Friday, January 27, 2012

No Shots Fired



Why is the blog starting out today with a picture of car parked right in front of my house?

I spent Wednesday night and most of Thursday at Mom's. We decided to go out to dinner. I went home to change clothes. I was getting in my car when the pictured car came flying around my corner followed by fifteen police cars (I later counted). Pictured car stops. Police stop and block my driveway, guns drawn. "Back in your house. " I followed orders. Man on ground. Dog searching suspect's car. Four officers behind shield with guns still drawn walk toward pictured car, check trunk, nothing in it. After about thirty minutes I was allowed out of my driveway, police holding the tape up so I could get out of the driveway and on my way to Mom's. Officer asked how long I would be gone and when I answered I was told by the officer that if the tape was up when I got back that I would have to park on the street. When I got back from Mom's police tape was gone but suspect car's was still there.

Here is the beginning of what took place:

http://sherwood.katu.com/news/news/455994-man-shot-and-killed-outside-aloha-grocery-store

A witness followed the suspect and called 911 when they got close a street called Scholls Ferry Road, which is the dividing line between Beaverton/Tigard/Sherwood the cops took chase after him as he speed down Roy Rogers Road. The cops blocked Roy Rogers Road to keep the suspect from going to a main highway, 99-W and forcing him to turn on Borchers. The blocked Borchers at Daffodil basically forcing him to turn on Daffodil. Had he been going any faster he would have landed in my drive way as I live on the corner of Daffodil and Borchers.

Some follow-up. They think the man murdered his daughter's ex boyfriend as part of a custody dispute. The grocery store where the murder took place is about ten miles from where I live. But I have a connection there too. Remember when I used to donate my time to sell hot dogs to raise money to buy shoes and socks for grade school kids that couldn't afford their own? I sold them in front of the store where the murder took place. The store mentioned in the article donated the hot dogs and buns and the space where we sold them.

I really wasn't scared until I got to Mom's and she was so scared. I had called her to tell her I would be late and why. It really scared her and that scared me. I never thought of stray bullets, I thought I was pretty safe with that many police folks in front of my house. Mom thought of stray bullets.

And another added note Roy Rogers Road is not named after the famous cowboy. It is named after a local CPA and Washington County (my county) and commissioner.
That's it for the day. Blog back to normal tomorrow.

Holster your guns and comment away.

PS

When the story was on the news this morning there was a clear picture of my house when they showed the officers searching the suspect's car and scanned the neighborhood. Better my house then me!

6 comments:

Pat said...

Well, that was certainly an exciting morning. I think I'd also have considered stray bullets and would have cowered in the part of my house farthest from the action, if there was to be any action. Before any action started, though, I'd have been at a window trying to see what was going on.

I've tried to do that a couple of times when there was police interest in the rental house next door (not the current renters, who are quiet and I hope they stay forever). But I was never able to see anything going on and had to wait and see if anything hit the papers or if another neighbor had information later. It can be frustrating, and sometimes you never find out at all.

Lady DR said...

Geez, that kind of excitement you can do without! Thank goodness for the witness and for the one you followed the suspect and called the cops with his location and routing, so they could block him off.

I'm a bit surprised they didn't tell you go to the back part of your house or to stay away from windows or the front walls. One of the key rules for shooting is know your target and know what's behind it, whether you're shooting for practice or for real. Your mom's right about stray bullets being a potential issue. I guess one can thank goodness the killer was apparently a good shot and no one else was injured in the incident at the store.

William J. said...

Hi Pat

I took the picture of the car from my driveway. The car is parked where it was stopped. From the house I was behind most of the cops, most of my danger of stray bullets would have been from the suspect who would have been dead the minute he pulled a gun. So after some thought even though I didn't consider stray bullets I do think I was safe from him.

Next time I will hide though!

Bill

William J. said...

Hi DR

It was kind of exciting. The witness that followed the car is a hero.

See my note to Pat where my house was from the car. They did tell everyone in front of the car that came out to get back in their house and stay away from the windows.

The killer shot the victim four times in front of a packed store with a lot of foot traffic outside. The shooter walked up to him and shot him at close range then took off a got in his car and took off. That is when the witness got in the car and followed the shooter.

I was really surprised at the number of police cars then but knowing the location and how he probably got her tells my why. He went through several jurisdictions. Picking up an officer in each one.

Bill

redwhistle said...

The irony is that I know you and where the suspect was arrested, and I sold the house next door to where the suspect lived, at the end of 2011 to clients of mine. I saw the suspect out working on cars whenever I visited my clients. Isn't it odd I'd know the beginning and end of the story. Small world.

William J. said...

What is really ironic is we both know the beginning and end of the story, what are the odds?

Dick C. is the manager of the Thriftway wheere the shooting took place. He donated the hot dogs, the buns, the grill, and the space for us when we sold hot dogs to raise money for charity. From the description of the shooting the victim was shot close to the exact spot where we sold them.

Weird for you and I!

Bill