Cops have bombs?

[djhall]

It struck me as a little odd as well, but I don't suppose you can ambush 11 police officers, declare your intent to kill more, and then complain they didn't fight fair when they take you out unconventionally.

[steelholder]

I think the situation may occur where a local lea MIGHT need explosives. Was this one? Maybe.

[deadcoyote]

Lol Done all the time? oh really? Any proof of previous bad guy kabooms?

I live in a tiny jurisdiction and we use an EOD bot all the time with small charges to set off another device remotely. Typically pipe bombs, but also old unexploded mortar rounds or grenades people have. I would say we've done something like this at least a half dozen times in the last 3 years.

It's not hard to think they (Dallas PD) just had their EOD tech use a lot more than the typical small charge, they obviously maintain it in their locker as its a normal EOD tool.

[JustHitIt]

I live in a tiny jurisdiction and we use an EOD bot all the time with small charges to set off another device remotely. Typically pipe bombs, but also old unexploded mortar rounds or grenades people have. I would say we've done something like this at least a half dozen times in the last 3 years.

It's not hard to think they (Dallas PD) just had their EOD tech use a lot more than the typical small charge, they obviously maintain it in their locker as its a normal EOD tool.

Word!!

[roostersgt]

Sounds like they shot him with the water "disrupter" on the robot. Commonly used by EOD to destroy suspected explosive devices I doubt they would have used actual explosives, as that would have destroyed the robot, a very expensive piece of tactical equipment.

[elSquid]

Cough, cough.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/MOVE#1985_bombing

Anywho, as far as blowing up the Dallas sniper, I've got zero problems with it. The police tried to negotiate, bad guy didn't surrender, no need to put more officers in jeopardy. Boom.

-- Michael

[Eljay]

I live in a tiny jurisdiction and we use an EOD bot all the time with small charges to set off another device remotely. Typically pipe bombs, but also old unexploded mortar rounds or grenades people have. I would say we've done something like this at least a half dozen times in the last 3 years.

It's not hard to think they (Dallas PD) just had their EOD tech use a lot more than the typical small charge, they obviously maintain it in their locker as its a normal EOD tool.

From what they were saying at the press conference that's what happened - basically the EOD guy with the robot was asked to rig something larger than normal and he did so out of the supplies he'd usually use to dispose of things. Since they'd heard that there were bombs scattered around the town he probably brought quite a bit out into the field with him so it was all ready to roll.

I have mixed feelings about just taking the guy out instead of waiting him out but it makes more sense to me than just sending in SWAT to shoot him. Why risk more officers?

[NorCalFocus]

Maybe the OP thinks the police should have just shot the sniper in the leg.

[DaveInOroValley]

According to the many articles out there this was the first time a department used explosives to neutralize a suspect. I would be curious as to what they rigged up though and method of detonation.

[Capybara]

Not very different than one of us using our CCW to neutralize a threat. This person was obviously a threat, barricaded himself and was not going to be taken alive so that, to me constitutes a threat that needed to be neutralized although not sure why they couldn't just use a flash-bang and move in? I wasn't there, I am not a cop and I am sure that would entail more risk to the officers though. I don't have a problem that they neutralized this threat in this way.

[Citadelgrad87]

From what they were saying at the press conference that's what happened - basically the EOD guy with the robot was asked to rig something larger than normal and he did so out of the supplies he'd usually use to dispose of things. Since they'd heard that there were bombs scattered around the town he probably brought quite a bit out into the field with him so it was all ready to roll.

I have mixed feelings about just taking the guy out instead of waiting him out but it makes more sense to me than just sending in SWAT to shoot him. Why risk more officers?

Why would anyone have "mixed feelings" about taking him out? He murdered five cops and shot eleven people, then continued to shoot at cops while refusing to surrender. Screw that POS, he's not in charge of jack or s, we don't need to "wait him out".

[C.W.M.V.]

Some situations can go from a barricaded situation to a combat situation.
This situation was a combat situation.

Yes, he was barricaded in a fortified location, and had the tactical advantage over the police. He was continuing to shoot at police and it was a matter of time before he would kill or wound another person.

In that situation a controlled explosive device is the perfect tool for the job.

No this was not combat.
The police do not and should not participate in combat.
Love it when our friendly overlords regale us with tales of combat. Because ya your junkie with a 9mm is exactly like getting ****ing mortared or ambushed. Yea.
The last cops I can think of that have a claim to a combat type situation would be north Hollywood shootout cops.

[Truck286]

It is Part of the Robot...
If they come across an explosive device that doesn't disarm or go foul with the Water Spraying Device the Robot has a Secondary device which remotely Destructs in order to Naturalize a Armed Explosive Device that is to dangerous to approach..

[NYT]

Why would anyone have "mixed feelings" about taking him out? He murdered five cops and shot eleven people, then continued to shoot at cops while refusing to surrender. Screw that POS, he's not in charge of jack or s, we don't need to "wait him out".

yup, when you lie in wait to assassinate a public servant, your death warrant is signed.

[NYT]

The last cops I can think of that have a claim to a combat type situation would be north Hollywood shootout cops.

lol, no. many of our police officers were prior military or even military police... like this young man.

PATRICK "PATRICIO" ZAMARRIPA

http://www.firstpost.com/world/iraq-veteran-newlywed-among-the-dead-in-dallas-reuters-2882530.html