03.14.13
Pasadena in grip of joint paramilitary task force
This afternoon, your host, along with thousands of others ran right into it. The Pasadena police, sheriffs, the FBI anti-gang unit, associated SWAT teams, and the Pasadena air force — a chopper, were used to block off and patrol a large part of the center of the city on both sides of the 210 highway, from Wilson to Hill Streets, west and east, north to Orange Grove and over the freeway to the south side service road.
Which may not have encompassed all of it.
At “rush hour,” which goes from just before three to past dark, the traffic blockade and police perimeter paralyzed traffic in town.
The operation, which apparently started as an anti-gang sweep, escalated when a car with two suspects collided with a police vehicle.
The suspects fled on foot, engaging in a gun battle.
No one was hit but they remain at large, according to this story.
“The Pasadena Police Department BearCat armored vehicle was deployed as were K-9 units from both the Pasadena and Alhambra police department. Officers from Pasadena walked the area searching for the gunman with assault rifles,” reads the piece.
BearCats went into service in urban police forces during the war on terror. Department of Homeland Security grants are often used to pay for them.
Right now I’m having a Rolling Rock. Rolling Rock was a Pennsy beer when I came of age. These days it’s just one of the anonymous lager swills owned by Anheuser-Busch InBev. Nice green cans and bottles, though. Clearly, I have low standards.
Bonze Anne Rose Blayk said,
March 14, 2013 at 6:15 pm
“33”
Sincerely,
– bonzie anne
George Smith said,
March 14, 2013 at 7:58 pm
Yeah, it’s still on the cans along with the original inscription.
The other curious matter is the the large force in Pasadena. It must have to do with a gang war and anti-gang operations which have been escalating since Xmas, one which hasn’t drawn much attention.
George Smith said,
March 15, 2013 at 12:52 pm
More on what transpired. It went from early afternoon to 8:30.
http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/news/ci_22798626/pasadena-deputy-involved-shooting-stemmed-from-home-invasion
The police were following suspects in a home invasion robbery when gang members appear to have retaliated, ramming an unmarked police car, one which contained the suspects who triggered a gun battle. In 20 years here I’ve never heard of someone attacking a police car although I suppose it may have happened.
Anti-gang operations appear to have escalated since Xmas when a shooting of a man by stray gunfire happened on the 25th. Later in the day the police installed a checkpoint in a gang neighborhood, a car fled the scene, was chased by a large contingent, at which point it collided at high speed with another car containing tourists coming back from the shopping/restaurant district, Old Town. Tourists were killed by the impact although three young people, fleeing the police checkpoint, were not. They were arrested, associated with Pasadena gang life and jailed with very large bails.