Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Starver]

On the subject of the LAPD being given control of Predator drones...  I suspect (from the need to have experieinced operators, if nothing else) what will happen/has happened is that someone's arranged for a single portacabin's-worth of the usual Air Force/whoever personnel to be re-tasked to this domestic problem.  Just like they've been known to have re-tasked spy satellites (or at least made use of their orbital time over the United States) to deal with Homeland Security issues.

SFAICS, no LAPD officer will have gotten his or her sticky-mits on the joystick/gamepad being used.  Except maybe the liaison being given a little five-minute treat, if they let them anywhere near the drones' base of operations.  (Probably the LAPD liaison will have meetings with the Air Force liaison at a more 'public' Air Force or government establishment, and go nowhere near the anonymous portacabins in the middle of the Nevada Desert/wherever.)

[misko27]

I agree it will likely be limited, if at all. In fact, I'm sure that there is a bureaucrat watching their ass every moment, given the current scrutiny on drones.

[fqllve]

At least one source is saying that no drones are being used by the CBP, which would be the most likely agency to be using them, at least according to descriptions by the other sources.

It is possible, however, that the LAPD has their own UAVs, as there has been a large buy up of them by police departments recently and the LAPD is rather notorious for its extensive use of helicopters, although those obviously would not be armed with ASMs. It is also possible that they are using UAVs designed for fire detection, as you can be assured the Forestry Service in CA has them and those would be equipped with the thermal imaging cameras suggested in the Express's quote.

I'm starting to suspect they aren't even being used though, as one quote from an unnamed official that is rather ambiguous as to if they are actually being used isn't exactly compelling evidence.

[Nilik]

Just to confirm, police drones do not have missiles on. That would be just silly. They're searching the mountains he was last seen on using a thermal-vision camera mounted on a drone, which is a considerably better way of searching miles upon miles of mountainous terrain on foot.

[Onlyhestands]

http://blogs.laweekly.com/informer/2013/02/joe_jones_manifesto_christopher_dorner_lapd_african_american_black_cop_racism.php

Just started reading this. Maybe this is just wishful thinking, but maybe if more people who are/were with the LAPD come forward it could herald a change.

[LordSlowpoke]

It's happening.

[Strife26]

Interesting. We'll see how it turns out.


Anyone find any sources as to what kind of drones were supposedly getting use? I mean, a Predy's a pretty big deal, but modern UAV's can get to pretty simple things, much closer to a remote control airplane with some sights and a transmitter, as compared to a small hellfire spitting aircraft.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AeroVironment_RQ-11_Raven

And, on a personal note, I'd much rather look for a guy like Dorner from the air, rather than poke around for him on foot until me or a buddy finds him by taking a round.

[tryrar]

Crap, there's some indication he's holed up in a cabin with hostages(gotten this CNN)

[Strife26]

Yeah, LA Times seems to be reporting that. Haven't seen it confirmed anywhere yet.


Looks like he's holed up in a cabin in the mountains. Everything else still seems to be up in the air.

[LordSlowpoke]

Well, CNN started to bash Dorner instead of saying anything useful. Like so:

All that grandiose talk and now he's hiding like an animal, all he could do was hide and that even not very well

No information going in or out, and I've heard "he's pinned down" while they don't even know his exact location, but someone barricaded himself inside of a hut and there were gunshots involved. Such cases.

[GlyphGryph]

Building is on fire.

[MetalSlimeHunt]

Dorner has killed one cop, and the other is currently in critical condition.

Hopefully the building burning doesn't create a forest fire.

EDIT: Injured cop is expected to survive.

Dorner may have escaped the area.

The police ordered CNN not to zoom in on the cabin, for some reason.

They're apparently not 100% certain this is Dorner at all.

[Nilik]

Dorner has killed one cop, and the other is currently in critical condition.

Hopefully the building burning doesn't create a forest fire.

EDIT: Injured cop is expected to survive.

Dorner may have escaped the area.

The police ordered CNN not to zoom in on the cabin, for some reason.

They're apparently not 100% certain this is Dorner at all.

So they might have just burned an innocent man to death. Fucking hell.

[Onlyhestands]

There was a rumor earlier that he had hostages in the cabin. Hopefully not, because then innocent people would have died in the fire.
Some other rumor that he made a break for it over an hour ago, and judging from LAPDs awful handling of the entire situation I wouldn't be terribly surprised.
Nobody knows really

[MetalSlimeHunt]

So they might have just burned an innocent man to death. Fucking hell.

Well, not really innocent. Whomever is in the cabin shot two cops and killed one, that much is certain.

There was a rumor earlier that he had hostages in the cabin. Hopefully not, because then innocent people would have died in the fire.

They're saying now that there's nobody but the one guy, but having not been inside they're probably just saying that.

EDIT: Owner of the cabin confirms it has a propane system. No wonder it's burning like this.