2 La. police officers die in shootout, 3 others injured

[TheeBadOne]

http://www.msnbc.com/news/875444.asp?0dm=T249N

ALEXANDRIA, La., Feb. 20 — A gunman ambushed a police SWAT team as they approached a house with a search warrant Thursday, killing two officers and wounding three others. In the ensuing two-hour gun battle, the man also died. The injured officers were in stable condition, authorities said. No names were released.
POLICE SAID the gunman was wanted by probation and parole officers. They said the SWAT team was searching for a man wanted for ambushing another officer in the same neighborhood on Wednesday.
That officer was ambushed while responding to an apparently false report of a robbery. The gunman sprayed the officer’s patrol car with bullets, firing about 20 shots.
The officer was not hit.
Capt. Thomas Cardwell estimated that 500 shots were exchanged during Thursday’s gunbattle, which took place south of downtown in an area where drug dealing is common.
“He was lying in wait and he opened up,†Cardwell said.
During the shootout, students at a nearby school were locked inside their building. Janice Kane, who lives about two blocks away, said, “It sounded like a war zone. You try to clean up a neighborhood and then this.â€
Her husband, Joe, added: “Only in Vietnam. That’s the only time I heard that many shots.â€
Cardwell said it was the first fatal shooting of a police officer in the city (Alexandria) in 40 years.

 

[4v50 Gary]

Any questions why LE wants rifles?

 

[Blackhawk]

Really sad thing here is that they KNEW they were going into a firefight when they cornered this perp.

There was a thread on it yesterday, but the reporter didn't assemble the facts into a very coherent story. When they're rendered into a readable form, this story is going to be more chilling and get legs.

 

[Zander]

"A gunman ambushed a police SWAT team ... "

Does anything more need to be said?!?

 

[DeltaElite]

God Speed my friends.

I have a shotgun with which to combat evil and further the cause of peace.

 

[Baba Louie]

Prayers for the families of the downed officers and the ones injured in the line of duty.

Rethink your tactics (or is it strategy) here boys in blue/black.

How to approach any combat zone... Marked or unmarked, vans known to bad guys or bread trucks. Helicopters overhead? Send in someone first to reconnoiter who doesn't look smell or act like a cop?

I hope that every well trained (and not so well trained) SWAT Team in America is chewing over this type of situation as well as the old terrorist cell takedown... they must be. Tell me they are.

Prayers on the way.

The thin blue line gets thinner neh?

Adios

Vaya con Dios

 

[TheeBadOne]

There was a thread on it yesterday, but the reporter didn't assemble the facts into a very coherent story.

Happens waaay to often.

 

[RAY WOODROW 3RD]

May they rest in peace........

With the way that they show SWAT tactics onTV all the time (same type of raids all over the country:banghead: ) this happening was only a matter of time. I have always said to people who bring this subject up that all it will take is someone with the know how and the gumpsion to totally destroy a SWAT team while serving a warrant. If you think about it, it is not so hard to do. Time for them to change their play book that's for sure.

My condolenses to the families of the downed and wounded officers.

 

[Ed Brunner]

I read a story in a local paper today. It said that the officers were serving a search warrant and one officer forced the door open and was met by automatic rifle fire which killed two and wounded three. I still don't know what happened, but it sounds as if they should have been told the guy was a shooter and acted accordingly.

Does anybody have the facts?