Officers may have shot Orlando club patrons

WFAA 8 ABC ^ | 14 June 2016 | Arek Sarkissian

[Lorianne]

Omar Mateen, the killer who claimed allegiance to the Islamic State, hid in a bathroom at Pulse, a gay nightclub where he had slaughtered scores of people. A wall of cinder block separated him from a team of police officers outside. For three hours early Sunday morning, crisis negotiators tried to end the siege.

Then Mateen — whom police said had acted “cool and calm” during discussions — talked about killing more people. Alarmed, police placed an explosive device against the wall and detonated it. The breach failed; the hole wasn’t large enough to allow for a successful rescue.

A cop rammed his Bearcat armored vehicle through the club wall. Hostages poured out. So did Mateen, guns blazing.

With quick efficiency, officers shot him dead.

So ended the worst armed massacre in American history: 49 victims were killed and 53 wounded.

Monday, Orlando Police Chief John Mina and other law enforcement officers offered new details about the shooting, including the possibility that some victims may have been killed by officers trying to save them.

“I will say this, that’s all part of the investigation,” Mina said. “But I will say when our SWAT officers, about eight or nine officers, opened fire, the backdrop was a concrete wall, and they were being fired upon.”

A law enforcement source close to the investigation who asked not to be named said a crowd of up to 300 people and the complex layout of the dance club may have resulted in some patrons being struck by gunfire from officers.

Mina said his decision to enter the club with such violence was tough. “It was a hard decision to make, but it was the right decision,” he said. “Our No. 1 priority is on saving lives, and it was the right decision to make.”

Local, federal and state investigators continued to process the scene Monday from a collection of law enforcement mobile command units that lined South Orange in downtown Orlando. Authorities determined Mateen, 29, walked up to the club at 2:02 a.m. armed with an AR-15 rifle and a Glock handgun.

An off-duty police officer working at the club Sunday night was investigating an underage drinker outside when he heard gunshots inside, according to the law enforcement source. The off-duty officer ran inside the club and traded gunfire with Mateen, backed up soon by three other police officers, the source said.

The officers fired at Mateen, who retreated into a bathroom toward the rear of the club.

“Those additional officers made entry while the suspect was shooting,” Mina said. “They forced him to stop shooting and retreat to the bathroom where we believe he had several hostages.”

Mateen called 911 three times from a bathroom he shared with hostages and pledged his allegiance to the Islamic State, a terrorist group also known as ISIL or ISIS.

He called dispatchers twice and hung up before they called him back, the source said.

“He was in one bathroom fortified with hostages,” Mina said. “There were people in the opposing bathroom, about 15 or 20 people. And the details are unknown, they’re part of the investigation.”

Orlando police crisis negotiators were called to the club and spoke with Mateen three times. He remained calm during the talks, but he made clear that his plan was to kill more people, Mina said.

“Based off statements made by the suspect and based on information we received by the suspect and from the hostages and the people inside,” Mina said, “we believe further loss of life was imminent. I made the decision to commence the rescue operation and do the explosive breach.”

A SWAT team failed to topple the exterior wall leading to the bathroom that held 15 to 20 people, so Mina made the call to use the Bearcat.

Officers wore combat-grade body armor and helmets as they rammed the bathroom wall, creating a small hole — about 3 feet wide and 2 feet off the ground — so the captives could escape.

“We were able to rescue dozens and dozens of people who came out of that wall,” Mina said. “The suspect came out of that hole himself with a handgun and a long gun and engaged in a gunbattle with officers where he was ultimately killed.”

Mateen wielded an AR-15 and a semiautomatic handgun he had bought from a Port St. Lucie gun shop a week ago. He fired at officers, striking one of them in his helmet before he was shot several times and died.

Dozens of bullet holes dotted the exterior concrete wall, evidence of the shootout that included dozens of rounds fired by officers.

The last exchange of gunfire Mateen had with Orlando police and Orange County sheriff’s deputies occurred at 5 a.m. and ended a three-hour standoff.

Orlando officers walked into the nightclub and found lifeless club patrons strewn about a bar and lounge area. More bodies were found in a nearby bathroom.

[AppyPappy]

“Mateen wielded an AR-15”

Says who?

[rktman]

Time to get rid of those guns then. After listening to barrage of gun fire towards the end, I don’t see how some of the innocents weren’t hit by cop bullets. Collateral damage anyone? It used to happen in time of war but the military has had it’s hands tied for a long time now to minimize CD. Cops, maybe not so much.

[Gaffer]

Well, the absolute paramount important thing is that no police officer was injured in this conflagration.

Personally, I’d like to see a detailed accounting of how many police rounds were expended in this melee, and exactly what type of bullets they were using.

[Sacajaweau]

IMHO, and don't take it wrong but I think these cops need some military training. I think this should have been stopped much sooner by playing offense instead of defense.

And wear your damn vests. That's why they're issued.

[showme_the_Glory]

Trust but verify...I agree.

[BatGuano]

No, but it was similar and easily mistaken for an AR-15.

[dfwgator]

When seconds count, cops are only hours away.

[SJSAMPLE]

What type of guns do you think the cops killed this muzzie terrorist with?

Yep.

[Road Warrior ‘04]

I was discussing this mass murder with a law enforcement buddy and he feared that some of the dead might have been from friendly fire.

[wrench]

This is the first I have seen that 4 armed LEO confronted him from the start.

Sounds like gungrabber BS made up after the fact.

[Road Warrior ‘04]

It wasn’t!

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/3440125/posts

[sagar]

Blame the cops, not the prep.

[Jack Hammer]

But, of course, police are the only ones qualified to possess firearms.

[sagar]

“When seconds count, cops are only hours away”

When they finally arrive, they will shoot your dog and and your black neighbor.

[wrench]

“But, of course, police are the only ones qualified to possess firearms.”

And body armor, and full auto, and high cap mags, and APCs, and grenade launchers, and explosives, and drones, and, and, and,.............

[wtd]

Re:

• WFAA8ABC: Officers may have shot Orlando club patrons

  This article discusses exchanges of firepower. Earlier reports state 202 shots were fired while other reports characterize Omar as a skilled marksman. There certainly appears to be questions regarding the number of shots and who fired them...considering:

  Dozens of bullet holes dotted the exterior concrete wall, evidence of the shootout that included dozens of rounds fired by officers.

  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

• FreeRepublic comment: NTHockey wrote "...49 people killed and 53 wounded = 103 people. Assuming 1 round per person (highly unlikely),..."

  Agree....things do NOT add up

• ABC: Orlando Shooter Was a Skilled Marksman Who Had Trouble in School

• Quote: "Around 12 a.m., just hours before Omar Mateen fired 202 rounds into Pulse,... "

• Quote: "Unfortunately, I was shot three times in my leg, so I fell down".

• Quote: "Miguel Leiva was shot multiple times." "Nearly two dozen victims are still hospitalized. One of them is Angel Colon, who was shot six times and was one of the last people to get out.

[China Clipper]

An off-duty police officer working at the club Sunday night was investigating an underage drinker outside when he heard gunshots inside, according to the law enforcement source. The off-duty officer ran inside the club and traded gunfire with Mateen, backed up soon by three other police officers, the source said.

The officers fired at Mateen, who retreated into a bathroom toward the rear of the club.

“Those additional officers made entry while the suspect was shooting,” Mina said. “They forced him to stop shooting and retreat to the bathroom where we believe he had several hostages.”

Why do we NEVER get this from the MSM?!?!?!?! Silly facts; I HATE it when they get in the way of a nice story......

BTW, I wonder how many lives were saved because of those "off-duty officers" who apparently had some big bad guns on their person.

Most of us will never know or be told of this......

...and THAT is a crime....

[Gaffer]

I’m not blaming the cops in favor of the perp. But that still doesn’t negate questions about what type of ammo the police used and how many rounds they fired when against a cinder block wall when there wasn’t a clear accounting of how many innocents were inside.

[null and void]

At no point in history has any government ever wanted its people to be defenseless for any good reason ~ nully's son

The biggest killer of mankind

Nut-job Conspiracy Theory Ping!

To get onto The Nut-job Conspiracy Theory Ping List you must threaten to report me to the Mods if I don't add you to the list...

“We cannot continue to rely on our military in order to achieve the national security objectives that we’ve set. We’ve got to have a civilian national security force that’s just as powerful, just as strong, just as well-funded.” Barack Hussein Obama, 7/2/2008

They don’t call it a Civil Defense force, that would imply we need (or perhaps that we deserve) defense. The official name is National Civilian Community Corps.

I think of it as the NatCCC, or more simply, as the NatCs...