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Sunday, July 10, 2016

Why the Dallas police had explosives, and how those explosives were fatal

Reports that Dallas police used an explosive-armed robot to incapacitate the man suspected of killing five officers Thursday night prompted a flurry of articles about the novelty of the technique and its repercussions. (It appears to have been the first incident of its kind, for what it's worth; and the repercussions are to be determined.) What's less clear is how exactly the process worked.

We know where the final confrontation took place. Video from the incident shows a suspect firing from outside Building A at El Centro College. Across the street is a brick building that, on its south side, includes a parking garage. It was there that the suspect was cornered.

We know, too, that the Dallas police department used a robotic device to approach the suspect. It's not clear exactly what sort of robot it was. When a man shot at Dallas police headquarters last year and was tracked to Hutchins, Tex., a robot with an articulated arm was used to search his vehicle for explosives (after a sharpshooter had shot him from some distance). You can see it at work here, though it's not clear whether this is Dallas's robot or Hutchins's.

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19 comments:

Anonymous said...

All PD need this

Anonymous said...

Sounds like a damn good use of a robot and a bomb! We need to do this with all hostage takers, and other killers, saves loads of money! Bravo to the cops for blowing up this POS!!!

Anonymous said...


what ever it takes to take care of these POS, I say go for it. Great job PD!!

Anonymous said...

The toxicology report should be interesting,since tons of drugs were at his residence.

Anonymous said...

I hope that tool is next for Sherriff Lewis!!! Adds new meaning to get on the ground!

Anonymous said...

Hopefully they can use them on some illegal Meheekanno's!

Anonymous said...

If the shooter was actually an intelligence agent then the explosive provided his cover for escape.
It is a big if . . .

Anonymous said...

It is going to make it harder for you guys who advocate civil war on here.

Joey fisher said...

A good use for a bomb ? Are you people mad? A drone/robot was used to kill an American citizen on American soil! No due process or trial! Regardless of what he did! You all cry we have a legal system and it was flushed with Killary and the emails but applaud this? You are all hypocrites and mad! No matter what he did ,he had rights! If this is allowed and unquestioned then when's it happen again? To whom? I don't care if he killed those cops! This is murder on police behalf! I understand 5 cops were killed and many wounded. I understand no body wanted any more dead. But it the polices job to do all possible to take in the suspect alive! Its why we have SWAT teams etc! Wake up America!

J Fisher

Two Things Could Be True said...

J Fischer: While I understand you don't like some of the methodology used by the police, we have to wait and figure out what 'truth' is and discern it from there. Getting all in a uproar isn't going to solve the problems. As for your comment about "A drone/robot was killed..." Well, many have died before the advent of those devices. Many have been killed after them without them. Andrew Breitbart ring a bell? While its horrifying, what do you propose we do? I'm not being factitious, I'm serious. If you have any suggestions, I'd like to hear them.

Anonymous said...

Saves us the taxpayers a hell of a lot of money....no public defender provided, no free food, electric, tv, sleeping space, no guards paid to watch him....sorry Fisher, I say its a win win in so many ways.....did he listen to officers to surrender???? NOPE he got to make his stand! His LAST!

Anonymous said...

7:00pm want suggestions? How about using and following the law that's in place? We don't have to wait for the truth! It's admitted by police! Open information given proudly by law enforcement! A drone/robot wasn't killed! An American citizen was killed who while admitting his wrong doings was sentenced to death without due process! No attempt was made to apprehend this man when he was located hiding in a parking garage! Communication was made! That's it! If the arguments of explosives couldve been planted then it's still a no! You killed the guy who knows where they may be! Again we have SWAT teams. It's their jobs to embark in life risking missions such as this with the intent of capturing a suspect alive to face justice! There is no justification to this! If the man was killed while attempting to apprehend him then so be it! I honestly think the cops should've went in and shot him! He deserved it! They deserved to be the executioner's! Then they could have justification by saying he moved! But this action opens a Pandora's box of new ways police kill American citizens and why! Sure they can claim they were in fear for their lives but they can't! He was holed up ! Area was clear! Police had cover! We're able to communicate with him! This is murder and a violation of ones rights! Plain and simple!

Anonymous said...

He had the right to surrender. How do you know that they didn't do all they could? He said he had planted bombs throughout the city and still had his weapons on him. What if he blew himself up or a car and took the swat team with him. Thanks for arm chairing what you might have done. Congrats on being a keyboard warrior, we need more great men like you typing a bunch of crap that you know nothing about. My guess is you would have been running away from the bullets not towards them. Yes it was indeed a good use of a robotic bomb on American soil.

Anonymous said...

Joey,
The next time there is a mass killing we'll call you. You can take the bad guy out.

Anonymous said...

You think we should blow up Mexicans? Will the robot check their papers first or just be calibrated to kill people with dark skin and hair.

Anonymous said...

Good Job Dallas PD!

Anonymous said...

8:07 it's not about a right to surrender! It's about police doing their jobs! Secure the area. Position snipers. Wait this guy out! He needs food and water! Like you said.... the mam claims he had bombs all over the city! So how will they know where they are? He is dead! Gonna evacuate all of downtown until every inch is cleared? Or just kill the guy and risk never knowing the truth and more peoples lives? The world knows that more could have been done! Only thing they did was find him and make contact! No attempt to apprehend this man was made due to fear of losing another cops life! No SWAT sent in. No armored vehicles! Which by the way is why we are supposed to have these things given to us from the military. This has already been confirmed! We have a legal system in place in America for a reason! It's not to be overridden out of fear from police! It is their jobs to do to all possible within these guidelines to preserve the integrity of the law!

Anonymous said...

You are one of those guys that has to have the last word, and just knows that you are 100% right, you probably live alone. So I won't bother to dispute your thoughts because you have answer for everything. I will say though that nothing and I mean nothing will be accomplished by you ranting on this blog but if it makes you feel good...whatever. As you can see nobody agreed with you...nobody. So since you know you are right and the rest of us are wrong, now what? Type more rants and then what? When a crime is committed, you risk your life, he risked his life and lost it. He could have been killed by anyone on that street and it would have been justified. It just so happened to be a robot manned by the police.

Anonymous said...

Lmao! You know nothing of me! Dont live alone at all! Only one person besides you or may even be you again responded because they know it's the truth! Wipe that chin of yours! I've risked my life for the citizens of this county many times! And if anyone killed him on the street it's still murder! Not just anyone can kill! I wish you people would actually think about our country, how it was made and why! The soldiers who've died to protect our ways! Why our legal system is laid out in the manner it is! I got news for you. When I posted my name I opened myself to all sorts of rude an ignorant comments that God knows would and couldve been said to discredit me! Especially by police! Local Leo's are on here defending themselves constantly anonymously. But not one has ,even tho I opened season on myself. Ask yourselves why. The answer is they can't deny the fact I'm 100% correct! More could have been done! They know I speak the truth! Do not get me wrong! He deserved to die! But he deserved to be sentenced by a judge! And if not, to get him there then police should've done more to make it happen. Killing anyone in this situation should be a last resort! After all efforts have been exhausted to take him alive! Justice wasn't served with this! It was ignored by feelings and fear. The damage and ramifications of this action is just as bad as Hillary walking! If not worse! Government officials have successfully gained the ability to do as they please ,to whom they please and when they please! Everyone screams comply with the law. No different for the police. No matter the situations! If the police actually sent in a team and killed him then hey... good kill officers! You attempted! You did your jobs!