Four-Hour Standoff Ends Peacefully Yesterday, a 74 year old man went off his rocker and started shooting up the countryside.
Police arrived, but when they approached the man, he refused to surrender his weapon,
and shot at various law enforcement officers -
who shot back at him as they tried to subdue him.
A SWAT team was called in, and eventually he was taken into custody.
Now this isn't necessarily a huge event as far as crime goes -
but I took particular note of it because my house is just through the woods
you see on the right side of this picture.
In fact, D. and I were standing outside, discussing all the sirens
and the helicopter hovering overhead when shots rang out
in the area directly behind us.
Ever the voice of reason, D. said, "You know,
in the area directly behind us.
Ever the voice of reason, D. said, "You know,
we probably shouldn't stand out here anymore."
And it was strange suddenly, to feel unsafe,
And it was strange suddenly, to feel unsafe,
up here in the sheltering greenness of home.
Much later that night,
Much later that night,
I was startled awake in the middle of a troubling dream.
There in my soft bed, beneath my favorite blanket,
There in my soft bed, beneath my favorite blanket,
I thought about the sound of gunfire, and the lonely silence that comes next.
And I stayed awake for a very long time
And I stayed awake for a very long time
remembering that safety is - in large part,
an illusion.
bs
an illusion.
bs
10 comments:
I just posted my own "true crime touches close to home" story, but I wanted to comment on yours. I imagine this is pretty big news where you are. Have they conjectured what made the guy so unstable? Usually it's a younger man that will pull that sort of thing. The randomness is what is scary. I mean, you can't give EVERYBODY the stink eye, wondering if this is the fella who's gonna' go postal on you.
And some days, it feels like this kind of event is taking place a lot more frequently than it used to. Lots of frustrated people not getting their needs met, I suppose.
Given the spectacle created by 25+ emergency vehicles, an armored tank-thing and a helicopter, I assumed it was a meth-related situation.
The reality is just sad.
A 74 year old guy - grieving over the loss of his wife last year and
suffering from demetia - went off the deep end and just started shooting up his woodland 'hood.
After shooting at neighbors and cops, he barricaded himself in a travel trailer where he stayed for 4 hours.
It WAS very weird to have that kind of action up here...we're more the "Carl Overcomb Arrested Following 18th DUI Conviction" or "Leon McSummerteeth Reports Theft of Chainsaw and Woodpile" sort of area.
Although, as you note - there are lots of frustrated people not getting their needs met - and too many currently getting their needs methed.
We were housesitting in the north end of Seattle. Now were are in the rich area of Mt. Baker toward South Seattle. We live in the Central District. In our drive from North Seattle to this side of the Montlake Cut not only do the faces change colors, but the number of police vehicles increase in number. Tonight, 5 cops stopped and were tossing a homeless man against the brick Safeway wall. Traffic was stopped by 5 cop cars stretched across two lanes of traffic.
Interestingly enough, though, I haven't heard a gun shot in 5 months (they kill you with their Lexus in the north end while talking on their cell phone and sucking on their latte) and not 10 minutes after we moved our "stuff" onto this side of the "red line" did we hear one.
It was oddly comforting, but most certainly an illusion.
Glad you're safe, bs.
Yikes! There's a dose of New Reality.
I am also glad nothing untoward happened to you and yours.
Beautiful picture, though, posted with your entry.
xo, me
All is illusion. Even the dangers are illusions. Even I am an illusion ... albeit a very creative, skilled, and mult-faceted illusion.
You may be right FG -
but for just a minute,
you reminded me of the long-lost Iraqi Minister of Misinformation:
"Let the American infidels bask in their illusion - because we will behead you all".
(albeit a very creative, skilled, and mult-faceted M.of M.)
bs
Carl Overcomb... Leon McSummerteeth... Tee hee. And you say you DON'T live in East Texas? Makes me think the world is smaller than I thought it was.
i was going to go all up my own english seld and say in a hoity toity comment that 'well it doesn't happen over here in dear old blighty' but reconsidered when i realised that, no, guns aren't the thing here but knives are.
you are right. the safety we all enjoy is paper thin.
beautifully stated...
I posted one of your questions today.
Take care,
Sublime
Here in Nottingham I believe I'm right in saying we have the highest murder rate in the United Kingdom. We used to watch scenes like this on American cop shows. Now it's on our doorstep too.
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