Mark Tyson
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Trooper discovers arsenal during traffic stop
03/15/2004
Trooper discovers arsenal during traffic stop
07:30 PM PST on Monday, March 15, 2004
By MIMI JUNG / KING 5 News
TACOMA, Wash. – Troopers stopped a van for a cracked windshield, but that led them to find a lot more than they ever expected.
Sunday afternoon, Washington State Patrol troopers pulled over a van in Spanaway, Wash. and found it loaded with a small arsenal of weapons and ammunition.
Trooper Sean Meenan stopped the van for a cracked windshield, but immediately sensed the four people inside had something to hide.
"Something wasn't right," he said. "Just based on their nervousness, I felt they may have been deceptive, so I asked them the question: Are there any weapons in the car?" said Meenan.
KING 5 TV, Seattle WA
Troopers found four assault rifles, pistols, knives, camouflage clothing, ski masks, tons of ammunition and drug paraphernalia.
It turned out weapons and ammunition were hidden in the back along with drug paraphernalia and methamphatamine-making products.
The evidence was startling: four assault rifles, pistols, knives, camouflage clothing, ski masks and tons of ammunition.
"A normal person wouldn't have a magazine of this sort," said WSP trooper Johnny Alexander. "It's basically used for tactical type of operation."
The most disturbing piece of evidence was a video tape showing the suspects during target practice.
"What we found to be very disturbing was that they somehow had used plaster to construct human heads," and the video showed them shooting at them, Alexander said.
The Washington State Patrol does not know if the weapons were intended for target practice or something more sinister.
Investigators said they will be checking with other agencies and the Violent Crimes Unit in Pierce County to see if the suspects were involved in other crimes.
Three of the four people in the van were arrested. The 27-year-old male driver and a 23-year-old male passenger, both from Tacoma and both convicted felons, were arrested for investigation of possession of a stolen firearm and being felons in possession of firearms. Alexander says a 9mm Ruger handgun found in the van was stolen.
Alexander said the suspects have a lengthy list of convictions, ranging from domestic violence to robbery, and from auto theft to possession of stolen property.
A 23-year-old Tacoma woman was arrested for misdemeanor obstruction.
The fourth person in the van, also a woman, was not arrested.
Alexander said the suspects told investigators they had the guns and other items simply for target practice, but the patrol continues to investigate.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Trooper discovers arsenal during traffic stop
03/15/2004
Trooper discovers arsenal during traffic stop
07:30 PM PST on Monday, March 15, 2004
By MIMI JUNG / KING 5 News
TACOMA, Wash. – Troopers stopped a van for a cracked windshield, but that led them to find a lot more than they ever expected.
Sunday afternoon, Washington State Patrol troopers pulled over a van in Spanaway, Wash. and found it loaded with a small arsenal of weapons and ammunition.
Trooper Sean Meenan stopped the van for a cracked windshield, but immediately sensed the four people inside had something to hide.
"Something wasn't right," he said. "Just based on their nervousness, I felt they may have been deceptive, so I asked them the question: Are there any weapons in the car?" said Meenan.
KING 5 TV, Seattle WA
Troopers found four assault rifles, pistols, knives, camouflage clothing, ski masks, tons of ammunition and drug paraphernalia.
It turned out weapons and ammunition were hidden in the back along with drug paraphernalia and methamphatamine-making products.
The evidence was startling: four assault rifles, pistols, knives, camouflage clothing, ski masks and tons of ammunition.
"A normal person wouldn't have a magazine of this sort," said WSP trooper Johnny Alexander. "It's basically used for tactical type of operation."
The most disturbing piece of evidence was a video tape showing the suspects during target practice.
"What we found to be very disturbing was that they somehow had used plaster to construct human heads," and the video showed them shooting at them, Alexander said.
The Washington State Patrol does not know if the weapons were intended for target practice or something more sinister.
Investigators said they will be checking with other agencies and the Violent Crimes Unit in Pierce County to see if the suspects were involved in other crimes.
Three of the four people in the van were arrested. The 27-year-old male driver and a 23-year-old male passenger, both from Tacoma and both convicted felons, were arrested for investigation of possession of a stolen firearm and being felons in possession of firearms. Alexander says a 9mm Ruger handgun found in the van was stolen.
Alexander said the suspects have a lengthy list of convictions, ranging from domestic violence to robbery, and from auto theft to possession of stolen property.
A 23-year-old Tacoma woman was arrested for misdemeanor obstruction.
The fourth person in the van, also a woman, was not arrested.
Alexander said the suspects told investigators they had the guns and other items simply for target practice, but the patrol continues to investigate.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Meaning notorious "hi cap mags to feed bullet hoses", I guess, but I didn't see mags mentioned otherwise. True, tho, that a normal person wouldn't have "a" mag - they'd have several.
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