[gun-fucious]

N.C. Truck Driver Continues Standoff on Mall

By Christina Pino-Marina
Washingtonpost.com Staff Writer
Tuesday, March 18, 2003; 9:14 AM


The North Carolina tobacco farmer who drove a tractor into a pond on the Mall maintained his standoff with law enforcement officials overnight and through this morning, creating traffic problems and prompting the federal government to close several buildings due to concerns about public safety.

Mike Orenstein with the Office of Personnel Management says the federal government's decision to close the buildings was made by the U.S. Park Police earlier this morning. Authorities have expressed concerns that the man in the tractor may have explosives.

The National Academy of Sciences, The Federal Reserve Board, and the South Annex of the Department of the Interior are closed until further notice, according to Orenstein. The State Department, the main building of the Department of the Interior, and the Office of Personnel Management are open only to pedestrian traffic, he said.

Federal Reserve Board spokeswoman Michelle Smith said special arrangements are being made for essential personnel and they’re still being asked to report to work. She says all other employees have been granted administrative leave.

Smith also said the Federal Open Market Committee will occur this morning as scheduled.

The Washington Post reported earlier that the man in the tractor, identified by law enforcement sources as Dwight W. Watson, 50, of Whitakers, N.C., drove into the pond in Constitution Gardens, between the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial, about noon yesterday. Law enforcement officers are continuing to keep watch on the man, whom they have described as distraught. Although they had made contact with him by cell phone, it remained unclear why he was there and what he wanted.

"We still have dialogue going on right now," said U.S. Park Police spokesman Scott Fear. "We're trying to keep a safe perimeter and we're trying to maintain the safety of pedestrians and our officers."

Fear said this morning he could not confirm if the man had explosives.

Fear also reported traffic congestion throughout the city. The police perimeter in the area has closed several main roads, and commuters trying to enter the city are finding bridges jammed. Constitution Avenue is closed from 23rd to 15th streets, NW. Fear said E Street is open, but everything south of it between 17th and 23rd Streets, NW is shut down. And 17th Street from E Street to Independence Avenue is also closed to traffic.

Fear told The Post in an earlier interview that the man arrived at the area in a jeep yesterday, just south of Constitution Avenue. Towing a tractor behind the jeep on a flatbed trailer, the man jumped the curb and drove the jeep into the nearby pond. Then, Fear said, he mounted the tractor and drove it off the trailer bed and into the shallow water.

According to The Post, the man wore a T-shirt, bearing a variety of badges or patches, and a helmet with what appeared to be a red cross emblem. Painted on the green John Deere tractor were the messages "Salute to Veterans" and "God Bless the Troops." An American flag flown upside down in the traditional signal of distress flew from the vehicle. Another flag depicted tobacco leaves.

Acquaintances said the man had once served in the military, but it was unclear whether yesterday's actions were linked to his service, the possible war with Iraq or concerns about U.S. tobacco policies, the Post reported.

About 100 law enforcement officers -- from agencies including the U.S. Park Police, the D.C. police and the FBI - worked to clear the immediate area and began efforts to talk to the man. Fear said those efforts lasted through the night.

In the dark, the man occaionally flashed white lights on the tractor. Around 5 a.m., a female police negotiator yelled through a bullhorn, asking him to communicate more clearly. Armed members of a police SWAT team positioned themselves on an armored personnel carrier parked on the south side of Constitution Avenue west of 18th Street, NW.

By dawn, few pedestrians were visible in the area surrounding the standoff, but a few joggers and bikers passed by the scene, seemingly unaffected by the activity.

Washington Post reporter David A. Fahrenthold contributed to this report

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A44600-2003Mar18.html

[Leatherneck]

This guy is obviously addled. I hope he doesn't run into Waco-type trouble.

TC
TFL Survivor

[Greg L]

Lots of things wrong with this one, not the story just the reaction to him.

If it is just a tractor there can't be that much explosives on it (unless the NC farmer came up with a nuke somewhere). Why are all the buildings around him closed and everyone has the (probably paid) day off? I've seen those buildings, they really aren't that close to the pond and they are solid masonry. If they are that worried about a blast then don't let people in the offices facing the pond or close the drapes so that if, IF, the glass breaks it doesn't fly too far into the room.

If the police were that worried about this guy, especially considering where he is and the state that the country is in, they could have just shot him and be done with it. With all the .gov go fast teams in the area surely they could have come up with a sniper or two.

Instead, thousands of people are either getting the day off (on our dime probably) or sitting in a traffic jam because all the roads are closed. And for what? A guy sitting on a farm tractor in the middle of a large pond in essentially the middle of nowhere (compared to say the Capitol steps or in and around all the buildings downtown).

:banghead: The republic is doomed.

Greg

[beemerb]

Normal overreaction.
Bob

[gun-fucious]

Gilliam's BRAZIL Approaches

Obviously anyone could pull 6 "Max Maxed" tractors right into DC at anytime and rule

[dev_null]

So much for the Capitol Police and Park Police.

"The lunatics are running the asylum." - Fun Boy Three

-0-

[ballistic gelatin]

http://us.news2.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20030318/capt.1047955491.tractor_incident_wx130.jpg
The guy is just trying to show his support for the troops. The "standoff" is a result of the 100 LEO's not knowing what to do because the guy has no weapons. I don't think LEO's are really all that fond of non-lethal weapons or they would have already used them.

Here's what you do:
LEO: Howdy sir, if you would be so kind as to let me give you a ride home and take a brief video statement from you, we'll leave the tractor and the flag in the pond until we invade IRAQ.
FARMER: "Okay pardner, you got a deal"

Game over, nobody got hurt.

[TallPine]

Must be a really big tractor if he can haul it on a trailer behind a Jeep :rolleyes:

How deep is this pond ... 12 inches?


Please tell me somebody is making this up ......

[ballistic gelatin]

I wonder what would happen if I parked my lawn mower on the courthouse lawn and sat there with an American Flag T-shirt and waived a little flag around? My own peaceful demonstration of support.

[DeltaElite]

Geez, take the guy some breakfast and have a chat with him.
What is the big deal?

[El Tejon]

Mushroom pizza with extra Loratabs?

[gun-fucious]

http://media.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/metro/daily/graphics/tractor_031803.gif

the White House is ~3000 feet away, directly north of the Washington Monument

[buzz_knox]

With apologies to Kenny Chesney, how about a theme song for the guy?

"They think my tractor's tactical. It really freaks them out."

Next line? ;)

[TallPine]

Delta, you must be really brave ...

Would you really have the nerve to put on some hip boots and approach an unarmed farmer on a tractor?

:D

[gun-fucious]

heres a depth check

[gun-fucious]

here is part of his audience

[El Tejon]

And they are pointing guns at him because . . . ?

[Quartus]

Because... He's.... Doing.............. SOMETHING! :fire:


Can't have that, now, can we?


So, with some good binocs, and maybe a helicopter flyover, they can't see if he has any serious amount of explosives?


:barf:



Say, why does the sniper on the roof need a hood? And is he black, or is he wearing camo paint?

[boing]

As a manufacturer of WMD, he threatens everyone in the area with second hand smoke.

[TallPine]

These city boy cops probably think a farm tractor is akin to a tank.

They probably never seen a real one before.

And look at that front loader - that must make it an "assault tractor" ...

Who needs a tractor with more than 10 horsepower? :)

[M1911]

Christ. Someone get a six-back of brews, some tall boots, and walk out there and have a chat with the fellow.

[Quartus]

Who needs a tractor with more than 10 horsepower?


Does Sarah Brady know anything about this?



:D

[gun-fucious]

it would appear the hills are alive:
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/030317/170/3jgxv.html

[Chris Rhines]

Wow.

Years ago, my family and I used to go down to the Mall in DC to watch the fireworks display on July 4th. A few years back, the DC Park Police decided to strictly enforce a 'no-booze' rule.* ** I remember suggesting that someone take a large rubber raft out into the middle of the reflecting pool, tap a keg, and create a 'beer freeport.'

Great minds think alike. So do average minds, I guess. :D

- Chris

* - You could buy beer there, two per person I think, but you couldn't bring your own. Not that anyone could really stop you.

** - The 'no-reefer' rule continued to be flagrantly violated.

[Smoke]

That's no cheap piece of equipment. He must really have something to say:D

Glad to see the snipers are trained to keep their fingers off the trigger. Hell, he might just try to flash his lights again or do something really bad like try to drive it back out.

[TallPine]

it would appear the hills are alive:

Oh good - the cops are wearing camo.

Now the guy on the tractor can't see them. :rolleyes:


Note: that sure is a nice tractor! Wish I had that one instead of my 194x Case. :)

[El Tejon]

Oh, geez, cammie-clad SQUAT ninjas??? Gee, this can't go wrong.

Just appoint me and I'll go get my wellingtons and make a house (tractor) call, I'm billing for the flight, btw. He can't be any more more nuts than what we have in YankeeLand.

At least this guy apparently has a driver's license and employment potential. Maybe I can get him work relase?:D

[2dogs]

Did this guy tell anyone that he had explosives or give anyone a reason to think he was a threat rather than a loon........uh I mean mentally challenged?

Calling out SWAT at this point- is that a bit extreme or do they now do that anytime they face a situation where nobody can think of a common sense way of handling things.

What's he going to do- blow up the pool? How much explosive would he need in that thing to do harm to the White House, the people in it or any one else?

Inquiring minds want to know.:scrutiny:

[Quartus]

How much explosive would he need in that thing to do harm to the White House, the people in it


Enough that they could easily see it. :rolleyes:



or any one else?


He could have enough to hurt folks very close to the edge of the pond. Flying debris, anyway - not the actual blast. 'Course, that depends on how close to one side he is.

[bogie]

You know, you'd think that SOMEONE up there woulda already thunk up the "hip boots and six pack" dealie... Sheesh... I wonder what they'd do with a serious threat... Call in the B-52s?

[ballistic gelatin]

"They think my tractor's tactical. It really freaks them out."
I like it a-l-o-t. I saw Kenney a month ago here in Fla. with Montomery Gentry. Very Cool.

"Well, I ain't into bombs or smoke grenades, but if you shoot somethin' at me you'll start a media parade."

[ballistic gelatin]

"She likes the way it splashes when I'm drivin' 'cross the pond,
it's plain to see man I ain't armed".

[gun-fucious]

Paralyzing the Capital
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A46910-2003Mar18.html
By Marc Fisher
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, March 19, 2003; 2:18 PM


I hate to be giving advice to Saddam Hussein at this moment, but clearly, the most effective path for any enemy of America is to put on a helmet that makes him look like Franz Liebkind, the unreconstructed Nazi in Mel Brooks' "The Producers," get himself a John Deere tractor and drive it into a shallow decorative pond. That'll shut down any American city but good.

For more than 24 hours now, a lone farmer from Whitakers, N.C., has held the capital of the free world hostage, causing the authorities to shut down several major thoroughfares and paralyzing much of the city. The tobacco farmer, Dwight Watson, 50, supposedly questions the wisdom of U.S. tobacco farming policies.

Judging from this guy, I'd say subsidies to tobacco farmers are way too high: Nice shiny new tractor, flatbed trailer, cell phone, loads of time on his hands--this guy needs to see what life is like without subsidies.

The big question right now is, why have the police permitted this man to shut down Constitution Avenue and several federal buildings, simply with his unconfirmed statement that he has some explosives with him?

Can anyone here say "tranquilizer dart"? If the Park Police can't handle this, call in the National Zoo administrators--they've shown a special capacity to quiet wayward creatures.

Police say they want to wait out the tractor man because he may have explosives that he could trigger in an instant. But this guy has already been given more than half the time that President Bush granted Saddam Hussein to get out of town. About 100 officers from the Park Police, D.C. police and the FBI have committed untold overtime hours to watching over this fellow and dealing with the traffic mess he created. I, for one, am greatly relieved to know that even during Orange Alert, we can spare 100 law enforcement officers to baby-sit a nut on a tractor.

However, for the peace of mind of all Washingtonians, I think it's time we thought about returning to the era of Disgruntled Officeseekers. In those good old days, wackos came to Washington aiming their wrath at one man, not at a couple of million commuters.

In David Lynch's lyrical movie, "The Straight Story," Alvin Straight, a 73-year-old Iowa man, climbs onto his '66 John Deere lawnmower and drives several hundred miles to Mt. Zion, Wis., to see his ailing brother. There was a real Alvin Straight and he really did drive a lawnmower to visit his brother and fix a relationship that had gone bad. And there was a very American poetry to his choice and his journey. Straight's trip, and his story, were a form of protest, against the speed and expectations of a hopped-up society, against the idea that sometimes it's too late to make things right.

And in a quieter time, maybe this farmer would have won some sympathy with his dive into a pond on the Mall. At least he was creative in his choice of venue: Constitution Gardens is a novel protest site. The pond is known to fishermen as a rare urban oasis stocked with plenty of largemouth bass and bluegill. As best I can tell, tobacco is one of the few plant materials that are not clogging the pond's murky waters.

But this is not a moment when most Washingtonians are terribly open to novel forms of protest. Most of the folks I talked to this morning favored taking this guy out--without waiting for U.N. approval. Calling in the police snipers might not be the perfect solution, but surely waiting him out isn't either.

Is there a silver lining in the Tractor Siege? It's hard to find any good news in this situation, except that perhaps we've been momentarily distracted from what's about to happen in Iraq. There is this, though: Among the buildings affected during the standoff is the Federal Reserve Board's offices. They're not likely to hike interest rates as long as tractor man sits in the pond; go out and refinance your mortgage today.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Tractor Standoff Continues

By David Nakamura
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, March 18, 2003; 2:50 PM


Dwight Ware Watson, the man engaged in a marathon standoff with law enforcement on the Mall, said today that he has explosives but does not intend to harm anyone. He said he came to Washington on a "mission" to get a message to the American public that he and other tobacco farmers are being forced out of business by unfair government policies.

"I'm going to get my message out or die trying," he said in a telephone call to The Washington Post from Constitution Gardens, where he drove a tractor into a shallow pond at 12:30 p.m. Monday.

"I don't give a damn no more," Watson said. "If this is the way America will be run, the hell with it. I'm out of here. I will not surrender. They can blow my *** out of the water. I'm ready to go to heaven."

Asked when he might end the standoff, Watson said: "I've got the rest of my life to stay right here. I'm not going anywhere."

Watson, 50, from Whitakers, N.C., drove a jeep towing the tractor on a trailer off a curb on Constitution Avenue NW. Then he drove the jeep into the small pond around noon yesterday. Since then, more than 100 Park Police and agents from the FBI and ATF have been negotiating to try to end the episode peacefully.

Early in the standoff, authorities said, Watson claimed to have explosives. Law enforcement sources said they do not yet know whether he does. Some nearby government buildings were kept closed today. Several nearby streets have been closed, including a stretch on Constitution, creating massive traffic tie-ups. Streets remained closed this afternoon.

Watson, a former military policeman in the 82nd Airborne in the mid-1970s, said the explosives are in the tractor or jeep. He said he has plenty of food and water. He has remained in the tractor for much of the ordeal. At one point this morning, he started the tractor and drove it a few yards. But then he stopped, remaining in the rig.

Watson, whose family has run a farm for several generations, said he could no longer remain economically solvent and this weekend decided to give up farming. "I'm broke. I'm busted," he said.

But Watson added that he wanted to stand up to the government over its policies of cutting subsidies to farmers and making it difficult for American tobacco growers to compete internationally. He said he wants the government's landmark lawsuit against tobacco companies thrown "in the garbage can, where it belongs."

He also said he is against the America's pending war with Iraq.

Watson said he is acting alone. Asked why he decided to protest this week, Watson said: "I just played it by ear. The Lord told me to do it. He said, 'Time is running out, Jack.'"


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A43089-2003Mar18.html

[ballistic gelatin]

Watson, a former military policeman in the 82nd Airborne in the mid-1970sis this true or did the media get this from "them"

[Quartus]

Can anyone here say "tranquilizer dart"?

And can you say, "deadman switch"? Ah, I knew you couldn't. :rolleyes: If he really has explosives, shooting him is NOT the brightest idea until you know more about the detonators.


he wanted to stand up to the government over its policies of cutting subsidies to farmers and making it difficult for American tobacco growers to compete internationally


:rolleyes: This is where we are, America. This man thinks he's a patriotic American, and he has a RIGHT to subsidies.


I've got a solution to offer him. One that actually can be done without trashing the Constitution:

Stop the subsidies completely. Ban all imports of tobacco. Toss the ridiculous lawsuit. Let the market decide how many tobacco farmers we need.

[DeltaElite]

Would you really have the nerve to put on some hip boots and approach an unarmed farmer on a tractor?

NO WAY Tallpine, that water is over 1 foot, that's 12 inches deep.
I would need a raft, life preserver and scuba gear, all for my safety. :neener:

[Phyphor]

What? You mean you wouldn't go all the way and request a helo to take you out there and lower ya in?:D

[gun-fucious]

there was a brief mention on the NBC news
CBS did not show a thing

[seeker_two]

Police surrounded the area and shut down all nearby roads as they attempted to understand the nature and motive of individual they are dealing with.

Has anyone ASKED him what his motive is?...:what:

What we have here is a bunch of city-slickers who don't know how to handle a drunk on a John Deere. This is something every Texas deputy has to deal with at least once a month.

Take a Thermos of coffee out there to him. Talk w/ him a little bit. Call his wife ("Irlene, could you come get your hubby again?") And send him home w/ a warning & his tractor.

Next thing you know, they'll be sending SWAT teams & tanks to surround unusual religious sects...:scrutiny:

[JShirley]

UH...let me try a different approach here, folks.

Hell, I'm suspicious of Big Brother. I'm suspicious of absolutely ANYBODY that thinks they know what's right for everybody else, so of course most politicians earn a jaundiced eye from me. I think I should be able to own a crew served weapon if I darn well please. Without any stupid registrations. I have a pressing need for my own armored vehicle.

And that was before I joined the military. Now I trust groupthink even less.

But, check this out. This man is a US citizen. He appears to be mentally ill, but despite his claims, is probably posing no serious threat to our citizenry.

And we have yet to give him lead poisoning. I personally think this is a good and positive thing. Let our military do what they are trained to do- close with and destroy hostiles on foreign battlefields- and let our police do their best to protect our citizens. Even if it might slow down the ride home from work.

John
If the AR15 reliably and repeatedly places bullet holes into tiny groups in test targets on indoor ranges, the conclusion I must draw, is that the AR15 is undoubtedly a great rifle for indoor ranges. Hell, I want a battle rifle, though. The thoughts that spring to mind with the word “battle rifle” are similar to what I want from any piece of good outdoor gear: unfailing reliability and toughness. (Call an AR15 tough, and I’ll laugh at you.)

[ballistic gelatin]

Is this situation over yet?

[dance varmint]

I believe force was justified after the first few hours the police spent "pond"ering whether he really has a bomb. Surely anyone here would say the same thing if this was a turbaned Osama sympathizer in a tractor. Whether he's a Carolina farmer who went off the shallow end is irrelevant. We can't spend the rest of eternity guessing his capabilities and intentions (nor Saddam). Use teargas and concussion grenades, and get the damn city back to normal.

[dev_null]

Can we say "laughingstock," folks? :rolleyes:

-0-

[ballistic gelatin]

I just wanted to check and confirm that some trigger happy sniper didn't nail him for reaching into his pocket to pull out a stick of gum.

[DeltaElite]

:banghead: :banghead: :banghead:

What is their malfunction? Just go talk to the guy.

[dance varmint]

Sympathizers seem to argue that this situation is doing no harm because, although we are at Level Orange, no terrorist attack is underway, so a little commuting hassle is not serious. I just heard that reasoning on the Diane Rehm show on NPR.

So how many lives will this stunt cost if there IS an emergency in downtown DC, and the place is still F'ed up?

Seems to be a lot of people on THR who almost admire this guy.

[DeltaElite]

I don't admire him, his actions are as irresponsible and criminal as any war protestor that interferes with others freedoms.

I just don't see what is taking them so long to diffuse the situation.

[Quartus]

Anyone who thinks a bullet is called for here must have loved the Nazis.


But good grief! Why all the fuss? Just go talk to the man!

[2dogs]

Man in D.C. Tractor Standoff Surrenders

By SIOBHAN McDONOUGH
Associated Press Writer





WASHINGTON (AP) -- A standoff near the National Mall between a disgruntled farmer and police ended peacefully Wednesday when the man surrendered after three days.

Dwight Watson, 50, of Whitakers, N.C., left the tractor he had driven into a pond near the Washington's monuments on Monday. He backed away from the tractor with his hands raised and was taken into custody.

Police said Watson claimed to have explosives when the incident began. Van Harp, FBI agent in charge of the Washington office, refused to say whether any explosives were found in the tractor after the arrest.

U.S. Park Police Chief Theresa Chambers said Watson surrendered to a SWAT team comprised of FBI agents and park police. She said the North Carolina man negotiated the terms of his surrender with the team, but she did not disclose the conditions.

http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/stories/T/TRACTOR_TERROR?SITE=PAREA&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

[El Tejon]

Did they call in Chief Wiggum, er, Moose?:D

[gun-fucious]

nope, but they did unsuccessfully flash bang him in the wee hours:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A52981-2003Mar19.html

But that stalemate followed the most dramatic action thus far by authorities when, after seeing Watson put his tractor in gear and begin to move to the edge of the pond -- beginning to dig into the ground with his tractor's front-end spade -- they fired three cannon bursts, cracking the morning's stillness.

Ground floodlights, which had been directed at Watson in the darkness, immediately cut off after the blasts, and the tractor's perpetually blinking orange light could be seen moving. Watson stopped a few seconds later, began to gently rock back and forth in the tractor's cab as a U.S. Park Police helicopter immediately took flight, hovering, at times, very close to Watson's tractor, keeping their own floodlight trained on him.

"He started moving and getting a little anxious," Fear said. "And we were moving right along with him." Fear stressed to reporters camped out near the site that Watson did not fire the devices causing the flashes and loud bangs. Fear declined to describe the device used or to say if an actual weapon was deployed.

the people ae awakening:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A49354-2003Mar18.html

"I'm actually a bit frightened after this," said Jonathan Sullivan, 24, who said the nearly 21/2-hour drive from Springfield to Georgetown yesterday morning was his worst commute in three years. "It made me angry being stuck in traffic because of a guy on a tractor, but it also made me realize if this was something major, how would the city be able to react?"

Uzma Kaleem, 23, said she was already anxious as she drove into the city from Springfield, wondering about the renewed Code Orange terrorism alert after President Bush's speech Monday threatening an attack on Iraq.

"It almost makes me feel insecure that one person can cause all this traffic," said Kaleem, who spent two hours getting to her sales job in Friendship Heights. "What if it were 10 people? It's so easy to cause chaos here."

Area emergency planners said the incident underscored their warnings that the region's fragile transportation network, overwhelmed during a normal rush period, would buckle in a crisis. In a terrorist attack, most people would be asked to "shelter in place," leaving roads and transit free for emergency workers and those fleeing the immediate area of the attack.

[BlackArrow]

"It almost makes me feel insecure that one person can cause all this traffic," said Kaleem, who spent two hours getting to her sales job in Friendship Heights. "What if it were 10 people? It's so easy to cause chaos here."

You're all a bunch of freaking ninnys! Yes, Bliss ninnys. I'm with our Texas resident, this guy is one 6 pack shy of a full load. I wonder what the protocal would have been if he had painted the JD black. This is what is going to protect YOU from the terroists. :D Ha,ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha.
if you're here you get the picture. What a bunch of morons.
Flash bombs because he dug the front end of the tractor into the dirt. OOOH I'm scared. Just get a bigger tractor!!!

[mcole]

that didn't look like a tactical tractor. mcole