Joe, sorry ill go now
Not an anti Police rant but one maniac with a gun in Northumbria is starting to make them look a little inept.
Time to hand over to the specialists in my opinion - the SAS.
This is what they do - specialists in tracking and armed combat - not only that they'll dispense appropriate justice when they catch the loon -
not a cushy jail with Sky etc
The SAS would only be considered if it was a political hostage scenario, or it was a matter of immediate national security.
As it is neither, then it will fall to the local Police to sort it out.
Just wondering why you think the Police are being made to look inept though?
yea...problem is that the police are probably being held back by nanny state legislation. as usual.
sas would be good!
Get the troops in there, all day yesterday the news said the net was closing in?
Now the village can get back to normal, how come? he's still out there some where isn't he!
quote:
Originally posted by GMPMotorsport
All day yesterday the news said the net was closing in? Now the village can get back to normal, how come? He's still out there some where... isn't he!
quote:
Originally posted by scootz
quote:
Originally posted by GMPMotorsport
All day yesterday the news said the net was closing in? Now the village can get back to normal, how come? He's still out there some where... isn't he!
The police will have been advised to give the 'net closing' spiel by Home Office psychologists to put pressure on him to surrender...
quote:
Originally posted by scootz
The SAS would only be considered if it was a political hostage scenario, or it was a matter of immediate national security.
As it is neither, then it will fall to the local Police to sort it out.
Just wondering why you think the Police are being made to look inept though?
quote:
Originally posted by Wheels244
quote:
Originally posted by scootz
The SAS would only be considered if it was a political hostage scenario, or it was a matter of immediate national security.
As it is neither, then it will fall to the local Police to sort it out.
Just wondering why you think the Police are being made to look inept though?
Because despite a massive Police presence from at least 5 different forces - costing into the millions by now I would guess - this lunatic is still on the run.
The Police are used to working in an urban environment and on roadways - not open countryside. The're even using local farmers local knowledge to search areas.
Horses for courses - political or not , the SAS are increadibly highly trained for this sort of work, tracking etc - the Police are not.
The only problem with sending in the sas is that they're not too keen on having their pictures taken, and every news crew in the western
hemisphere is up there.....
Better to give it to one of the local regiments who can go out there in their hundreds, and use it as pre-deployment training into the bargain, as
they're bound to be heading somewhere hot in the not-too-distant future...
quote:
Originally posted by Wheels244
They're even using local farmers local knowledge to search areas.
quote:
Originally posted by Wheels244
Horses for courses - political or not, the SAS are incredibly highly trained for this sort of work, tracking, etc - the Police are not.
Is this the type of stuff you were doing Scott? Armed response? I can't remember exactly.
I'm a bit confused, I can't recall the SAS ever being involved in this kind of situation. I imagine them to be highly trained ghosts
specialising in recon and highly tactical engagements, not tromping up and down trying to arrest someone.
After hearing some stories from a NI para I think I'd much rather have non-military lads rushing into houses after this guy. The boundaries and
rules of engadgement are entirely different.
The only obvious mistake made by the police so far is not issuing the reg details of the car he was using earlier. Gave him a 12hour headstart on the
face of it.
I personally doubt he's within the Rothbury area any more - if he ever was.
SAS are trained to got from point A to point B without being seen, cause maximum mayhem and then get to point C without being seen. While they have
many transferable skills they're not a team like Arnie's in Predator.
If the SAS are deployed it doubt we would know about it until the guys head has been blown off.
I worked for a few years in a UK firearms team Craig and was later deployed to Bosnia where I worked as an advisor for small arms and light weapons.
I agree with you when you raise concerns about the differing 'rules of engagement' and more importantly, the differing
'mentalities'.
If I was up sh*t creek in Afghanistan, or a hostage in Irag, then I would want no other group of people around me than our armed-forces. If, however,
I was carrying out a controlled open-area, or woodland search in peacetime UK, then I would want a team of specialist Police firearms officers
with me.
Just for the record - I have no doubt that the SAS, SBS, Marines, Paras, or any other body of men or women from our armed forces could deliver this
man to us dead (probably!) or alive... it's just the manner in which it would be achieved that I'd be concerned about!
Time For a Topical Joke Methinks!
The SAS, the Parachute Regiment and the Police decide to go on a survival weekend together to see who comes out on top.
After some basic exercises the trainer tells them that their next objective is to go down into the woods and catch a rabbit, returning with it ready
to skin and cook.
Night falls...
First up - the SAS. They don infrared goggles, drop to the ground and crawl into the woods in formation. Absolute silence for 5 minutes, followed by
the unmistakable muffled 'phut-phut' of their trademark silenced 'double-tap'. They emerge with a large rabbit shot cleanly
between the eyes.
"Excellent!" remarks the trainer.
Next up - the Para's. They finish their cans of lager, smear themselves with camouflage cream, fix bayonets and charge down into the woods,
screaming at the top of their lungs. For the next hour the woods ring with the sound of rifle and machine-gun fire, hand grenades, mortar bombs and
blood curdling war cries. Eventually they emerge, carrying the charred remains of a rabbit.
"A bit messy, but you achieved the aim; well done", says the trainer.
Lastly, in go the Coppers, walking slowly, hands behind backs whistling Dixon of Dock Green. For the next few hours, the silence is only broken by the
occasional crackle of a walkie-talkie "Sierra Lima Whisky Tango Fanta One, suspect headed straight for you..." etc. After what seems an
eternity, they emerge escorting a squirrel in handcuffs.
"What the hell do you think you are doing?" asks the incredulous trainer, "Take this squirrel back and get me a rabbit like I asked you
five hours ago!".
So back they go. Minutes pass. Minutes turn to hours, night drags on and turns to day. The next morning, the trainer and the other teams are awakened
by the police, holding the handcuffed squirrel, now covered in bruises, one eye nearly shut.
"Are you taking the p*ss!!??" asks the now seriously irate trainer.
The police team leader nudges the squirrel, who squeaks: "Alright, alright... I'm a f*cking rabbit!".
On a lighter note on this thread and i hope you dont mind, anyone sen the film RAMBO
Joe, sorry ill go now
Scootz - I will bow to your obviously greater knowledge.
I would say though that the SAS are experts in tracking - were they not used to track Barry Prudom in the 80's?
Personally I have no problem with this maniac coming back in a body bag - he's killed 1 person and seriously injured 2 more - a bleeding heart
liberal I am not.
I did say this wasn't an anti Police rant - I have some good mates in the Police force - I work with them in a different sphere though.
Did like the joke
just declare him a menace to society and put him on the general licence for hunting
my ticket states for the control of vermin, and surely hes classed as vermin 
now then, .308, or maybe .44 magnum if I can get close enough
No need for bowing. I can understand your point of view completely.
And yes, you're right - the SAS could take it in their stride (and I suspect the finale would be satisfyingly spectacular), but their methodology
is not conducive to this particular type of incident.
Loved the joke made i laugh..
I heard the Northumberland Police were having a "Dress Down" day tomorrow
All this talk of the SAS is probably a bit much...
BUT I do say send in the troops...
It's an open country area they are searching. thats what they do! send in a full regiment. "Target will fall when hit"
I served my country for 16 years in various theatres and can say without reservation that our troops are the best in the world. The SAS are
specialists but there is no need for their particular skill set here. Our lads spend every day in afghanistan searching through large areas of
coutryside for armed men hiding, waiting to kill them.... lets just call this a training exercise
Sounds like it's drawing to a conclusion now...
Seems he doesn't feel that he's had enough attention... now he's been cornered he's doing a stand-off by pointing his shotgun at
his own head! As if the Great British public (other than the Police and his own family) actually care!
I thought he was 'at war' and was going to go 'down fighting'! Another wee boy who wasn't hugged enough by his mammy by the
sounds of it!
Found him at 730, if its still going on now then they must be doing somethin wrong... 
Suprised the police didnt get there first:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/10583839.stm
quote:
Originally posted by flak monkey
Suprised the police didnt get there first:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/10583839.stm
Police shooting him would have been stupid unless he was an imminent danger (which he might have been if it hadn't been a sawn off shotgun).
If they'd shot him it would have needed a long enquiry and a probably a bunch of firearms officers twiddling their thumbs for months.
Since he shot himself they'll be reviewing any tapes of the negotiations and that's about it.
Turns out Gazza came to the rescue and they wouldn't let him deal with it... !!!
CLEARLY LOST IT LINKY
all good ideas, but did anyone see the picture of the obviosly inbred copper with the taser, the bbc blanked his face out on the news, then took the blank off...............christ should have left it on
I heard today from a bloke in the shop (so this is similar to a "bloke down the pub told me" situation) that when they tasered him there was
a green dot trained on him (laser sight or something) and if you look at the video you can see the bullets, implying he was shot..
But like I say bloke in the shop told me and I cba to look it up now
Tasers project a 'laser-dot' for assisting aim... I'm thinking that will have been what he saw. As for the question of who shot him...
well considering he was armed with a sawn-off shotgun, then his injuries will have been pretty self-explanatory to all who saw him after he pulled the
trigger!
I can only guess that he's made what they perceive to be a final threat to shoot himself and they've adopted a 'nothing left to
lose' tactic and given the taser a go. Seems it didn't work!
No doubt there will be an inquest... then an inquest into the inquest... and it'll only end once those who shout the loudest get the answer that
they want to hear!
Cynical??? Me???