USAF F-15's Stop LA Riot!

Air Force Times | 5-31-02 | 2nd Lt. Tony Wickman

[gorio]

by 2nd Lt. Tony Wickman

Air Force Flight Test Center Public Affairs

05/31/02

 - EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. (AFPN) -- Two Edwards F-15 Eagle pilots unknowingly helped the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department break up a gang-related incident May 18 while performing a flyby at the 43rd Annual Torrance Armed Forces Day parade.

According to Sgt. Brian Stover of the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department, the parade, which was to include the F-15 fly-by, was in progress when an individual began shooting in a park near the parade route. The department dispatched deputies to investigate, and once officials were on the scene, the situation deteriorated rapidly into a violent state, said Stover. 

"When the deputies arrived, they questioned some locals and were pointed to a couple of suspects," said Stover. "The deputies took the individuals into custody, and then the family and friends of the victim came out to get some vigilante justice." 

According to the sergeant, the park erupted, and people started attacking the deputies and the suspects. The deputies called for assistance, and more than 40 law enforcement people armed with rubber bullets, bean bag shotguns and pepper spray arrived from several local stations to help clear the park and restore order. 

About that time, Lt. Col. Bill Thornton, commander of the 416th Flight Test Squadron here, and Maj. Carl Schaefer, also of the 416th, approached the area in preparation for their flyover. 

"The first pass over the park made everyone stop and look at the F-15s," said Stover. "When they turned and made a second pass, it caused everyone to scatter and empty out of the park, much like when you turn on a light and roaches scatter." 

Stover said because of the flyby the deputies avoided having to deploy a skirmish line, and said the Edwards crew helped deputies deploy without force or further injuries. 

Thornton later said that he and Schaefer did notice the police cars in the park, but were unaware of the events taking place on the ground. 

"We have a saying in the Air Force that 'timing is everything,'" Thornton said. "We are thrilled that our flights, although inadvertent, were able to help the police restore order and prevent further violence." 

 

RELATED LINKS

F-15 Eagle

[gorio]

Do you think we could sell F-15's to the LAPD?

Gorio

[UnBlinkingEye]

From this the lesson learned is employ the military for domestic issues.

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

This has been posted a couple of times, but it doesn't show up in a search.

[Cultural Jihad]

Any valid links to the actual article you'd care to share?

[Semper911]

"When they turned and made a second pass, it caused everyone to scatter and empty out of the park, much like when you turn on a light and roaches scatter."

That is a perfect visual... LOL!

[Dialup Llama]

They probably thought they were in Afghanistan. Perhaps in that neighborhood, it is!

[ctonious]

We could have used them in '92 to shoot down some "news" choppers (read riot spreaders). As well as to lob a couple of fuel-air exposives at Compton and South-Central. They would have been a helluva lot more effective than the National Guardsmen they sent in to the scene, sans bullets. They ended up having to take refuge in a sports stadium, like a bad premonition of what was to happen in Somalia barely a year later.

[gorio]

Sure, here's the link. It's on the Air Force's Home Page, click here



Gorio

[My Favorite Headache]

Great story

[aomagrat]

Reminds me of the riot scene in the movie "Fritz the Cat".

[Johnny Crab]

Maybe the "almost rioters" done heard too much about them nasty black helicopters and now are skeered of being hit by F-15's new smart projectile that heat-seeks a rioter's body heat(and exhaust if they're skeered 'Nuff!)....

[ATOMIC_PUNK]

"When they turned and made a second pass, it caused everyone to scatter and empty out of the park, much like when you turn on a light and roaches scatter."

Kinda reminds ya of BURKLY and the 60's helocopters over the campus

[miamimark]

"We have a saying in the Air Force that 'timing is everything,'" Thornton said. "We are thrilled that our flights, although inadvertent, were able to help the police restore order and prevent further violence."

I wonder if this will become SOP when the shat hits the fin.

[monkeyshine]

ROFL. Morons.

[monkeyshine]

bump

[hole_n_one]

This has been posted a couple of times, but it doesn't show up in a search.

Perhaps if the poster had left the original title of the article intact, a search would have been more productive.

F-15s inadvertently 'save the day'

[socal_parrot]

The Air Force should keep them handy to quash the upcoming Laker's victory riot.

[doug from upland]

"The first pass over the park made everyone stop and look at the F-15s," said Stover. "When they turned and made a second pass, it caused everyone to scatter and empty out of the park, much like when you turn on a light and roaches scatter."

=====================================

Just wait. Someone cockroach who was there will read this (or have someone who can read do it for them) and file a lawsuit because they were referred to as "roaches."

If nothing else, it will cause a public reaction by Maxine Waters. May I please not be called racist if I guess that because it was "gang-related," the gang was probably either black or Hispanic. As an experiment, I am going to call Mad Maxine's office and complain that "her people" were called "roaches" by the LA County Sheriffs. Just watch for her to get in front of a camera.

[RonDog]

LOL! A good story, worth re-RE-posting!
(I missed it the first two times.)

F-15s inadvertently 'save the day'
Posted by mr1776
On Jun 3 8:33 PM with 30 comments
US Air Force ^ | 05/31/02 | 2nd Lt. Tony Wickman

F-15s inadvertently 'save the day'
Posted by Excuse_My_Bellicosity
On Jun 2 1:19 AM with 30 comments
Air Force Link ^ | 05/31/02 | 2nd Lt. Tony Wickman

And, from the original article's "Related Link: F-15 Eagle"

USAF Fact Sheet

F-15 Eagle

Mission

"The F-15 Eagle is an all-weather, extremely maneuverable, tactical fighter
designed to permit the Air Force to gain and maintain air superiority in aerial combat..."

(It is also apparently fairly effective in URBAN combat.)

[lavaroise]

I can't believe how they start riots like that. Who the heck they think they are? Somekind of sinless bunch? Crowds always get really stupid that way and these bunches need to be shot. It's a felonious confinement after all.