Just wanted to insert an update on the Philippines, in regards to a former Post:
The ISIL terrorist group spent at least $1.5 million to finance the recently ended siege of the Southern Philippine city of Marawi, the country's military chief revealed.
Philippines' Army Chief: ISIL Spent $1.5mln to Finance Siege of Marawi City
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960803001051
In this first article, statements between the Police and the Police dispatcher are reproduced. This statement doesn't mention that Campos was shot through the door ... "“Control 182SE, we have a security officer also shot in the leg on the 32nd floor. He’s standing right by the elevator.”
“He shot down the hallway and hit a security officer. There's also a question as to why one Police officer discharged his weapon inside Paddock's room? The second article goes into more detail on the subject.
Also, in the second article, there is a question - as to "why the investigation was taken out of the hands of seasoned homicide detectives (LVMPD) and rerouted to the Force Investigation Team (FIT) that investigates - if police officers were justified in using deadly force?"
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department borrowed armored vehicles from a Las Vegas based company, Battlefield Las Vegas, during last Sunday’s massacre of innocent concert-goers.
Las Vegas Police borrowed armored vehicles from private company October 8, 2017
http://baltimorepostexaminer.com/las-vegas-police-borrowed-armored-vehicles-private-company/2017/10/08
According to LVMPD radio traffic that night the police dispatcher stated, “Units be advised there is going to be three armored cars enroute to South Central Area Command followed by a silver Dodge Ram, okay per SWAT.” Minutes later; “3Ocean55, we have three armored cars that are at Russell and Las Vegas Boulevard,
they’re not affiliated with law enforcement but the sergeant called them from Battlefield Las Vegas and they’re waiting for orders.” [Police dispatcher] They’re going to be going to South Central Area Command we’ve been advised.” “3Ocean55 copy.”
When the Baltimore Post-Examiner contacted Battlefield Las Vegas today an employee named Trevor after having been asked what type of armored vehicles were provided to the police the night of the shooting, stated that they were not commenting on it. He said the only vehicles they have were the ones you can see on their website.
Battlefield Las Vegas provides customers with the opportunity to fire fully automatic weapons including an M-134 mini-gun that they advertise as “This is the only mini-gun that’s running and available to the public in Las Vegas.” The company owns a fleet of surplus military vehicles.
It is not known at this time if any of those vehicles were deployed. The LVMPD was unavailable for comment.
The initial police response that night was nothing short of amazing as evident by the police radio traffic. The first shots rang out at about 10:08pm and continued for ten-minutes.
“179SamEasy, we got shots fired at the Route 91 sounded like automatic firearm.
It’s coming from upstairs in the Mandalay Bay, upstairs Mandalay Bay halfway up, I see the shots coming from Mandalay Bay halfway up.” “We have an active shooter, we have an active shooter inside the fairgrounds.” “That’s correct, shots fired from Mandalay Bay.” “790 arrived I’m going to form a strike team, Mandalay Bay and the Boulevard, I need five officers on me.”
“Control be advised shots are coming from Gate 7, Gate 7 shots are coming from Gate 7.” [Inside concert venue]. “159SE we have a rifle deployed, we are in front of Mandalay Bay. We are trying to see where the shots are coming from.” “We’re seeing multiple flashes in the middle of the Mandalay Bay on the north side, kind of on the west tower towards the center of the casino, one of the middle floors.”
“Control 3Mary, we have an officer shot Mandalay Bay northbound right outside Route 91 at the south edge [automatic weapon fire heard in the background.”]
Control 3Mary14, I’m inside the Mandalay Bay on the 31st floor, I can hear the automatic weapon fire coming from one floor ahead, one floor above us. “ “Copy.” “CP [command post] be advised its automatic fire from an elevated position, take cover.”
That is correct it’s fully automatic fire I’m one floor below it.”
“We’re taking gunfire, it’s going right over our heads, there’s debris coming over our heads so we’re pinned down here with civilians.”
“Control see if we can contact Mandalay Bay, see if they can shut down their elevators so he can’t get mobile we can take the stairs.” “We are going to make entry into the [unintelligible] to make contact with the subject, see if we can get up to him. We’re doing that right now, 32nd floor. We’re making our way to give you support. Okay, is he still firing?”
“Control 3Mary35, we’re getting from civilians that there may have been three shooters.” Control 3Mary14 I am in the stairwell of the 32nd floor.” “Control 169SE, I need the radio please, I am on the 32nd floor the room is going to be 135.” “Just confirming it is the Mandalay Bay, the 32nd floor, room 135. “That is affirm.” “We have a four-man element at the very end of the hall.”
“Control we just spoke to Security at Mandalay Bay. They’re saying they have shots fired on 29 and 32nd levels.” “Control 182SE, we have a security officer also shot in the leg on the 32nd floor. He’s standing right by the elevator.” “He shot down the hallway and hit a security officer. It’s room 135 on the 32nd floor.” “We have a four-man team up here and we have another element coming to us. So, we’re going to have about eight on the 32nd floor.”
“We will need the 29th floor. It sounds like it’s confirmed there are at least two shooters with fully automatic weapons.” Control Zebra15 [SWAT officer], get somebody into the camera room [Mandalay Bay Hotel Surveillance] and see if we can get cameras watching the 29 and 32nd floors.
“Control 167SamEasy, please advise all units to have their vehicles locked people are going in and trying to grab shotguns.” Control Air5 [LVMPD helicopter], we’re getting multiple reports from McCarron Tower [International Airport] now that there are multiple people running across the active runways.”
“590 I’m clearing the 29th floor.” “77Victor, I’m on the 29th floor of the Mandalay Bay with an element. 29th floor Mandalay Bay I have a four-man element.” “Control Air5, we have been able to clear all the lower roofs, there are employees on the upper roof there’s like a break room up there. The lower roofs on the east side have all been cleared.” Control 590, we started clearing just on the 29th floor and up. So, the floors below need to be cleared out. We just moved up here based on the intel.”
“167SamEasy I had a civilian take a patrol car!” “I need to know if we have that floor evacuated other than our suspects?” ‘We have snipers going up soon so I need to know if it’s been evac’d.” “Floor 32. It’s clear all the way up to [room] 120.” “We’re going to come up the stairwell.” I’ll let you know before we come through the door so we don’t have a blue on blue [firing on one another]. “Okay I copy that. We have a team up here so we’re ready.”
Confirming the Mandalay Bay and Ali Baba and Giles [concert area] are the two shooting locations, do we have a third? “ “We have the hallway contained. The room where the shots were fired from, it is contained right now.” “I have multiple rifles and plenty of officers.” “Hold the stairwell and we’ll wait for the Zebra team [SWAT] for the plan.”
About an hour after the first shots rang out the SWAT Team conducts an explosive breach on the gunman’s door and then a second explosive breach another interior room door. Zebra20 [SWAT officer] then notifies the dispatcher that the suspect in down. One officer discharged his weapon.
There was a lot more going on that night in Las Vegas that the police had to deal with. They were responding to multiple calls of other active shooters at other properties. That will be the subject of another story at the Baltimore Post-Examiner.
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department’s investigation of the worst mass shooting incident in United States history that occurred on Oct. 1 and resulted in the death of 58 people and the injuring more than 500, has had more twist and turns since Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo first held his initial press conference.
Who is in charge of the Las Vegas Mandalay Bay shooting investigation? October 25, 2017
http://baltimorepostexaminer.com/charge-las-vegas-mandalay-bay-shooting-investigation/2017/10/25
The mass shooting and the death of the gunman, Stephen Paddock, who reportedly committed suicide, would normally be investigated by detectives from the LVMPD’s homicide division, however the Baltimore Post-Examiner was told by a retired police official that
the investigation was pulled from homicide detectives and given to the department’s Force Investigation Team.
The Force Investigation Team (FIT) falls under the direction of the department’s Internal Oversight and Constitutional Policing Bureau that is commanded by Captain Kelly M. McMahill, who is the wife of Clark County Undersheriff Kevin C. McMahill.
Capt. McMahill is a staple on local television as the spokesperson for officer involved shootings in Las Vegas.
McMahill is listed as a speaker at the November 2017 Conference of the Society for Integrity in Force Investigation and Reporting. She is scheduled for a talk on Las Vegas Metro Police Officer Involved Shooting Investigations.
The FIT investigates all officer involved shootings leading to injuries or death.
When the Baltimore Post-Examiner contacted the LVMPD Homicide Division on Tuesday and inquired if they were handling the Mandalay Bay shooting investigation, we were told that it was being investigated by the Force Investigation Team.
A press information officer was not available for comment when contacted by the Baltimore Post-Examiner.
The FIT conducts a criminal investigation to determine whether the use of use deadly force was legally justified under criminal law., according the departments use of force policy. FIT also directs the investigation against a subject who either committed crimes which led to the use of deadly force or who has committed crimes against an officer.
Why the investigation is not being handled by the seasoned homicide detectives of the LVMPD seems peculiar when juxtaposed with the fact that the police said that Paddock was already dead, apparently by his own hand, when they entered his room at the Mandalay Bay.
Why a shooting investigation team that investigates if police officers were justified in using deadly force, would be investigating the mass Undershooting is unknown.
SWAT officer fired his weapon inside Paddock’s room
The Baltimore Post-Examiner was the first to break the story and produce a police audio recording that a SWAT officer fired his weapon inside Paddock’s room.
According to the police radio traffic that night after the rooms were breached a SWAT officer told the dispatcher that one SWAT officer did fire and that there were no other injuries and one suspect was down at this point.
During the Oct. 3 press briefing, Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo was asked by a reporter, “Did police or security guards fire any shots at any time during the encounter.” Lombardo replied, “Um, during when he was discharging his weapon?” Reporter, “Yes.” Lombardo, “We are not aware of that, no security guard or police, other than the encounter at the room?”
The reporter did not follow up that answer. What encounter at the room? There was no encounter, Paddock was dead. So why did an officer fire his weapon?
Was it a case of an accidental discharge and if so why has there been no press release on that, almost three and half weeks since the massacre?. What’s the big secret? Who was injured, as the SWAT officer told the dispatcher that there were no other injuries?
When four of the LVMPD officers who had entered Paddock’s room after the door was breached, Detectives Matthew Donaldson, Casey Clarkson, and K-9 officers Joshua Bitsko and Dave Newton appeared on CBS’ 60 Minutes, the Sunday following the massacre, neither one of them mentioned anything about any officer firing a weapon. SWAT officer Levi Hancock who also entered the room did not appear on the show.
There are still many unanswered questions.
Were the officers who entered the room on Oct, 1, including SWAT wearing body worn cameras and if so, will the recordings be released?
Were there any video transmission devices transmitting live feed images to a command post?
What officer fired his weapon and why?
When an officer discharges his weapon for any reason in the line of duty a shooting review board conducts an inquiry. Was that done and what are the results?
Paddock’s room door was not breached for over an hour. The police weren’t even sure he was still inside the room.
The LVMPD has robots that have been used in prior incidents involving barricaded suspects, which the Sheriff said this incident turned into because Paddock had stopped firing on the crowd.
If the police believed the room may have been booby-trapped why wasn’t a robot used?
The police saw the cameras on the room service cart, yet SWAT officer, Levi Hancock still approached the gunman’s door to fasten the explosive for the breach.
The public has the right to know what happened that night. Transparency, not secrecy is needed in this investigation.
