Two St. Petersburg (FL) officers killed; US Marshal Wounded

[RogueIce]

Bay News 9 Page - Continiously Updated

This morning, two St. Petersburg Police officers were killed and a Deputy US Marshal wounded while trying to serve a warrant. According to BN9, it looks like the suspect was found dead. From watching it on TV, when the officers and Marshal went to the house, they didn't know the suspect was there; they went to find information on him, but then found out he was in the attic. A shootout ensued.

Some updates from the story:

8:15 a.m.
The St. Petersburg Police SWAT team has responded to a home on 28th Avenue South after a shooting involving at least one police officer.
Officials said the incident happened at 3834 28th Ave. South.
It is not clear if there are any injuries.
We have a crew at the scene and more information will be provided as it becomes available.

9:05 a.m.
According to unconfirmed reports, possibly three law enforcement officers were in the home during the shooting - two St Petersburg police officers and a U.S. Marshal. One officer and a marshal may have been shot. The other officer may still be in the home, along with the gunman - according to those reports.
Crime scene tape has been put up as far as four blocks away and some homes in the area have been evacuated.

9:15 a.m.
St. Petersburg Police confirms two officers, U.S. Marshal injured.

9:20 a.m.
Bay News 9 reporters at the scene report hearing more gunshots.

9:50 a.m.
According to SPPD Chief Chuck Harmon, officers and marshals were at the home regarding a fugitive. Suspect's girlfriend told officers fugitive was in the attic of the home. Officers confronted him, gunshots were fired. This all began shortly after 7:15 a.m.

10:25 a.m.
SPPD: The suspect in the home was facing aggravated battery and two other felony charges. The suspect opened fire as officers tried to serve federal warrant.

11:05 a.m.
St. Petersburg Police Chief Chuck Harmon announces two St. Petersburg officers have died as a result of their injuries.
Harmon said more than 100 shots were fired during several exchanges, some of which were fired by the suspect after he grabbed the gun from an officer. Tear gas was also used.

2:15 p.m.
The SWAT team is poking holes into the home so they can stick cameras inside to see if they can locate the suspect. Officials say the situation is under control.

2:20 p.m.
The shooting suspect was found dead inside the home, according to SPPD's Mike Puetz. His cause of death is not directly known.

[Raj Ahten]

Well, fuck. Between this and the quadruple shooting of police officers in Detroit by some asshole with a shotgun at their station (luckily none of those officers were killed) a lot of cops seem to be getting shot lately.

This incident is also reminding me of that incident in Pittsburgh in which several officers were killed.

[Edi]

Salon.com

Two Florida officers, suspect killed in firefight
Suspect Hydra Lacy Jr. opened fire from attic when police arrived at St. Petersburg home to serve arrest warrant
By TAMARA LUSH and MITCH STACY, Associated Press

Authorities and a fugitive holed up in an attic fired more than 100 shots at each other Monday in a firefight that killed two officers, wounded a deputy U.S. marshal and led to an hourslong standoff that ended when the suspect was found dead inside the home.

St. Petersburg Police spokesman Michael Puetz said the suspect was found dead when officers went into the home Monday afternoon, about six hours after the shootout, the latest in a recent rash of shootings across the nation that have killed or wounded law enforcement officers.

The law enforcement agents came to arrest Hydra Lacy Jr., 39, around 7 a.m. on an aggravated battery charge, and investigators believe he is the one who opened fire on them, Puetz said. They had not confirmed Lacy was the shooter.

He said Lacy had a long record that includes convictions for armed robbery and sexual battery. He was listed as a sex offender with the state and had failed to register in December with the Pinellas County Sheriff's Department as required.

"He was somebody we wanted to get off the streets, " Police Chief Chuck Harmon said. "Who expects to walk into a house and get gunfire from the attic?"

Harmon would not identify the dead officers pending notification of their relatives.

The marshal was shot twice but was doing fine, Chief Deputy U.S. Marshal Tom Figmik said.

Initially, one of the officers, the marshal and a Pinellas County Sheriff's deputy arrived at the house and were told by a woman that Lacy was in the attic. The three called for backup. The officer and the marshal were shot before backup arrived, Puetz said. He said the second officer was later shot as he tried to rescue the wounded men. The deputy and the woman were not hurt.

After the gunfight, authorities had tried to force the gunman out by cutting off the home's electricity and water.

Earlier, police used a vehicle to punch a hole in the wall to get to one of the officers who later died, Puetz said.

Another police spokesman at the scene, Bill Proffitt, said it was possible the suspect used one of the officers' guns during the struggle in the attic.

The home, situated in a middle-class neighborhood on the south side of St. Petersburg, was listed in Lacy's name, according to property records. After the shootout, a Department of Homeland Security armored tactical vehicle was parked nearby, as dozens of law enforcement officers congregated on nearby streets. A police tank was also trained on the home.

Court records show Lacy failed to show for his scheduled trial Nov. 1 on the aggravated battery charge, and an arrest warrant was issued the next day.

State records show Lacy was convicted in 1989 of armed burglary, resisting arrest with violence and other charges. He was released from prison 1991. In 1992, he was convicted of sexual battery with a weapon or force and false imprisonment of a child. He was released in from prison 2001. Details on those convictions were not immediately available.

Monday's shooting is the latest in a string of shootings of police officers and comes four days after two Miami-Dade County detectives were killed by a murder suspect they were trying to arrest. That suspect was killed by another detective.

The officers were being remembered Monday at a funeral, where news of Monday's shooting added to the grief already palpable among the thousands gathered at American Airlines Arena in downtown Miami.

On Sunday, a man opened fire inside a Detroit police precinct, wounding four officers including a commander before he was shot and killed by police. Authorities said the gunman walked in just after 4 p.m. and fired indiscriminately. The officers' injuries were not considered life-threatening, said Police Chief Ralph Godbee.

And on Monday, a Lincoln City, Ore., police officer was critically wounded when he was shot during a traffic stop. Oregon State Police said the officer had pulled the suspect over for speeding.

------

Associated Press writers Christine Armario and Lisa Orkin contributed to this report from Miami.

There's a reason for SWAT teams and their tactics, even if sometimes things go badly for people who are innocent. Those cases need more transparency and honest accountability, but that does not change the fact that those policies do exist for a reason.

[ShadowDragon8685]

There's a reason for SWAT teams and their tactics, even if sometimes things go badly for people who are innocent. Those cases need more transparency and honest accountability, but that does not change the fact that those policies do exist for a reason.

If they were just there gathering information like the OP said, without realizing he was in the attic, then there was no reason whatsoever for a SWAT team. You don't send in armored shock troops (and that's exactly what SWAT are) on a "knock on the door and ask a few questions" mission.

If they were there to serve a warrant to arrest a known violent offender - like this guy - then that's an entirely different matter from drug raids, and the SWAT team would, in fact, have been called for.

[Sea Skimmer]

They came to arrest him.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41232786/ns ... nd_courts/

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — A man suspected of killing two police officers and wounding a marshal Monday morning was found dead inside a south St. Petersburg home where an intense firefight had erupted in the attic where he was holed up, officials said.
St. Petersburg Police spokesman Michael Puetz said the suspect was found dead when officers went into the home Monday afternoon, about six hours after the shootout, the latest in a recent rash of shootings across the nation that have killed or wounded law enforcement officers.
The law enforcement agents came to arrest Hydra Lacy Jr., 39, around 7 a.m. on an aggravated battery charge, and investigators believe he is the one who opened fire on them, Puetz said. Police believe the dead suspect is Lacy.
Lacy had a long record that includes convictions for armed robbery and sexual battery. He was listed as a sex offender with the state and had failed to register in December with the Pinellas County Sheriff's Department as required.
"He was somebody we wanted to get off the streets, " Harmon said. "Who expects to walk into a house and get gunfire from the attic?"
Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi identified the dead officers as Tom Baitinger and Jeffrey Yaslowitz.
The marshal was shot twice but was doing fine, Chief Deputy U.S. Marshal Tom Figmik said. His name was not released.
Initially, one of the officers, the marshal and a Pinellas County Sheriff's deputy arrived at the house and were told by a woman that Lacy was in the attic. The three called for backup. The officer and the marshal were shot before backup arrived, Puetz said. He said the second officer was later shot as he tried to rescue the wounded men. The deputy and the woman were not hurt.
After the gunfight, authorities had tried to force the gunman out by cutting off the home's electricity and water.
Earlier, police used a vehicle to punch a hole in the wall to get to one of the officers who later died, Puetz said.
Another police spokesman at the scene, Bill Proffitt, said it was possible the suspect used one of the officers' guns during the struggle in the attic.
The home, situated in a middle-class neighborhood on the south side of St. Petersburg, was listed in Lacy's name, according to property records. After the shootout, a Department of Homeland Security armored tactical vehicle was parked nearby, as dozens of law enforcement officers congregated on nearby streets. A police tank was also trained on the home.
Court records show Lacy failed to show for his scheduled trial Nov. 1 on the aggravated battery charge, and an arrest warrant was issued the next day.
State records show Lacy was convicted in 1989 of armed burglary, resisting arrest with violence and other charges. He was released from prison 1991. In 1992, he was convicted of sexual battery with a weapon or force and false imprisonment of a child. He was released in from prison 2001. Details on those convictions were not immediately available.
Monday's shooting is the latest in a string of shootings of police officers and comes four days after two Miami-Dade County detectives were killed by a murder suspect they were trying to arrest. That suspect was killed by another detective.
The officers were being remembered Monday at a funeral, where news of Monday's shooting added to the grief already palpable among the thousands gathered at American Airlines Arena in downtown Miami.
The Associated Press, NBC News and msnbc.com staff contributed to this report.

[FSTargetDrone]

In a related story:

Police fear 'war on cops'

At least 11 shot in 24 hours; death toll apace with 2010 uptick

By Jim Gold
Reporter
msnbc.com

A spate of shooting attacks on law enforcement officers has authorities concerned about a war on cops.

In just 24 hours, at least 11 officers were shot. The shootings included Sunday attacks at traffic stops in Indiana and Oregon, a Detroit police station shooting that wounded four officers, and a shootout at a Port Orchard, Wash., Wal-Mart that injured two deputies. On Monday morning, two officers were shot dead and a U.S. Marshal was wounded by a gunman in St. Petersburg, Fla.

On Thursday, two Miami-Dade, Fla., detectives were killed by a murder suspect they were trying to arrest.

"It's not a fluke," said Richard Roberts, spokesman for the International Union of Police Associations. "There's a perception among officers in the field that there’s a war on cops going on."

With the Florida deaths, the nation is on track in 2011 to match the 162 police officers killed in the line of duty in 2010, said Steve Groeninger, spokesman for the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, the Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit that tracks police casualties. In January this year there have been 14 deaths, the same number as in January 2010, the fund posted on its web site.

The 2010 toll ended a two-year drop in fatalities and spiked 43 percent over the 117 killed in 2009, Groeninger said.
Story: Suspect dead after 2 cops killed, marshal wounded in Fla. home

Law enforcement advocates worry that cuts in police budgets could exacerbate the danger.

"We don't have any data, but there seems to be a type of criminal out there looking to thwart authority," he said.

He cited the example of Jared Loughner, accused of killing six and wounding 13, including Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, on Jan. 8 in Tucson, Ariz. "People with this mentality feel the need to eliminate those in position of authority," he said.

Roberts said the recent shootings are reminders that officers must constantly stay on alert.

"The bad guys are not afraid of cops," Roberts said. "They’re rarely rational. You get that combination, when you ID yourself as a cop, it does not scare them away; it makes it more dangerous for you."

Noting the Oregon and Indiana shootings occurred during so-called "routine traffic stops," Roberts said, "The word routine should be eliminated from the job. There's no such thing. There is only 'known risk' and 'unknown risk' " he said.

Roberts, a former North Beach, Md., police officer, and Groeninger both voiced worries over police budget cuts.

Reducing police response times and cutting back on in-service training can endanger not just citizens but cops on patrol, they said.

"It's not a good situation out there," Groeninger said.

Here is the status of the police shooting investigations on Monday:

* Indianapolis police say they arrested Thomas Hardy in the shooting of Officer David Moore, who was shot in the face and body and remained in a coma.
* A manhunt continued in the Oregon beach town of Waldport for a gunman who shot officer Steven Dodds, 45, a six-year veteran of the Lincoln City Police Department. Police were looking for the owner of a 1984 Dodge truck that fled the shooting scene.
* In Detroit, four officers shot inside their precinct were recovering, police said. Investigators said Lamar Moore, 38, of Detroit entered the 6th Precinct on the city's northwest side about 4:30 p.m. Sunday and shot Cmdr. Brian Davis, Officer David Anderson; Sgt. Ray Saati; and Sgt. Carrie Schulz. Officers returned fire and killed Moore, they said.
* One of two deputies wounded in Port Orchard, Wash., was released from the hospital while another remained in satisfactory condition after being wounded Sunday in a gunfight. A suspect and a female victim who came running to his aid were killed. Police were investigating how the female victim was shot. The gunman was identified as Anthony A. Martinez, 31, of Salt Lake City. The Deseret News said police had issued an endangered persons advisory for a 13-year-old runaway believed to be traveling with Martinez.
* In St. Petersburg, Fla., a suspected gunman was found dead after two police officers were shot to death and a U.S. marshal was injured as they tried to make an arrest. Suncoast Benevolent Association President Mark Marland identified the fallen officers as Tom Baitinger and Jeffrey Yaslowitz.
* In Miami, thousands of law enforcement officers gathered at a funeral service in American Airlines Arena to honor Roger Castillo, 41, Amanda Haworth, 44, who were killed on Thursday while serving a warrant on a suspected killer. The suspect, 22-year-old Johnny Simms, was killed by another officer.

The Associated Press and Reuters also contributed to this report.

[Solauren]

I'd like to know why/how come the police were not able to withdraw the second they found out the suspect was in the attic.

Or rather, more details. It's possible the house is laid out in a way that they were in his line of sight the second they were at the door.

[Broomstick]

Well, fuck. Between this and the quadruple shooting of police officers in Detroit by some asshole with a shotgun at their station (luckily none of those officers were killed) a lot of cops seem to be getting shot lately.

Yes. Something like 11 or 12 in the last 24 hours. And Monday isn't over yet.

[White Haven]

Yeah, sounds like they got a bit ahead of themselves. They're told the guy's in the attic, they call for backup, and then they go up into the attic before backup gets there, as evidenced by the fact that one of them lost a gun in the confrontation there. So...what was the point of calling for backup, then?

[Kamakazie Sith]

If they were just there gathering information like the OP said, without realizing he was in the attic, then there was no reason whatsoever for a SWAT team. You don't send in armored shock troops (and that's exactly what SWAT are) on a "knock on the door and ask a few questions" mission.

Nobody is saying that. However, what they are saying is that there is a reason why SWAT uses the tactics that they do.

If they were there to serve a warrant to arrest a known violent offender - like this guy - then that's an entirely different matter from drug raids, and the SWAT team would, in fact, have been called for.

No, it's not any different. You're going into a place of advantage where your subject is known to be. What is unknown is his mindset, weapons, and additional people and their mindset and weapons. Just because a person is "non-violent" which just means they haven't been arrested for a violent crime doesn't mean they aren't willing to kill in order to escape.

[RogueIce]

Yeah, sounds like they got a bit ahead of themselves. They're told the guy's in the attic, they call for backup, and then they go up into the attic before backup gets there, as evidenced by the fact that one of them lost a gun in the confrontation there. So...what was the point of calling for backup, then?

One of the officers killed arrived after the call for backup (he was going off duty but elected to respond anyway). He was the one who went up into the attic with the Deputy Marshal and was shot, according to the press conference earlier today. I don't know what relation he was to the backup that was called in the story Skimmer posted, though. It could be slightly out of date, though. The press conference was at ~1630 local time.

EDIT: That story has since been updated:

One officer, the marshal and a Pinellas County Sheriff's deputy were the first ones at the house and were told by a woman that Lacy was in the attic. The three called for backup, and soon after Yaslowitz and Baitinger arrived. Police had initially said they were among the first three to arrive.

Both officers killed responded as backup.

[White Haven]

Alrighty, that makes much more sense then. I guess they just hadn't realized they were ascending to the attic to arrest a Tetragrammaton Cleric or some shit.

[cosmicalstorm]

In Sweden, the last time cops were shot dead that was the news-story of the decade.

[RogueIce]

As the fact that 11 officers were shot during the 24 hour period was brought up in this thread, I'm sadly updating to say that the Indianapolis officer who was shot, David Moore, died of his injuries today.

[Sarevok]

A terrible day for US police. My sincere condolences for all involved.

I hope the police do not become more paranoid as a result. It is ordinary people who suffer when law enforcement fears they are at "war".

[Broomstick]

Actually the final toll for that 24 hours was 13 officers shot, 4 (now 5) dead.

VERY unusual (yes, even by American standards).