Urban Terrorism – Booby Traps, Threats Put Police On Alert

Hemet California, Describing it as “urban terrorism,” California Atty. Gen. Jerry Brown joined with Riverside County officials in asking the public to help find those who tried at least three times to kill officers assigned to a Hemet-based gang task force.

“It is incredible and even unprecedented for police officers here to be subject to terrorist attack,” Brown said at a Riverside news conference. “We have seen it south of the border, but not here yet.”

Last December a utility line was redirected to flood the offices with gas so any spark would cause an explosion. In February, a modified handgun was hidden by the gate to the office and rigged to fire. When a gang officer opened the gate, the weapon went off, narrowly missing him. And two weeks ago, police said, a “dangerous” device was found near the unmarked car of a task force member.

Officials have put up a $200,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible. The FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is assisting in the investigation.

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Police in Hemet, San Jacinto on alert after threats

Law enforcement officers in Hemet and San Jacinto remain on high alert this weekend after receiving an anonymous tip that a police car would be blown up in retaliation for police raids aimed at an outlaw motorcycle gang, it was reported.

The bomb threat was reported at 5:45 p.m. Friday when an anonymous caller dialed 911 and told an operator a police car would be blown up within the next 48 hours in retaliation for the “Operation Everywhere” raids conducted Wednesday.

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Pentagon Shooting – 2 Officers Injured, Gunman Dead

UPDATE: The suspect in the shooting of two officers near the entrance to the Pentagon has died.

Beverly Fields, chief of staff of the D.C. medical examiner’s office, said the body of 36-year-old John Patrick Bedell arrived at the medical examiner’s office shortly after midnight.

Source

UPDATE: Law enforcement officials say they’ve got one person in custody and are investigating whether a second was involved in a shooting at the Pentagon subway entrance.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation is still unfolding.

They say there’s no immediate signs of terrorism but, with information coming in quickly, they haven’t ruled anything out.

Two police officers were shot and sustained grazing wounds. The suspect was also shot. His injuries were described as “pretty critical.”

Three law enforcement officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the investigation, said authorities were also scrutinizing a second man who may have accompanied the shooting suspect.

Source

Original Post

Two police officers were injured by a gunman firing shots outside the Pentagon tonight and a suspect was in custody, a police spokesman said.

Police said the officer’s injuries were not life-threatening. The officers were taken to George Washington Hospital in Washington. The shooter was injured when police returned fire, a spokesman said.

The shooting occurred at the Pentagon Metro Station, which is just outside the Pentagon's main entrance. The shots were fired at about 6:35 p.m. ET.

The officers belonged to the Pentagon Force Protection Agency, the Defense Department said in a statement. One was apparently hit in the lower part of the body, according to reporters there. He appeared to be alert when he was loaded into an ambulance.

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CIRA and RIRA Join Ranks in Ireland – Raises Threat Level

CIRA and RIRA Join Ranks in Ireland: Threat at Highest Level Since 1998 – Jenni Hesterman

Hidden in the news last week – a 250 pound bomb exploded in front of a court house in Newry, Northern Ireland on 23 Feb.

Reminiscent of a period known as “The Troubles” when IRA bombings were a regular occurrence in the UK, police received a message from the bombers and were able to clear the area just minutes before the device went off.

Takeaways from this bombing:

- Officials in Ireland know that due to the sophistication of the bomb and other data not released to the public that the CIRA and RIRA are now sharing tactics and have “crossfertilized”.

- Police were told the bomb was set to go off in 30 minutes, the actual explosion was 17 minutes after the call. Whether this was an attempt to also target first responders is unknown, but worthy of noting.

- This is the first large car bomb attack since the deadly Omagh attack in 1998 and the bombing of a police station in 2000.

- Other smaller attacks are taking place across Northern Ireland, including a live mortar left outside of a police station last week, and a car bomb that killed a police officer. The attacks are widespread and persistent.

Why should we care about the increased terrorist activity in Ireland?

Read Full Article To Find Out

Jenni Hesterman - Counter Terror Forum

Jenni Hesterman is a retired Air Force colonel, a contributing editor for The Counter Terrorist magazine, a full professor of counter terrorism studies at American Military University and a senior Analyst for the MASY Group, a global intelligence and risk management firm.

In addition to this, she is the author of the blog: www.counterterrorforum.com and contributor to National Terror Alert.

Her blog, Counter Terror Forum highlights items of interest regarding threats to national security, terrorism, transnational crime, organized crime, and gangs.

The site also serves to support the law enforcement and intelligence community with open source reporting and analysis.

Two British Nationals Detained with Suspicious Devices – India

Two British nationals staying at the Radisson Hotel near the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) here have been detained and are being questioned for being in the possession of suspicious gadgets, police said.

The two men were detained by the Intelligence Bureau and Delhi Police on Monday for possessing high tech gadgets, maps and binoculars.

“They checked into the hotel on February 13 and hotel authorities informed us after they found their activities suspicious. We are questioning them,” a police officer said.

Delhi has been on high alert since Saturday after a blast in Pune that left nine people dead and several injured.

via Source.

SWAT Options For Multiple Shooter Terrorist Attacks

Excellent Article by Lt.Andrew Esposito details how police officers need to prepare to tactically resolve a mass hostage terror siege. Important read for those in the law enforcement community.

The threat of an international terrorist attack against our country is not to be taken lightly by emergency responders. In fact, I see it being taken very seriously in the New York Metropolitan area; agencies are meeting, communicating and taking proactive steps to counter potential terrorist efforts.

As professional police officers we are all aware of the threat. The training is out there to provide information and resources on how to deal with terrorism, whether it is domestic or foreign. In this article I would like to address one area that I feel we in law enforcement need to take action on immediately. The immediate employment of police officers to a terrorist attack as first responders is inevitable; I believe that the one thing that is not being addressed is what is going to happen to those first responding officers.

Read Full Article at Police1

NYTOA – The New York Tactical Officers Association

Man Faces Terrorism Charge After Threats

The Memphis Commercial Appeal News reports a Memphis man was arrested Friday after he walked into seven local businesses and announced that he would bomb them if they didn’t close, according to a police affidavit.

The report states that Mohamed Ibrahim, 35, threatened businesses on Poplar Avenue, Summer Avenue, Mendenhall, Perkins and Danny Thomas Boulevard.

“If you don’t close this place up, I’m going to blow it to pieces,” Ibrahim told customers at the BP Gas Station on the 300 block of Poplar, according to the report.

A police officer pulled over the suspect’s black PT Cruiser on Poplar and arrested Ibrahim, who was “very nervous” and appeared as if “he was trying to hide something,” the report stated.

The suspect tried to kick out the windows of a patrol car during the arrest and police said they had to use pepper spray to subdue him.

The FBI found three Islamic cassette tapes and miscellaneous papers in the suspect's car, which were removed for additional study, according to the affidavit. Police charged Ibrahim with commission of an act of terrorism, filing false reports and disorderly conduct. He posted $100 bond and was released, pending his court date on Monday.

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Arturo Beltran Leyva Mexican Drug Lord Killed

Mexican security forces have killed drug lord Arturo Beltran Leyva, one of the most wanted traffickers in both Mexico and the United States, in a victory for President Felipe Calderon’s war on drug cartels.

Beltran Leyva, a drug lord dubbed “The Boss of Bosses,” was killed on Wednesday by Navy forces in a luxury residential complex in the southern city of Cuernavaca.

“We confirm the death of Arturo Beltran Leyva. He was killed in a Navy operation in Cuernavaca,” said a Navy captain who declined to be named.

Six bodyguards died together with Beltran Leyva, who ran a cartel that carried his family name. He was an ally turned foe of Mexico’s No.1 most wanted man, Joaquin “Shorty” Guzman.

More than 16,000 people have been killed in drug violence in the last three years as rival gangs have fought each other and security forces. Atrocities have become common.

Suspected drug gangs dumped the severed heads of five police officers and a prosecutor outside a church in the northern state of Durango on Wednesday.

The heads were left in plastic bags discovered by trash collectors as blood ran out of the bags onto the street.

via Mexican forces kill drug lord Beltran Leyva | Reuters.

Maurice Clemmons, Suspect in Wash. Police Killings Shot Dead

Seattle police shot and killed the fugitive suspected of gunning down four officers in a suburban coffee shop, a sheriff’s spokesman said Tuesday.

Maurice Clemmons was shot to death after a “very alert patrol officer” tracked down a stolen vehicle linked to him, Ed Troyer, a spokesman for the Pierce County sheriff, told Fox News.

Clemmons, 37, is suspected of murdering the four Lakewood police officers at a cafe Sunday morning in Parkland, a Tacoma suburb about 35 miles south of Seattle.

He was killed in a working-class neighborhood after police found him with the help of information about possible hiding spots, Troyer said.

“Shots were fired,” Troyer told “Fox & Friends” Tuesday. “We’re very happy that the Seattle police officer is OK. … This could have turned out a lot worse.”

Sgt. Mark Renninger, 39, and Officers Ronald Owens, 37, Tina Griswold, 40, and Greg Richards, 42, were the victims of Sunday’s shooting spree.

Troyer told Fox police arrested three people overnight on suspicion of rendering criminal assistance. The suspected getaway driver also was caught early Tuesday morning, about 6:30 a.m., he said at a briefing.

More arrests are coming, Troyer vowed.

“We’re also looking at family members who aided and abetted in his escape,” he told reporters. “They did everything they could to hamper our investigation. We expect to have six to seven people in custody by day’s end.”

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Forza Coffee Co., 4 Lakewood Washington Police Officers Shot, Killed

UPDATE 11:20PM : Police searching for the person of interest in the Lakewood police shooting have surrounded a home in the city’s Leschi neighborhood. SWAT Team and police negotiators are on scene.

Original Post

Four police officers were shot dead in a targeted ambush at a Lakewood, Wash., state coffee house, a sheriff’s official said Sunday.

Police Seek Person of Interest

Police have identified a person of interest in the fatal shootings of four Lakewood police officers. Ed Troyer of the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office said they are looking for 37-year-old Maurice Clemmons.

Troyer said evidence leads police to believe that Clemmons was in the area of the shootings. He has a lengthy criminal history.

The attack occurred at Forza Coffee Co., east of McChord Air Force Base near Tacoma, Wash., about 35 miles south of Seattle.

Listen to live news coverage from KOMO Seattle

Officers are now searching for one male suspect who opened fire in the shop before fleeing on foot, q13Fox.com reported. Police have not yet ruled out an accomplice.

Pierce County Sheriff’s spokesman Ed Troyer said the four officers killed — three men and a woman from the Lakewood Police Department — were in uniform and catching up on paperwork at the beginning of their shifts when they were attacked at 8:15 a.m.

They are the first Lakewood officers killed since the department was formed in 2004.

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Suspect In Seattle Officer Slaying Lone Domestic Terrorist

For the past week, we’ve been following the disturbing story of the apparent random killing of Seattle city police officer Tim Brenton. Today, the suspect is in custody after being shot by officers investigating the case, and according to at least one report has been labeled a ‘lone domestic terrorist’ by Seattle Assistant Police Chief Jim Pugel.

Here’s the update:

On the afternoon of November 6^th , 2009, Seattle Police Homicide detectives received a tip about a Datsun 210 matching the description of a possible suspect vehicle used in the slaying of Officer Tim Brenton. Detectives responded to a parking lot in the 13700 block of 56^th Avenue South in Tukwila. While detectives were investigating the scene further an adult male suspect emerged and pointed a gun at them. Detectives fired on the suspect in self defense, striking him at least once. The suspect was taken into custody and transported to Harborview Medical Center with life-threatening injuries. No detectives were injured.

The Tukwila Police Department is handling the crime scene investigation and the King County Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Unit is conducting the officer-involved shooting investigation.

SPD detectives obtained search warrants to further examine the crime scene. Evidence located inside the suspect’s apartment included improvised explosive devices (IEDs), a rifle, and various other items of evidence.  Detectives now believe that this individual is responsible for both the murder of Officer Brenton,  the attempted murder of Officer Sweeney, and the arson attack on October 22^nd at the Charles Street facility. Detectives are asking the Prosecutor’s Office for formal charges. The Datsun that detectives were looking for is registered to the suspect.  Our investigation into the murder of Officer Tim Brenton and attempted murder of Officer Britt Sweeney continues and we are still receiving and following up on tips.  We have received numerous tips from the public and we encourage everyone to continue to call us with any information they may have regarding this investigation.

From CNN
A suspect in the shooting of a Seattle, Washington, police officer is also believed to be behind the bombing of four police cars, Seattle Assistant Police Chief Jim Pugel said at a press conference Saturday.

Christopher Monfort, 41, remained hospitalized in serious condition after being shot by officers during a confrontation Friday.

“This man, from everything that we can tell, appears to be a lone domestic terrorist,” Pugel said.

Monfort was in custody at the hospital, but no charges had yet been filed, a Seattle police spokeswoman told CNN. Charges could be filed as early as Monday, she said.

Police named Monfort as a suspect in the Halloween night killing of Officer Tim Brenton, who was shot while sitting in his patrol car. A student officer was injured in the attack.

Investigators also suspect Monfort in the October 22 arson of four police vehicles with homemade explosives, Pugel said.

On Friday, a tipster alerted police to the owner of a Datsun 210 who covered his car shortly after the shooting, Pugel said.

Seattle PI has a Complete Multi-media Recap Of The Entire Story
via Source.

Newark Citizen Patrol Part of Crime-fighting Tactic

As we’ve cited in previous articles, New Jersey continues to lead the way in utilizing new, innovative approaches to community safety, emergency preparedness and citizen involvement.

New Jersey Alert A Preparedness Role Model

NJ Law Would Require Homeland Security Drills In Schools.

The latest involves convoys of vans led by Newark’s mayor and filled with more than 100 of its employees and residents, flooding the city’s neighborhoods in the middle of the night as a way to reduce crime. It’s a great idea that probably should also be looked at as part of the city’s contingency planning to to utilize during a crisis or emergency.

As part of Community Caravan Night Patrols, more than 120 volunteers have patrolled city streets with Mayor Cory Booker and a crew of off-duty police officers since Sept. 29. Each weekend and a few nights each week, they pile into long caravans of glaring white vans, which weave through the city’s wards, focusing on areas where 85 percent of the city’s shootings have been recorded.

The program’s goal is to disrupt normal crime patterns during typical high-volume hours, gather intelligence for police, and engage residents in the process of crime prevention, said Anthony Campos, the city’s director of public safety.

“You have this whole collage of people coming together for a common cause,” Campos said of the program. “They’re self actualizing by getting out there. They’re no longer spectators.”

Some of the largest caravans will be out this Halloween weekend, which has long been associated with mayhem in Newark. The patrols will start earlier and end later those nights, Booker said.

The initiative is similar to Operation Impact, a law enforcement technique designed by Police Director Garry McCarthy that saturates volatile areas with police to disrupt criminal trends. The essential difference with the caravans is that volunteers are doing the saturating, and the vans and radios are donated by Newark Now, a local non-profit founded by Booker.

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Pakistan Terror Attack Prompts Warning From Homeland Security, FBI

The attack on Sri Lanka’s cricket team in Pakistan this week has prompted US intelligence officials to caution local authorities to be on the lookout for possible similar assaults at American sports events.

The notice, along with details of the attack in Lahore, Pakistan, is part of an intelligence assessment that points out no plots are known to exist against sports events in the United States. Read more

Threat of Mexican Drug Cartels Near Crisis

Two of Mexico’s deadliest drug cartels have reached a combined force of 100,000 foot soldiers, wreaking havoc across the country and threatening U.S. border states, the U.S. Defense Department told The Washington Times.

The cartels rival the Mexican army in size and have both Mexico and the U.S. in crisis mode as they deal with what they fear is a coming insurgency along the border.

“It’s moving to crisis proportions,” an unidentified defense official told The Times. The official also said the cartels have reached a size where they are on par with Mexico’s army of 130,000.

About 7,000 people have died in the last year — more than 1,000 in January alone — at the hands of Mexico’s increasingly violent drug cartels. Murders often involve beheadings or bodies dissolved in vats of acid.

The two most dangerous cartels are the Sinaloa cartel, nicknamed the “Federation” or “Golden Triangle” by law enforcement agencies, and “Los Zetas” (the Gulf Cartel). They have been growing and are reportedly discussing a truce or merger to better withstand government forces, The Times reported.

Mexico is now only behind Pakistan and Iran as a U.S. national security concern, coming in ahead of Afghanistan and Iraq, the defense official told The Times.

Source

Mexico Send In Military To Restore Order

The Mexican government will deploy 1,000 more federal police officers as part of a wider effort to restore order in Ciudad Juarez, the nation’s most violent city, officials said Monday.

Some of those uniformed federal officers began arriving in the border city Monday, two days after about 2,000 soldiers landed there in a related military buildup. Those soldiers were the first of an expected 5,000 additional troops who will be sent to help perform basic police functions.

The military reinforcements will bring to more than 7,000 the number of soldiers in Ciudad Juarez.

The nation’s public safety chief, Genaro Garcia Luna, said that along with the soldiers, he planned to dispatch the additional 1,000 federal police officers, Notimex news agency reported.

About 425 federal officers already had been posted in Ciudad Juarez, where the death toll last year exceeded 1,600, the highest in a country racked by drug-related violence.

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Sri Lanka Cricket Team Attacked By Terrorists 8 Dead

A deadly attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in the Pakistani city of Lahore on Tuesday was likely the work of “well-trained terrorists,” its police chief said.

“There were 12 masked gunmen,” Habib-ur Rehman told reporters, adding that police battled against the assailants for about 25 minutes.

“They appeared to be well-trained terrorists. They came on rickshaws. They were armed with rockets, hand grenades, kalashnikovs.”

He said five policemen were killed in the gun attack which also wounded at least three Sri Lankan players.

“Five policemen who were providing protection to the team sacrificed their lives,” he added.

Masked gunman opened fire on the Sri Lankan cricket team’s bus in Pakistan’s eastern city of Lahore Tuesday, killing at least eight people and wounding six players, officials said.

Lahore police chief Habib-ur Rehman said 12 gunmen attacked the convoy near Lahore’s Gaddafi stadium with rockets, hand grenades and automatic weapons and were involved in a 25-minute shoot-out with the security forces.

“They appeared to be well-trained terrorists. They came on rickshaws,” he told reporters.

A police official said two civilians and six police officers who were guarding the players were killed in the attack which happened as the team was heading for the third day’s play in the second Test against Pakistan.

Source

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