the terrain a tank can cover and the terrain a Bradley can cover is not the terrain a Humvee can cover.”

In January, the armored brigade began to train operators and maintainers on the first shipment of JLTVs a few months after its nine-month rotation on the Korean Peninsula.

The unit is set to receive about 350 JLTVs, which Soldiers will then use in the California desert as part of a National Training Center rotation early next year before an upcoming deployment.

The initial contract awarded in 2015 calls for the production of nearly 17,000 JLTVs at a cost of about $250,000 each, excluding add-on armor and other kits.

Currently JLTVs have two- and four-seater variants and four mission package configurations: general purpose, heavy guns carrier, close combat weapons carrier and a utility vehicle.

Future plans are to procure over 49,000 JLTVs for the Army and about 9,000 for the Marine Corps by the mid-2030s, as part of a joint acquisition effort.

That production schedule was shortened from the early 2040s after both services were able to obtain a vehicle with more capability at a lower cost through competitive prototyping — a nearly $6 billion reduction in planned costs.

“We took several years off and saved cost at the same time, which is pretty impressive for a program,” said Col. Shane Fullmer, project manager for the JLTV. 

The JLTV offers many creature comforts not typically seen in other tactical vehicles.

Besides its smooth ride and cup holders, those comforts include extra legroom, electronic mirrors, map reading lights and climate control for the rear seats. Indentations in the seats also allow for added comfort for those wearing personal water carriers on their backs.

Similar to a touchscreen computer found in a newer car, a driver’s smart display unit on the center console monitors the vehicle’s fluids, filters, tire air pressure and even has a rearview camera.

Routine preventive maintenance checks and services, or PMCS, will still be as important as ever, the sergeant major noted.

“Whatever that brain in the center of the vehicle tells you it can check,” Leimer said, “we still need to ensure Soldiers are getting out of the vehicle and lifting the hood and making sure they’re not cutting corners.”

The smart display, though, could make it easier for a mechanic when specific fault codes pop up on the screen as part of its self-diagnosis capability.

Sgt. Louis Accardi, a wheeled vehicle mechanic with the brigade’s 10th Engineer Battalion, said while the display will not replace the PMCS technical manual, it could help pinpoint a possible issue.

“It’s going to make my job and my Soldiers’ jobs a lot faster,” he said, “so we can focus on those trucks that need a little bit more care than hopefully the JLTV would need.” 

Another unique feature is the electronic adjustable height suspension, which can lower the vehicle to 8 inches from its exhaust to the ground for transport purposes. The vehicle can also be raised up to 30 inches when driven over difficult terrain, such as a waterway crossing.

Accardi, who recently finished a two-week master maintainer’s course for the JLTV, recalled how difficult it can be to transport vehicles on vessels.

“The dock, waves moving, low overhang can all affect how things are loaded or unloaded,” he said. “The fact it can adjust its height is amazing. That will help make a big difference.” 

Due to its lighter weight than most tactical vehicles, the JLTV can even be sling loaded by a CH-47 Chinook, unlike a similar vehicle, the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected All-Terrain Vehicle, or M-ATV.

The suspension system can also lower or raise the JLTV on one end, giving Soldiers another option in combat.

Sowards, a cavalry scout with 5th Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, said his unit could possibly benefit from that feature.

During a reconnaissance mission, for instance, the vehicle could be hidden behind a berm and then elevated on one or both sides to allow the gunner to see over.

“We’d be able to spy on the enemy a lot better from this vehicle,” he said, adding it is much quieter than his unit’s Bradley vehicles. “We’d be able to identify the enemy and they won’t even be able to see or hear us coming.”

The JLTV represents a drastic improvement in the so-called “iron triangle” balance of protection, payload and performance.

Not only does the JLTV have a maximum speed of 75 mph, it has greater protection and payload capacity than the Humvee.

It is also one-third lighter with a similar payload to that of the M-ATV, as well as the first vehicle to be purpose-built for battlefield networks.

“Despite our best efforts to enhance current vehicles,” Fullmer said, “no current option delivers the balance of payload, performance and protection that Soldiers and Marines need, along with a leap forward in improved maintainability, reliability and fuel efficiency.”

Plans still call for incorporating the JLTV alongside the Humvee, which has been around since the early 1980s. In two or three years, the JLTV is slated to be fielded to two infantry brigade combat teams to see how both vehicles can operate together.

The pilot programs aim to “get a better understanding of what mission roles each is going to fill, because they certainly both have a role,” Fullmer said.

Today’s JLTV could also change over the years, similar to how the Humvee and other vehicle programs evolved.

As a result of Soldiers’ feedback, Army leaders have asked the vendor to look into options to improve visibility from inside the vehicle, mitigate noise and optional seating in the utility variant.

“They’re taking a look at those issues,” Fullmer said, “and we expect a decision on them in the next couple of months and to move forward with production.” 

For many Soldiers who have driven it, the current JLTV is already impressive.

“It’s the best Army vehicle I’ve ever been in by far,” said Sowards, the cavalry scout. “If I’m in a Humvee, it’s shaking, rattling and bumping me all over the place.

“But in the JLTV, I don’t feel anything. Because of that independent suspension, it just takes the hit and keeps going.”

Photo by Sean Kimmons

Photo by Sean Kimmons

Photo by Sean Kimmons

from Defence Blog

U.S. Army soldiers with 3rd Infantry Division’s 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team students learn the methodology and techniques in operator training for the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle at Fort Stewart.

According to a news release put out by U.S. Army, the JLTV, which is intended to replace many of the Army’s Humvees, is equipped with the TAK-4 intelligent independent suspension system that allows it to maneuver quickly over rough terrain.

Future plans are to procure over 49,000 JLTVs for the Army and about 9,000 for the Marine Corps by the mid-2030s, as part of a joint acquisition effort.

While being trained on the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle, Staff Sgt. Jonathan Sowards had a simple but effective way to test the vehicle’s innovative suspension.

He grabbed a cup, filled it with water and placed it in one of the cup holders found inside the Army’s newest tactical vehicle.

He then drove it along an uneven tank trail. When the test drive ended, the outcome surprised him.

“I hit the bumps going about 35 to 40 mph back through there,” he said, “and I didn’t even spill one drop.”

The JLTV, which is intended to replace many of the Army’s Humvees, is equipped with the TAK-4 intelligent independent suspension system that allows it to maneuver quickly over rough terrain.

For 3rd Infantry Division’s 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, that kind of mobility can help these new vehicles operate with its fleet of M1 Abrams tanks and Bradley Fighting Vehicles.

“The ability for a Humvee to keep up with a tank, you might think it’s easy,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Robert Leimer, the brigade’s senior enlisted leader. “But the terrain a tank can cover and the terrain a Bradley can cover is not the terrain a Humvee can cover.”

In January, the armored brigade began to train operators and maintainers on the first shipment of JLTVs a few months after its nine-month rotation on the Korean Peninsula.

The unit is set to receive about 350 JLTVs, which Soldiers will then use in the California desert as part of a National Training Center rotation early next year before an upcoming deployment.

The initial contract awarded in 2015 calls for the production of nearly 17,000 JLTVs at a cost of about $250,000 each, excluding add-on armor and other kits.

Currently JLTVs have two- and four-seater variants and four mission package configurations: general purpose, heavy guns carrier, close combat weapons carrier and a utility vehicle.

Future plans are to procure over 49,000 JLTVs for the Army and about 9,000 for the Marine Corps by the mid-2030s, as part of a joint acquisition effort.

That production schedule was shortened from the early 2040s after both services were able to obtain a vehicle with more capability at a lower cost through competitive prototyping — a nearly $6 billion reduction in planned costs.

“We took several years off and saved cost at the same time, which is pretty impressive for a program,” said Col. Shane Fullmer, project manager for the JLTV. 

The JLTV offers many creature comforts not typically seen in other tactical vehicles.

Besides its smooth ride and cup holders, those comforts include extra legroom, electronic mirrors, map reading lights and climate control for the rear seats. Indentations in the seats also allow for added comfort for those wearing personal water carriers on their backs.

Similar to a touchscreen computer found in a newer car, a driver’s smart display unit on the center console monitors the vehicle’s fluids, filters, tire air pressure and even has a rearview camera.

Routine preventive maintenance checks and services, or PMCS, will still be as important as ever, the sergeant major noted.

“Whatever that brain in the center of the vehicle tells you it can check,” Leimer said, “we still need to ensure Soldiers are getting out of the vehicle and lifting the hood and making sure they’re not cutting corners.”

The smart display, though, could make it easier for a mechanic when specific fault codes pop up on the screen as part of its self-diagnosis capability.

Sgt. Louis Accardi, a wheeled vehicle mechanic with the brigade’s 10th Engineer Battalion, said while the display will not replace the PMCS technical manual, it could help pinpoint a possible issue.

“It’s going to make my job and my Soldiers’ jobs a lot faster,” he said, “so we can focus on those trucks that need a little bit more care than hopefully the JLTV would need.” 

Another unique feature is the electronic adjustable height suspension, which can lower the vehicle to 8 inches from its exhaust to the ground for transport purposes. The vehicle can also be raised up to 30 inches when driven over difficult terrain, such as a waterway crossing.

Accardi, who recently finished a two-week master maintainer’s course for the JLTV, recalled how difficult it can be to transport vehicles on vessels.

“The dock, waves moving, low overhang can all affect how things are loaded or unloaded,” he said. “The fact it can adjust its height is amazing. That will help make a big difference.” 

Due to its lighter weight than most tactical vehicles, the JLTV can even be sling loaded by a CH-47 Chinook, unlike a similar vehicle, the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected All-Terrain Vehicle, or M-ATV.

The suspension system can also lower or raise the JLTV on one end, giving Soldiers another option in combat.

Sowards, a cavalry scout with 5th Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, said his unit could possibly benefit from that feature.

During a reconnaissance mission, for instance, the vehicle could be hidden behind a berm and then elevated on one or both sides to allow the gunner to see over.

“We’d be able to spy on the enemy a lot better from this vehicle,” he said, adding it is much quieter than his unit’s Bradley vehicles. “We’d be able to identify the enemy and they won’t even be able to see or hear us coming.”

The JLTV represents a drastic improvement in the so-called “iron triangle” balance of protection, payload and performance.

Not only does the JLTV have a maximum speed of 75 mph, it has greater protection and payload capacity than the Humvee.

It is also one-third lighter with a similar payload to that of the M-ATV, as well as the first vehicle to be purpose-built for battlefield networks.

“Despite our best efforts to enhance current vehicles,” Fullmer said, “no current option delivers the balance of payload, performance and protection that Soldiers and Marines need, along with a leap forward in improved maintainability, reliability and fuel efficiency.”

Plans still call for incorporating the JLTV alongside the Humvee, which has been around since the early 1980s. In two or three years, the JLTV is slated to be fielded to two infantry brigade combat teams to see how both vehicles can operate together.

The pilot programs aim to “get a better understanding of what mission roles each is going to fill, because they certainly both have a role,” Fullmer said.

Today’s JLTV could also change over the years, similar to how the Humvee and other vehicle programs evolved.

As a result of Soldiers’ feedback, Army leaders have asked the vendor to look into options to improve visibility from inside the vehicle, mitigate noise and optional seating in the utility variant.

“They’re taking a look at those issues,” Fullmer said, “and we expect a decision on them in the next couple of months and to move forward with production.” 

For many Soldiers who have driven it, the current JLTV is already impressive.

“It’s the best Army vehicle I’ve ever been in by far,” said Sowards, the cavalry scout. “If I’m in a Humvee, it’s shaking, rattling and bumping me all over the place.

“But in the JLTV, I don’t feel anything. Because of that independent suspension, it just takes the hit and keeps going.”

Photo by Sean Kimmons

Photo by Sean Kimmons

Photo by Sean Kimmons

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