New Theory In Wells Bomb Blast

WJET-TV ^ | Wednesday, September 17, 2003

[MattAMiller]

Investigators into the bombing death of Brian Wells were back in Summit Township on Tuesday looking for evidence in connection with Wells’ reported claim that he was apprehended at gunpoint and then shot at before he robbed a bank wearing a bomb.

Meanwhile, the FBI is also still looking for two men who were seen at locations connected to the August 28th PNC bank robbery

Erie County Deputy Coroner Korac Timon says that Wells` wounds from that bomb were superficial, but it was the primary blast, or the energy and percussion of that bomb that actually killed him. And after reviewing video tape of the bombing death, Timon says it appears the blast energy actually traveled away from wells, more than towards him.

Sources close to the investigation confirm that what could be seen in the video of the bomb explosion is consistent with one theory about the bomb: that it was constructed in such a way as to do significant harm to anyone in front of Brian Wells.

In regards to the death of his fellow pizza deliveryman, Robert Pinetti, 43, of Lawrence Park, the coronerss office is expecting toxicology reports this week. The reports may quantify the substances that may have led to his death. But the deputy coroner has already said that Pinetti’s death was likely accidental.

[MattAMiller]

Haven't seen anything on this case here in a while. Some interesting new stuff here.

[Travis McGee]

Hindsight is 20-20, but it seems that a standard cops kevlar vest, doubled over and slid up his chest under the collar might have saved him, with no greater risk to him than he already faced. Any cop could have taken off his vest, put it on the ground, backed away and let Wells put it under the collar himself. Nothing to lose, anyway.

[SevenDaysInMay]

Don't go confusing rank and file police work with creative in the line of fire heroism. Paperwork from being out of uniform must be a hassle.

I forget the spec, but isn't it only a few PSI (~7-9) at the chest and neck usually fatal?

External sources of "soft" hydrostatic shock are very dangerous to humans' central nervous, pulmonary, and vascular systems.

Coroner Timon could test it himself.

[Travis McGee]

I don't know enough about the device or his exact cause of death, but I think it was a small explosive on his chest, not part of the collar iteself, but the details are spotty. I'd sure prefer to have a doubled-over kevlar vest between my chest/face and a small explosive device than just a cotton shirt.

[greydog]

I forget the spec, but isn't it only a few PSI (~7-9) at the chest and neck usually fatal?

To the V-shaped structure above the sternum (where trach's are performed).

That pressure should be applied as a directed force and not a general one, which could compress the structure and protect the trachea from collapse.

[SevenDaysInMay]

Also applied in a couple of milliseconds instead of a push.

[SevenDaysInMay]

Intense hydrostatic shock liquifies the vital tissues ("blood shot") rather than collapsing it.

[Lucy Lake]

Ping.

[Devil_Anse]

Thanks, grizzfan!!

[Cboldt]

bookmarking >ping<

Stange case -- no surprise that it's mostly slipped off the news.

[MattAMiller]

Like you said 20/20. It was a very difficult and very unique situation and even a quick thinker would hard pressed to come up with this solution in the amount of time they had, and no real reason at the time to think it would work.

Still I hope the Erie PD is going over this because I strongly suspect the perp will try this again.

[RightWhale]

a standard cops kevlar vest

The vest works by distributing a point source of energy over a large area, thus reducing the point force of the impact. A bomb blast would already be dispersed, so the vest would have no effect aside from stopping some of the fragments of the bomb. End result would be the same.

[John W]

I believe they had already handcuffed him.

[Travis McGee]

So you would not even try?

So why do bomb disposal guys wear a kevlar suit when they are forced to carry bombs? Why don't they do it in t-shirts?

[Travis McGee]

I only hope that the feds are conducting intensive tests on how to save the next victim of such a collar, if it's at all possible.

If kevlar with stiff thin backing plates can save some victims in some cases, it's worth every effort to find out.

Standard testing procedures done on test dummies should be able to discover quickly how to save the next victims, it at all possible.

[RightWhale]

why do bomb disposal guys wear a kevlar suit

Shrapnel portection. Also keeps the post-explosion pulp confined to a smaller space making cleanup easier.

[Travis McGee]

I've worked hands-on with demo from black powder to TNT to C-4, in amounts from ounces to hundreds of pounds.

I know that it's ignorant to make generalizations about small explosives, when you don't know exactly what type or amount is involved, or its exact placement.

An ounce of PETN against the skin, a one-pound block of TNT, a half pound of home-made black powder several inches from the victim? The effects are as different as pellet guns from .223s.

Are you telling me that you KNOW for a fact that a doubled-over kevlar vest, with a stiff backing plate, under a small explosive device would NEVER do ANY good, in ANY circumstance?

You know this for a fact? Tell me how you know this.

[RightWhale]

Only explosive I ever handled was Dupont Dynamite in an old tin mine. A thick, big quilt held down by a steel mesh does some good. If you feel more secure wearing a vest over your ruptured longs, more power to you.