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Gunman shoots 3 cops for fear that Obama would take away his guns.

Discussion in 'BBS Hangout: Debate & Discussion' started by BetterThanEver, Apr 4, 2009.

  1. BetterThanEver

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    This is pretty scary. People are going on shooting rampages, because they "think" Obama will ban guns.


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    http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090404/ap_on_re_us/pittsburgh_shooting

    Gunman 'lying in wait' kills 3 Pittsburgh officers

    By RAMIT PLUSHNICK-MASTI and DAN NEPHIN, Associated Press Writers Ramit Plushnick-masti And Dan Nephin, Associated Press Writers – Sat Apr 4, 6:58 pm ET

    PITTSBURGH – A gunman wearing a bulletproof vest and "lying in wait" opened fire on officers responding to a domestic disturbance call Saturday, killing three of them and turning a quiet Pittsburgh street into a battlefield, police said.

    Police Chief Nate Harper said the motive for the shooting isn't clear, but friends said the gunman recently had been upset about losing his job and feared the Obama administration was poised to ban guns.

    Richard Poplawski, 23, met officers at the doorway and shot two of them in the head immediately, Harper said. An officer who tried to help the two also was killed.

    Poplawski, armed with an assault rifle and two other guns, then held police at bay for four hours as the fallen officers were left bleeding nearby, their colleagues unable to reach them, according to police and witnesses. More than 100 rounds were fired by the SWAT teams and Poplawski, Harper said.

    The three slain officers were Eric Kelly, 41, Stephen Mayhle, 29, and Paul Sciullo III, 37. Kelly had been on the force for 14 years, Mayhle and Sciullo for two years each. Another officer, Timothy McManaway, was shot in the hand and a fifth broke his leg on a fence.

    Poplawski had gunshot wounds in his legs but was otherwise unharmed because he was wearing a bulletproof vest, Harper said. He was charged with three counts of homicide, aggravated assault and a weapons violation.

    The shooting occurred just two weeks after four police officers were fatally shot in Oakland, Calif., in the deadliest day for U.S. law enforcement since Sept. 11, 2001. The officers were the first Pittsburgh city officers to die in the line of duty in 18 years.

    "This is a solemn day and it's a very sad day in the city of Pittsburgh," Harper said. "We've seen this kind of violence happen in California. We never would think this kind of violence would happen in the city of Pittsburgh."

    At 7 a.m., Sciullo and Mayhle responded to a 911 call from Poplawski's mother, who remained holed up in the basement during the entire dispute and escaped unharmed, Harper said.

    When they arrived at the home, Sciullo was immediately shot in the head. Mayhle, who was right behind him, was also shot in the head.

    "It appears he was lying in wait for the officers," Harper said.

    Kelly, who was on his way home after completing his overnight shift when he heard the call for help, rushed to the scene and was killed trying to help Sciullo and Mayhle, Harper said. SWAT teams and other officers arrived and were immediately fired on as well.

    Don Sand, who lives across the street from Poplawski, said he was woken up by the sound of gunfire. Hunkering down behind a wall in his home, he saw the first two officers go down and then saw Kelly get shot.

    "They couldn't get the scene secure enough to get to them. They were just lying there bleeding," Sand said. "By the time they secured the scene enough to get to them it was way too late."

    Deputy Chief Paul Donaldson, who lives nearby, was one of the first officers to arrive. He saw Mayhle by a bush to the right of the door; Kelly was in the street and McManaway, his hand injured, was kneeling beside him, yelling that Kelly needed help.

    Donaldson suggested using a police van to get them. They draped a bulletproof vest on the window to protect the driver and several officers got into the van to get Kelly and McManaway.

    During this time, Poplawski was somehow distracted, Donaldson said.

    "We were fortunate that he didn't fire on us. I don't know why he was distracted, but he apparently didn't see us coming down to get them," he said. "It could have been worse."

    Poplawski had feared "the Obama gun ban that's on the way" and "didn't like our rights being infringed upon," said Edward Perkovic, his best friend.

    Perkovic, 22, said he got a call at work from him in which he said, "Eddie, I am going to die today. ... Tell your family I love them and I love you."

    Perkovic said: "I heard gunshots and he hung up. ... He sounded like he was in pain, like he got shot."

    Poplawski had once tried to join the Marines, but was kicked out of boot camp after throwing a food tray at a drill sergeant, Perkovic said.

    Another longtime friend, Aaron Vire, said Poplawski feared that President Barack Obama was going to take away his rights, though he said he "wasn't violently against Obama."

    Vire, 23, said Poplawski once had an Internet talk show but that it wasn't successful. He said Poplawski owned an AK-47 rifle and several powerful handguns, including a .357 Magnum.

    Obama has said he respects Americans' constitutional right to bear arms, but that he favors "common sense" gun laws. Gun rights advocates interpret that as meaning he would approve some curbs on assault and concealed weapons.

    Poplawski had been laid off from his job at a glass factory earlier this year, said another friend, Joe DiMarco. DiMarco said he didn't know the name of the company, but knew his friend had been upset about it.

    The last Pittsburgh police officers killed in the line of duty were Officers Thomas L. Herron and Joseph J. Grill, according to a Web site that tracks police killings. They died after their patrol car collided with another vehicle while chasing a stolen car on March 6, 1991.

    In 1995, an off-duty officer was shot with his own gun after he confronted a group of teenagers about graffiti. Tests later showed the officer had been drinking.

    According to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, 133 law enforcement officers died in the line of duty in 2008, a 27 percent decrease from year before and the lowest annual total since 1960.

    Poplawski had often fought with neighbors and had even gotten into fist fights with a couple, Sand said.

    "This is a relatively really quiet neighborhood except for him," Sand said. "He was just one of those kids that we knew to stay clear from."

    Harper confirmed police had responded to calls from the Poplawski house several times but said the incidents were still being investigated.

    Rob Gift, 45, who lives a block away, said the well-kept single-family houses with manicured lawns are home to many police officers, firefighters, paramedics and other city workers.

    "It's just a very quiet neighborhood," Gift said.
     
  2. Northside Storm

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    Yeah, because a really good argument for keeping guns around is so nutjobs can never worry about having them banned, so they end up never pulling this crap.

    I hate it when tragedies are politicized. I won't lie and say I'm above doing that myself but *******, it is really sad when we do it.
     
  3. vlaurelio

    vlaurelio Member

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    think you bolded the wrong part of the sentence
     
  4. BetterThanEver

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    <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/yXc4SeCBU6M&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/yXc4SeCBU6M&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>
     
  5. BetterThanEver

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    Fixed it.

    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Poplawski had feared "the Obama gun ban that's on the way" and "didn't like our rights being infringed upon," said Edward Perkovic, his best friend.

    Perkovic, 22, said he got a call at work from him in which he said, "Eddie, I am going to die today. ... Tell your family I love them and I love you."

    Perkovic said: "I heard gunshots and he hung up. ... He sounded like he was in pain, like he got shot."


    Poplawski had once tried to join the Marines, but was kicked out of boot camp after throwing a food tray at a drill sergeant, Perkovic said.

    Another longtime friend, Aaron Vire, said Poplawski feared that President Barack Obama was going to take away his rights, though he said he "wasn't violently against Obama."
     
  6. Red Chocolate

    Red Chocolate Member

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    LOL. Print anything these days and there's always someone gullible enough to think 2+2=5. OK so this guy was into conspiracy theories and was afraid of the government taking away his rights, I've read that. Now, explain to me the correlation implies causation part. Why would 3 police officers be a prime target because of that information?

    This is nothing more than a propaganda nugget designed to give the public the idea that anyone who believes in constitutional liberties is more likely to be a threat.
     
  7. brantonli24

    brantonli24 Member

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    I always felt that there are more idiots with guns than people with good intentions with guns. I do agree with Red chocolate, plus him firing and killing three policemen isn't exactly the best image you make for guns.
     
  8. AGBee

    AGBee Member

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    Dip s*** idiot gun nuts.
     
  9. BetterThanEver

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    Poplawski's best friend Eddie Perkovic is the man he called before going on a shooting rampage. He deleted alot of stuff, but some websites have grabbed stuff from google cache from Eddie's myspace. This guy seems pretty crazy himself and could blow up.

    http://74.125.95.132/search?q=cache...+edfromalate+myspace&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us

    About Eddie Perkovic
    DON'T LET THEM MAKE YOU AFFRAID! IF PEOPLE TOOK THE TIME TO LOOK AND SEE THESE AS TRUTHS IT WOULD CREATE MAJOR UPHEAVAL! Before I get into my profile, I must point out the dangers of the ADL's stranglehold on youtube(a place that used to gear itself toward the freedom of expression) , our Zionist occupied government (ZOG), and a slow painstaking movement towards censorship, mixed bloodlines that will erase national identity (deemed not to be appropriate in todays America, but I assure you, your nationality is something you should be proud of, NOT ERASE), and the way the Zionist media controls everything you see and heard on your televisions and radio's. BEFORE YOU GET TAKEN ON A HELLRIDE, PLEASE NOTE THAT ANTI-ZIONISM IS NOT ANTI-SEMITISM!!

    Here's a quote from a Zionist...

    Ariel Sharon: "We control America" "Every time we do something you tell me America will do this and will do that . . . I want to tell you something very clear: Don't worry about American pressure on Israel. We, the Jewish people, control America, and the Americans know it." - Israeli Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon, October 3, 2001.

    DOCUMENTS I RECCOMEND YOU READ BY GOOGLE: "Civil War II" by Tom Chittum "The Protocols of the Elders of Zion" "The Turner Diaries" by Dr. William Pierce "Jewish Supremacy" by Dr. David Duke It Has Even Been Documented In The Communist Manifesto: "“We must realize that our party’s most powerful weapon is racial tension. "By propounding into the consciousness of the dark races that for centuries they have been oppressed by the whites, we can mold them to the program of the Communist Party. "In America we will aim for subtle victory. While inflaming the Negro minority against the whites, we will endeavour to instill in the whites a guilt complex for their exploitation of the Negros. "We will aid the Negros to rise to prominence in every walk of life, in the professions, and in the world of sports and entertainment. With this prestige, the Negro will be able to intermarry with the whites, and begin a process which will deliver America to our cause.” Statement by Israel Cohen, in his book, “A Racial Programme for the Twentieth Century,” 1912, which is also in the Congressional Record, Vol. 103, p. 8559, June 7th, 1957"

    "WAKE UP TO THE WORLD AROUND YOU" - ANTI-FLAG

    OPEN YOUR MOUTH AND SPREAD THE WORD!

    AND NOW ABOUT YOURS TRULY: I have paint sex. I'm in a band called Versa in which I sing and play guitar. It's fantastic being a creative thinker, it gives me the ability to not care to hear what you have to say because its probably something you've recycled from someone else anyway. I only am interested in the people i know that are geniuses in their own right. I'm sure their advice holds more merit. The Matt Spahr's, Jason Orr's and Richard Poplawski's of this world. Take it or leave it. Crosby wants your 5. Lets dance. Come to one of our shows or check us out on Myspace.com/Versatheband you arrogant prick! What you think you have to do that's better doesn't really matter anyway because you are an ant just like the rest of us. Love you - Eddie. VERSA IS.
     
  10. FranchiseBlade

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    irrational paranoia can be dangerous.
     
  11. Dairy Ashford

    Dairy Ashford Member

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    I actually believe having an outlet for this antipathy makes him less likely to kill someone.
     
  12. rimrocker

    rimrocker Member

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    I think there is a pretty good history of people like this fearing a police state where "only the government has guns." ATF thugs is a common theme among these types. I'm guessing that on some level the cops represented the power that was oppressing this guy who was a high school drop out and a Marine flunk out... and sad to say, but the arrival of a black cop perhaps contributed to this thinking.

    David Neiwert writes a lot about this kind of stuff. In a piece right before the inauguration, he discusses the paranoia on the far right and concludes:

    Here's more from the Anti-Defamation League...

    Of course, nothing can be concrete when you're trying to understand what people think and why they think it, but this incident would not surprise any law enforcement group who's been paying attention. They might be interested to see that it happened in Pittsburgh instead of the Ozarks or a western state or a southern state, but the incident itself would not surprise.
     
  13. Red Chocolate

    Red Chocolate Member

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    not sure what to make of this piece, the information is nothing new. Most of the survivalists don't even believe in conspiracy theories, they just don't trust the government and exercise their right to bear arms. The way it is written is kind of unfair, as it is talking about a very small, radical, and violent minority of this group.

    I believe that the current government HATES the good people of this group, and will jump on any opportunity to lump people like this guy in with the average person with a gun who isn't a white supremacist. During the Clinton administration, I recall a lot of smearing of the militia types as well.

    The fact that this kid got booted out of the Marines and recently lost his job probably sheds some light on his mental stability and background, which I think is far more important than what websites he reads.
     
  14. rimrocker

    rimrocker Member

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    One probably reinforces the other I suspect.
     
  15. Surfguy

    Surfguy Member

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    Apparently, there is very good reason to ban assault weapons. Look at some of these jerk-offs who own them. I hope they do get banned and all these freaks with these guns have to give them up. The bad apple owners of these guns should ruin it for the rest of the responsible owners.

    The fact remains that Al Qaeda is not going to be in your neighborhood. Noone needs to own an AK-47 in the US...unless they plan to shoot at law enforcement. As far as the survivalist doomsday people that own them, I could give a crap about you guys because you're as paranoid as they come.

    The only people I see shot in the US with assault weapons is civilians, cops, and students. And, most are being bought and go to Mexico. You don't hunt with them. The only real thing you can do with an assault weapon, besides admire your own bravado, is shoot one in the woods or at a range. Big deal.
     
    #15 Surfguy, Apr 6, 2009
    Last edited: Apr 6, 2009
  16. JuanValdez

    JuanValdez Member

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    I have to agree that there's undue focus on the guns. It sounds like he's got a huge paranoia about government generally.

    Pouhe, I disagree. I think having a community with which one can share his half-brained paranoiac violent ideas just allows them to fester and grow. If he can't communicate them with others, he'll get a consistent message that this idea is wrong from news, media, etc. But, when you find like-minded people, the message from society is not consistent and you can pick some affirmations and ignore the mass message.
     
  17. KingCheetah

    KingCheetah Atomic Playboy
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    This man deserves a medal.
     
  18. wizkid83

    wizkid83 Member

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    <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/bQilqOveh2s&hl=zh_CN&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/bQilqOveh2s&hl=zh_CN&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>
     
  19. rimrocker

    rimrocker Member

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    Me thinks you haven't listened to Fox News or talk radio lately.

    Beck in particular has been on a major rant that would reinforce his ideas.

    Here's more on the guy from David Neiwert:

    [​IMG]
     
  20. JuanValdez

    JuanValdez Member

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    Made me think of this:

    [rquoter]
    Bart: So finally, we're all in agreement about what's going on with
    the adults. Milhouse?
    Milhouse: [steps up to blackboard] Ahem. OK, here's what we've got: the
    Rand Corporation, in conjunction with the saucer people --
    Bart: Thank you.
    Milhouse: -- under the supervision of the reverse vampires --
    Lisa: [sighs]
    Milhouse: -- are forcing our parents to go to bed early in a fiendish
    plot to eliminate the meal of dinner. [sotto voce] We're
    through the looking glass, here, people...[/rquoter]
     

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