Posted on 09/23/2011 1:17:57 PM PDT by Michael Barnes
LAS VEGAS -- The U.S. Air Force led a rare raid against a Las Vegas gun shop Friday afternoon. Investigators removed pieces of evidence and took several people into custody.
The initial raid lasted less than an hour.
"These guys were in full get-up, automatic weapons," said Bahama Mamas manager Joe Gold.
Armored SWAT tanks, officers carrying machine guns, K-9s, the FBI, ATF, and the U.S. Air Force made a grand entrance at the business park on Dean Martin Drive near Flamingo Road.
Heavy on action and light on information, investigators remained tight-lipped about the warrants served at the Citadel Gun and Safe store and an unoccupied building behind it.
"I was just trying to get to my car, because I thought it was going to get taken away, because you know it was in the way," Bahama Mamas worker Rai Reed.
"We were just watching what was going on. Nobody has any idea. I know the gun store, but I've never seen anything in there," Gold said.
While Citadel owner John Call and other people were taken into custody at the store, a warrant was also being issued at Call's house in northwest Las Vegas.
Neighbors and businesses speculated at what prompted this unusual raid.
"I don't know. I have no idea," Gold said.
"All we can do is assume. It's a gun shop, and this place over here - it could be drugs. It could be anything," Reed said.
Sources close to the investigation told 8 News NOW that FBI officials and SWAT teams seized guns, body armor and MREs, or ready-to-eat meals during the raid.
Call and the other people arrested in the raid were released on Saturday.
The U.S. Attorney's Office in Nevada is working with the Air Force on this investigation.
The Air Force?
Now that’s cute.
Was Bruce Willis there?
Wouldn't using the Air Force to perform civilian law enforcement duties violate the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878?
Let me guess, this is one of those shops that actually called the BATFE when they had a suspicious sale going through only to be told by that agency to let it go through?
Operation Fast and Furious.
Maybe the shop was selling stolen military MREs and other stolen "stuff"
Government owned firearms might be the object of the search.
This is what happens when a zoomie loses a weapon.
That got my attention also. The only thing I can figure is that guns may have been stolen from Nellis.
Still, the local police should have handled the raid.
Odd that the local police have to come to the rescue of the Fort Hood victims, but the Air Force aids in a police raid?
Perhaps someone was stealing from an Air Force base and fencing items at the store?
Cops were probably looking for illegal donuts.
http://www.ktnv.com/news/local/128140053.html
Month old story. Let's read the news before we react.
We can argue about the paramilitary tactics or USAF involvement off-base, but if military personnel or equipment are involved, then it is within their jurisdiction.
Try This
Sorry.
Under the "NCIS" rule, right? ;-)
Love the part of the article where it reads they were "carrying...K-9s..." --- the dog has 4 legs and has to be carried???
This link doesn’t exist.
You think the dog is heavy, try carrying the FBI, the ATF and the whole damn Air Force!
Metro lent a hand, as well as the FBI, ATF, and ICE. The recovered material would not have posed a danger to citizens, a spokesperson from the Air Force said.
Was it a government owned chair or furniture? Some Air Force logo?
If this was nothing that would pose a danger to anyone, why such a massive, dangerous armed raid?
If this was nothing that would pose a danger to anyone, why do they not state what this alleged item is?
Like I said, we can debate the paramilitary tactics.
Plus, the proper way to work it is for the UASF investigators to provide the information to the civilian law enforcement, who would swear out the search warrant(s) and conduct the raid.
I have worked similar cases. That’s how it can and should be done. The USAF can come along to ID the items we find in the execution of the warrant, but they have no arrest powers unless the person(s) being arrested are subject to UCMJ jursidiction. However, once I (civilian police) have them, the military personnel suspects do get turned over to the military jurisdiction.
This is such a poor news reporting job, we can’t know from what is presented here if the USAF did in fact follow this procedure, or if they maybe violated posse commitatus.
We can’t tell and shouldn’t make assumptions is all I am suggesting.
I'm betting it was the MREs. Easy to steal, easy to sell.
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