Tenn. Hostage Standoff

[Andrew Rothman]

From today's Minneapolis Star Tribune web site:

http://www.startribune.com/stories/484/4 103576.html

Man with gun, knife holds Tennessee college classroom hostage

Published September 18, 2003 (obviously not - it's still the 17th)

DYERSBURG, Tenn. -- A man with a gun and a knife took college students and a teacher hostage Wednesday afternoon, then released three people about three hours into the standoff, the mayor said.

An estimated 12 to 15 people remained in the classroom at Dyersburg State Community College, Mayor Bill Revell said. No injuries were immediately reported in the standoff.

Dyersburg Police Chief Bobby Williamson told the State Gazette newspaper that he deployed his special response team in an attempt to start negotiations.

School president Karen Bowyer called the state Board of Regents office in Nashville to report the standoff, regents spokeswoman Mary Morgan said. Bowyer told the Nashville officials that one faculty member was among the hostages.

There were no reports of shots being fired, Morgan said.

Bowyer told the Nashville office that college officials thought the gunman might be a student but they didn't know what sparked the incident about 75 miles northeast of Memphis.

Athletic Director Alan Barnett said that authorities cleared the campus of other students.

``Police ordered all students to evacuate, but employees could stay,'' Barnett said in a telephone interview. ``We had students coming in since it happened, but everyone is gone now.''

Ken Teutsch, a media specialist at the campus Learning Resource Center, said from his office that he could see a couple of police cars near the building where the standoff occurred.

``It's obviously very disturbing, very shocking, but on the other hand, we're not completely unprepared. There have been training and drills and that sort of thing,'' he said.

Here's the interesting part: GUNS ARE BANNED AT SCHOOLS IN TENNESSEE!

So how come this guy brought one to campus? Oh, yeah, I remember. Criminals don't obey laws!

So how come the standoff hasn't been resolved? Oh, yeah. Because LEGAL CARRY IS BANNED ON CAMPUS. The hostages have been effectively disarmed, but their assailant has not.

Am I the only one who sees the obvious problem?

Matt

 

[Tamara]

Am I the only one who sees the obvious problem?

Instead of just issuing a ban on guns on campus, they should've issued a double secret ban on guns on campus?

 

[TimH]

I'm sure if the guy taking hostages was told that guns were illegal on campus he wouldn't have brought one on campus. He just didn't know

 

[Bowlcut]

exactly. i know everyone that KNEW that fireworks were illegal on campus didnt bring any. now why that girl almost went blind in one eye cause of a bottle rocket...i dont know.

i guess people dont realize if someone wants something bad enough...they will do it

 

[TallPine]

So you're sitting there in the room, with your gun in deep concealment ... hoping, I suppose, that the thing ends peacefully, or otherwise you will have to go to prison for saving (at least some of) your fellow students' lives.

And if you do, you will have years of wishing that you had acted just a few seconds sooner to save the life (lives?) that were lost, since it cost you the same either way.

Just thinking out loud ...

 

[Kendra Pacelli]

Hell, I know a couple of people who have a permit, carry their guns on school property (college campus). I know people who can conceal a gun so well, you can't tell.

Does anyone know the outcome of the standoff? Is it still going on?

 

[R-Tex12]

Here's the Australian version from a Brisbane newspaper. Different slant, eh?

http://www.thecouriermail.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5936,7300402%5E1702,00.html


'Al-Qaeda' gunman in college siege
From correspondents in Dyersburg, Tennessee
18sep03
A MAN with a gun and a knife claiming to be a member of al-Qaeda took a classroom of US college students hostage this afternoon.

Four people were released several hours into the standoff, authorities said.

Because the gunman claimed to be a member of an international terrorist organisation, the FBI has been called in, but Police Chief Bobby Williamson said authorities have no reason to believe the claim.

A SWAT team and about five hostage negotiators were among the officers called to the scene.

No injuries or gunshots were reported in the standoff at Dyersburg State Community College, about 120 km north-east of Memphis, Tennessee.

The gunman, believed to have a 9mm pistol - the calibre now used by US armed forces - had made no demands but said he would kill himself, Williamson said.

Williamson said About 12 to 16 people were in the classroom when the standoff began.

Officers were communicating to the gunman through student hostages on their mobile phones, "but he won't talk directly to us," Williamson said.

Police refused to identify the gunman but said he was not a student or college employee. They are talking to his sister on the scene, but the gunman won't talk to her, Williamson said.

"I think eventually he'll surrender," Williamson said.

Athletic director Alan Barnett said that authorities cleared the campus of other students.

 

[4v50 Gary]

I hope this guy surrenders and nobody gets hurt. It would do us no good to have innocent blood spilled.

 

[Kendra Pacelli]

hm

'Al-Qaeda' gunman in college siege

They just confirmed this on the news tonight.

 

[Kendra Pacelli]

UPDATE:

Hostage taker has died and two hostages were injured, authorities state that they are not fatal. He also stated that he was afiiated with Al-Quida...Sister stated that she found a suicide note stating that he was going to kill people then himself. He was supposed to be on trial today in memphis for assaulting someone. He was not a student of the college. What I don't understand is how he got in the first place and just walk into a classroom. That doesn't seem right.










I think I have dominated this thread sorry.

 

[Ala Dan]

Thanks Kendra for the update !

Looks kind'a like school security was lacking doesn't it?


Best Wishes,
Ala Dan, N.R.A. Life Member

 

[Doctor Wu]

He claims to be an Al-Queada member, but his only demands are pizza and soda.

Now that is a hard core terrorist.

 

[Kendra Pacelli]

but his only demands are pizza and soda

They stated that he didn't make any demands...or maybe they meant money...or maybe I am just tired

 

[Doctor Wu]

Foxnews said that aside from the food and drink, he made no demands.
Of course the media lacks credibility.
Personally I would have gotten some barbeque wings with the pizza, but I'm not a hard core Al-Quesadia terrorist like this guy.

 

[TheeBadOne]

How long until we get to: "The cops screwed up" threads?

 

[Doctor Wu]

SWAT team delivers pizzas, but to the wrong address.

Seriously, I hope everyone comes home alright from that mess.
My prayers are with them.

 

[Doctor Wu]

It's official, gunman kills himself after wounding two hostages.
Not as bad an outcome as it could have been and not as good as it could have been either.
Here's wishing a speedy recovery to the wounded.

 

[NIGHTWATCH]

Witness how we all are held hostage by one criminal act.

 

[TallPine]

If this isn't a reason to allow concealed carry in schools, then I don't know what is ....

Of course, this fruitcake chooses a "victim disarmament zone"

 

[Tim Burke]

He claims to be an Al-Queada member, but his only demands are pizza and soda.

Did he want Canadian bacon on his pizza?

 

[buzz_knox]

Living in Dyersburg is enough to drive anyone nuts.

 

[tyme]

[blockquote]So you're sitting there in the room, with your gun in deep concealment ... hoping, I suppose, that the thing ends peacefully, or otherwise you will have to go to prison for saving (at least some of) your fellow students' lives.[/blockquote]
Survivors aren't searched after a hostage situation ends?

 

[cordex]

Survivors aren't searched after a hostage situation ends?

As I understand it, standard practice is to treat all hostages as potential perps until it is known otherwise. That means handcuffs and searches.

I don't risk more legal action than usual if I would choose to carry onto my campus. I would, however, risk being kicked out of school. I do as I see fit.

 

[.45TCB]

Full story from the (Memphis, TN) Commercial Appeal: Police Kill Hostage Taker

BTW, in reference to the side discussions on this thread, an interesting point of TN law is that if an illegally carried firearm is used in defense of one's self or others, they may not be charged under the state statutes.

 

[TheeBadOne]

Carolyn Reeves, a cousin of Kilpatrick's from Memphis, was critical of police handling of the incident.

She said police did not keep the family informed while briefing the families of the hostages.

Ahh....there we have it. The police should have involved the shooters family in tactical planning, that way they could have tipped him off...

Reeves said her cousin was manic-depressive and "he sometimes gets upset."

"He wanted to go back to school," Reeves said adding that Kilpatrick had recently been fired by FedEx in Memphis over an altercation on the job.

Reeves said the SWAT assault was "unnecessary."

..and there we have it, the police were wrong.

"Why are you going to go in and shoot a mental patient? Couldn't they have shot him in the leg? Couldn't they have done anything outside of killing him?" Reeves said.

...and again! Why didn't they shoot the gun out of his hand as he was shooting hostages? I've seen it in the movies? Maybe they should explain to her that they didn't go in and shoot a mental patient, they went in and shot an Active Shooter, who was shooting the people he took hostage.