State Police Officer Dies in Pennsylvania Ambush

[Gerald]

Law enforcement officers from three states were searching on Saturday for a suspect or suspects who ambushed two troopers at a state police barracks in northeastern Pennsylvania, killing one and wounding the other.
The slain trooper was identified on Saturday afternoon as Cpl. Bryon K. Dickson. The wounded trooper, who was identified as Alex T. Douglass, was in critical but stable condition after undergoing surgery at Geisinger Medical Center in Scranton.

Like these events are always tragic, and it is hard on the whole community.


http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/14/us...T.nav=top-news





Note: SEPT. 13, 2014

[BrucePartington]

Is the world going insane, or are these incidents becoming more visible?

[Wolferz]

Originally Posted by BrucePartington

Is the world going insane, or are these incidents becoming more visible?

Mass media clamors to put bad news on the wire. It's in their nature.

Considering the rise of the police state and some of the underhanded things they've been doing to otherwise innocent folk, I'm surprised it isn't happening more often.

Law enforcement views itself as an army fighting a war against everything criminal.

http://www.policemag.com/channel/pat...or-patrol.aspx

The only problem with this mindset is that all too often innocent people get caught in the crossfire and suddenly the police become judge and jury and will make your life a living hell, leaving you with little recourse or remedy short of a huge attorney bill.
How to lose a large sum of money through police interdiction...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/sf/inv...-targets-cash/

There have been numerous law abiding citizens who found themselves on the receiving end of an interdiction traffic stop and had their money seized, even when no contraband is found.

If you're going on a family vacation, don't carry cash.
If you're moving to another state, don't carry cash.
If you're headed somewhere to buy supplies for your restaurant, don't carry cash.

That's three examples of people who were interdicted by law enforcement and were perceived to be in the drug trade and had a large sum of money stolen from them by a police officer, thanks to their usage of increased powers from the Patriot Act. The seized cash gets sent to a Federal interagency sharing program where it gets divvied up and passed around.
I call it legalized highway robbery because maybe one in a hundred traffic stops are found to be actually hauling contraband. The other ninety-nine are just ordinary folk who don't trust banks or can't have a bank account for whatever reason. But, it's enough to arouse suspicion and levy an accusation.

Like I said, I'm surprised it isn't happening more often.

[BrucePartington]

Thanks for the heads up Wolf. I've just skimmed through he articles (will read them later) but I find this whole matter rather disturbing. When I left Pittsburgh in 1993 to return to Portugal, I left my heart there (US) for all the good it did to me. Not any more, as I see the good ol' USofA slowly becoming a police state, with law abiding citizens being harassed and extorted by those who proclaim to "Serve and Protect", and being recruited to the prison system workforce. This saddens me deeply.

[Platapus]

I wonder if "law enforcement officers from three states" would be involved if "just" an ordinary citizen were killed?

[Aktungbby]

^Probably in this case; as on the map off the I-84- only 10 min. dash to the New York/New Jersey boarder getaway wise. Just to cut off the easterly escape route.

[Jeff-Groves]

An idiot might stay on 84 east yea.
Very few exits to take going that way once you cross into New York.
Even before you get to New York State Line it's a pain.
Now the back roads? Hard to cover and so many places to hunker down.
The western way is also a bad choice. Again, exits are slim and easily shut down.
The 84 escape exits would be the first to get blocked.
Given the terrain? A cross country escape route AKA Militry Ambush Tactics would be my choice.
I'd then avoid major routes as they get shut down quickly.
Back roads to a hide out. Avoiding Cabins and such for a back woods camp sight.
I'd then hump it out for a long ways only traveling at night.
4 days should put me nearly 50 or more miles away.

[Wolferz]

Originally Posted by Jeff-Groves

An idiot might stay on 84 east yea.
Very few exits to take going that way once you cross into New York.
Even before you get to New York State Line it's a pain.
Now the back roads? Hard to cover and so many places to hunker down.
The western way is also a bad choice. Again, exits are slim and easily shut down.
The 84 escape exits would be the first to get blocked.
Given the terrain? A cross country escape route AKA Militry Ambush Tactics would be my choice.
I'd then avoid major routes as they get shut down quickly.
Back roads to a hide out. Avoiding Cabins and such for a back woods camp sight.
I'd then hump it out for a long ways only traveling at night.
4 days should put me nearly 50 or more miles away.

Clearly by the accounts presented, this was a planned attack and the perp or perps used the same plan as the one illustrated above.

All that can be done now is to speculate on the motive. In all likelihood a crime of passion by an enraged husband or boyfriend who went all jelly.

A common theme since the dawn of time. You mess wid Grug's woman, Grug bash you. Grug not care if you Super Trooper.

[Jeff-Groves]

The motive is speculation at this point.
I know that area fairly well. It's back country for the most part.
Only a fool would attempt major routes as an escape as those would be shut down in a blink of the eye.
The cross country escape would give the time needed as proven in many other areas of operations.
Any trained persons from Boot camp through Advanced Infantry Training could tell one that.
You can't outrun a radio. All LEO's in Cars will hit the Major routes and shut them down.
They can't launch a wide search for the back country in time to stop a planned escape.

Given that details are being withheld? I don't see how the LEO's expect any info flowing in from possible outside sources.
I assume a retaliation/revenge attack at this point in time.

[Wolferz]

Originally Posted by Jeff-Groves

The motive is speculation at this point.
I know that area fairly well. It's back country for the most part.
Only a fool would attempt major routes as an escape as those would be shut down in a blink of the eye.
The cross country escape would give the time needed as proven in many other areas of operations.
Any trained persons from Boot camp through Advanced Infantry Training could tell one that.
You can't outrun a radio. All LEO's in Cars will hit the Major routes and shut them down.
They can't launch a wide search for the back country in time to stop a planned escape.

Given that details are being withheld? I don't see how the LEO's expect any info flowing in from possible outside sources.

Shot in the dark, hoping that someone familiar with the gunman will rat on them. If the shooter has any common sense, there won't be any bragging about it. Maybe Trooper Stadanko should have thought twice about messing with a military spouse. Pure conjecture, I know, but, the most likely motivating factor.

[August]

This could aldo have been revenge directed against the police in general rather than a specific officer. Maybe the two victims were just the first targets of opportunity that the killers saw after getting into their sniper position.

Problem is that while you can't outrun a radio a suspect description is still required. From what little I have read they don't have that yet.

[Jeff-Groves]

Details I've seen don't say they were Snipers.
I'll not give them that high of a mark as only one was killed.
Is sounds more like a spray and pray attack.
That points to amatures.
Send in even one AirBorne trained Trooper?
There would have been more DOA.
Send in a Sniper Trained Trooper? Less rounds. More bodies.

[Platapus]

Originally Posted by August

This could aldo have been revenge directed against the police in general rather than a specific officer. Maybe the two victims were just the first targets of opportunity that the killers saw after getting into their sniper position.

I think that is a distinct possibility considering the recent news stories.

If we are lucky, they will brag about it on social media.

[Jeff-Groves]

Originally Posted by Platapus

If we are lucky, they will brag about it on social media.

I'd find that highly unlikely.
One doesn't just brag about killing Cops on Faceboook.
I actually find the details not released by LEO more upsetting.
Where did the Gun men fire from? How many shots? Etc.

As an example.
Given a 75 yard shot? I can take you with a freaking Air Gun and insure it's a death shot.
Time to reload, aim, and fire at same range? I'm sure I could kill 2.
The 2nd Guy would be going to the aid of the first so I know where he's gonna be.
I know this from past service!

I'm very suspicious when LEO's hide details in the name of 'On Going Investigations'.
If I can find details of shooter position, weapons used, rounds fired?
I can get a picture of the attackers.
Other then that? Good Luck Dudes!

[August]

Originally Posted by Jeff-Groves

I'm very suspicious when LEO's hide details in the name of 'On Going Investigations'

It takes time to do a crime scene investigation. Would you rather they hurriedly release information that might turn out to be incorrect? Let them do their job. If it hasn't been released in a month or two then there's reason to be suspicious.