Columbia (SC) SWAT team member has semiautomatic rifle stolen from truck

[Sportcat]

http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/13197573.htm

Columbia SWAT team member has semiautomatic rifle stolen from truck

Associated Press

COLUMBIA, S.C. - A Columbia SWAT team member had his semiautomatic assault rifle and three magazines loaded with armor-piercing ammunition stolen from his truck outside his home, police say.

The officer, James Patrick Auld, heard his car alarm around 3 a.m. Thursday, ran outside and chased the thief, who got away, Columbia Police Chief Dean Crisp said.

The AR-15 Bushmaster rifle stolen from Auld is available to the public and frequently used for hunting, Crisp said.

Auld is always on call and Columbia police policy allows officers to store their weapons in the vehicles as long as they use "secure storage means to ensure that weapons cannot be accessed by unauthorized users when being stored."

The department is conducting an internal investigation, Crisp said.

The case the rifle was in was found less than three hours after the theft in a stolen car abandoned in lower Richland County after troopers tried to pull it over, Public Safety Department spokesman Sid Gaulden said.

"We are putting all efforts to try to recover that weapon. We feel like we've got some good leads right now," Crisp said.


My question is: where was ScottsGT Thursday morning???

 

[Janitor]

Oh no! Say it aint so! A SEMIAUTOMATIC ASSULT RIFLE!?!?!?! With ARMOR-PIERCING BULLETS in it?!?!?!?!



Oh lord! Somebody get all the children inside until we find this misguided but probably normally very nice Christian lad who took it.

Auld is always on call and Columbia police policy allows officers to store their weapons in the vehicles as long as they use "secure storage means to ensure that weapons cannot be accessed by unauthorized users when being stored."

I wonder how that's working out for them.
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[Spot77]

is available to the public and frequently used for hunting, Crisp said.

Holy smokes! That's one to remember!

 

[El Tejon]

Ban police firearms! For the children!

As well, note that it is a BUSHmaster weapon of death. No doubt Karl Rove is behind this.

 

[benEzra]

"Armor piercing ammunition"??

What's up with that? I assume this is a reporter's mistake, since I don't see why a SWAT team would be using tungsten-core ammunition...

 

[Janitor]

"Armor piercing ammunition"??

What's up with that? I assume this is a reporter's mistake, since I don't see why a SWAT team would be using tungsten-core ammunition...

They _don't_ use tungsten-core ammunition.

They use DU ammunition.
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[Byron Quick]

Wonder if he's a transfer from Aiken, SC SWAT?

 

[RavenVT100]

I'm convinced that reporters simply make stuff up as they go along. That's right, they simply fabricate information here-and-there. I have a ton of difficulty imagining that the police said the ammunition was "AP."

 

[Father Knows Best]

My brother is on the SWAT team for his department in Georgia. He has a G36 (selective fire .223 H&K) and an MP5 that both stay in the trunk of his cruiser pretty much 24/7.

 

[SomeKid]

Possible letter to Sarah Brady... (yes, humor)

Ms. Brady,

Recently, I heard about a policeman who insecurely stored his firearms. I never, in my entire life could have imagined such a thing being done by police! Obviously, these violent video games their children play are affecting there judgement. We should push for a requirement, that all policeman whould be required to use trigger locks at all times, especially when on duty, for the children. As a reasonable safety measure, we will allow them to call a supervisor for the key to the lock on there evil assault handgun if they are attacked. Furthermore, we should mandate that they be barred from having any weapons that hold more than 1/10th of a round, for the children of course.

Sincerely,

One of your kool-aid followers.
______________________________________________________
I kinda want to actually write/print and send that off. I wonder if it would get a response..?

 

[scbair]

I'm gonna save the quote from Chief Crisp re: the AR15 being frequently used for hunting . . .

 

[wolf_from_wv]

The AR-15 Bushmaster rifle stolen f...hey let the public borrow thier rifles... :p

 

[Standing Wolf]

See? Didn't I tell you? Only the police and military are qualified to have guns.

 

[ArmedBear]

See? Didn't I tell you? Only the police and military are qualified to have guns.

This is NOT meant as a jab at police or those in the Service. I appreciate your commitment and sacrifices every day.

This is meant as a jab at the Brady Bunch and their filthy compadres.

PLEASE tell me why you find it disturbing that I would be willing to shoot someone who is trying to kill me, or rape my wife, but you apparently have no problem with someone who is willing to shoot someone for a salary and benefits.

 

[Phyphor]

He was the only one professional enough to handle that rifle!

 

[jsalcedo]

Was it in the gun-rack of the truck in full view?

 

[Sportcat]

Update - somewhat

http://www.wistv.com/Global/story.asp?S=4140900

Columbia SWAT team searching for missing gun
Jack Kuenzie on stolen SWAT weapon

(Columbia) Nov. 18, 2005 - The Columbia police SWAT team is missing one of its guns, and the department is still trying to track down both the weapon and the person who took it.

In the right hands, the AR-15 can stop crime. But one of those weapons has been stolen from a Columbia police officer, James Patrick Auld. As far as anyone knows, it is out on the streets.

The gun disappeared early Friday morning after someone broke into the officer's car outside his home near the VA hospital.

Columbia Police Department Captain Thomas Dodson, "He initially heard what he thought was glass breaking, and then heard a single chirp from the car alarm, and looked outside and saw some people around his vehicle. When he ran outside, he realized his truck had been broken into and they ran away from his vehicle."

The rifle might have been in the stolen car that ended up a few hours later in the Bluff Estates neighborhood.

A state trooper traveling down Bluff Road clocked the vehicle coming toward him at 73 miles an hour. He turned around to give chase. The driver of the car pulled into Flamingo Drive, dumped the car and ran off. Inside the car, investigators found the case for the AR-15.

Lance Cpl. Josef Robinson says even though the trooper gave chase, "He wasn't able to make any ID on the driver."

Captain Thomas Dodson is the city's SWAT team commander. The gun and some standard issue, but not armor-piercing, ammunition were ripped off from one of the men on his squad.

"His vehicle, we don't believe it was targeted. There were several other auto break-ins in that same cul-de-sac he lives in. It appears his vehicle was one of those random vehicles that was struck."

Dodson keeps his own AR-15 under lock and key in his city car. The stolen gun was taken from the SWAT team member's own truck, and was not locked away. That's not necessarily a violation of department rules.

Captain Dodson explains, "The policy simply says that officers are responsible for safely storing all weapons."

The gun and the suspect are still missing at this hour.

Columbia Police Chief Dean Crisp says the AR-15 Bushmaster rifle stolen from Auld is available to the public and frequently used for hunting.

 

[ArmedBear]

Funny...

If the SWAT commander was talking to a reporter during a standoff, he'd say that they need to be careful and bide their time, because the suspect has an assault rifle and a lot of high-capacity magazines, and that, judging by the way the bullets went through the cop car's fender, they are probably armor-piercing!

But when the PD is embarrassed by this, suddenly the same gun and ammo becomes a common hunting rifle.

 

[carebear]

Well, hopefully the local press and letter-to-the-editor writers will keep him honest on that note.

 

[Monkeyleg]

wolf_from_wv:

 

[Dan Morris]

Only the weapon? In Denver, not only do they loose weapons but now and then, the whole dam car...weapons/ammo/armor/pyrotecs the whole nine yards! So far, none have turned up.
Dan

 

[nfl1990]

I'm convinced that reporters simply make stuff up as they go along. That's right, they simply fabricate information here-and-there. I have a ton of difficulty imagining that the police said the ammunition was "AP."

Oh they do, most definatly.

 

[ArmedBear]

Hell, it was probably steel core. Why not?

Why else have the gun?

Most SWAT tasks not involving penetration of cover could be better accomplished with pistols of some sort, or with bolt actions.