MOVE
I remember watching this on TV as it happened - all I can say is, WTF was this moron thinking???? Only in Philly.
story
link to pics
Police Drop Bomb on Radicals' Home in Philadelphia
WILLIAM K. STEVENS /
New York Times 14may85
50 to 60 Other Houses in Area Burn
2 People Known to Have Survived Siege
PHILADELPHIA, May 13-A state police helicopter this evening dropped a bomb on a house occupied by an armed group after a 24-hour siege involving gun battles. A 90 -minute shootout this morning came after a week of growing tension between the city and the group, known as Move. Residents in the western Philadelphia neighborhood had complained about the group for years. The only known survivors from within the house were a woman and a child. The fire spread to 50 to 60 other houses in the neighborhood, said the Fire Commissioner, William Richmond. He declared the fire under control about 11:40 P.M.
Aimed to Hit Bunker
The Police Commissioner, Gregore Sambor, said tonight that it was was his decision to drop the charge, a square package of explosives designed to destroy a bunker atop the house and drop it through to the second floor. He said the charge succeeded in eliminating the threat from the roof, but touched off the fire. Steve Harmon. a resident of the area, said: "Drop n bomb on it residential area? I never in my life heard of that. It's like Vietnam."
The Move group, which says it disdains modern technology and materialism and the establishment, was involved in a confrontation with the police in August 1978. One police officer was killed in that shootout. Nine members of the group were convicted on murder charges and are in prison. The group. has been demanding their re-lease. The Police Commissioner said that the authorities did not know whether then: were any bodies in the house.
One Officer Injured
Commissioner Sambor said that one police officer whom tie did not identify was bruised in the back by gunfire. "And the only thing that saved him was his body armor," the Commissioner said.
The police said earlier that at least three officers had suffered slight injuries, including smoke inhalation, exhaustion and hyperventilation.
No other casualties were reported, but the whereabouts of some occupants of the house were unknown.
Mayor W. Wilson Goode said this evening that a 9-year-old left the building with a woman, identified as Ramona Africa, shortly after the fire began. The child, who was taken to a hospital, told the police there were four or five adults and four or five children to the house when the bomb was dropped, the Mayor said at a City Hall news conference. The child was not identified, but the police said the woman was in custody.
Leo Brooks, the City Managing Director, said tonight at the scene that one of the first things the authorities wanted to do Tuesday was to search the charred area.
A Fire Department officer, who requested anonymity, said the authorities did not know where the other children were.
Mayor 'Saddened' by Fire
The Mayor said that three armed adults had been in an alley behind the house, where they were firing at the police. He said there were no known deaths and that he was heartened by that, but he was "saddened" by reports that many homes had been destroyed by the blaze spreading from the house that was bombed.
A Fire Department officer at the scene this evening had said houses burned on both sides of the street in the 6200 block of Osage Avenue, where the Move headquarters was situated, and houses in the block behind it on Pine Street.
The Mayor, when asked why the bomb was dropped, said, "It was an attempt to remove the bunker," the structure on the roof of the house.
He repeatedly tools responsibility for the outcome, although he said he had given his department heads complete freedom to decide on the tactics they thought best. "As Mayor of this city I accept full and total responsibility," Mr. Goode said. "There was no way to avoid it. No way to extract ourselves from that situation except by armed confrontation."
Arrived With Warrants
Mr. Brooks, the City Managing Director, said tonight that the police arrived at the house this morning with arrest warrants for four individuals and asked them to come out of the house. He said the police had promised them there would be no firing.
Commissioner Sambor, according to Mr. Brooks, gave them 15 minutes to come out. They refused, Mr. Brooks said, and responded with "vitriolic talk" over a loudspeaker and then started firing.
"We took a significant number of rounds in our positions," said Mr. Brooks.
In the siege this morning, Commissioner Sambor said, the police started returning the fire, with frequent lulls. tie said the Move people refused all overtures of family, friends and clergy to mediate and to attempt to talk them into coming out.
"At no time did the police fire in an offensive posture," he said.
He said the bunker (in the roof had wooden beams and steel plates, and that it would not budget despite the authorities' use of water cannon. Commissioner Sambor said the tomb was dropped to flush out people who were firing at the police. "If you were in a firefight and the opposition held the higher ground," he said, "what would you do?"
(you can read the rest of the story through the link if you want)
story
link to pics
Police Drop Bomb on Radicals' Home in Philadelphia
WILLIAM K. STEVENS /
New York Times 14may85
50 to 60 Other Houses in Area Burn
2 People Known to Have Survived Siege
PHILADELPHIA, May 13-A state police helicopter this evening dropped a bomb on a house occupied by an armed group after a 24-hour siege involving gun battles. A 90 -minute shootout this morning came after a week of growing tension between the city and the group, known as Move. Residents in the western Philadelphia neighborhood had complained about the group for years. The only known survivors from within the house were a woman and a child. The fire spread to 50 to 60 other houses in the neighborhood, said the Fire Commissioner, William Richmond. He declared the fire under control about 11:40 P.M.
Aimed to Hit Bunker
The Police Commissioner, Gregore Sambor, said tonight that it was was his decision to drop the charge, a square package of explosives designed to destroy a bunker atop the house and drop it through to the second floor. He said the charge succeeded in eliminating the threat from the roof, but touched off the fire. Steve Harmon. a resident of the area, said: "Drop n bomb on it residential area? I never in my life heard of that. It's like Vietnam."
The Move group, which says it disdains modern technology and materialism and the establishment, was involved in a confrontation with the police in August 1978. One police officer was killed in that shootout. Nine members of the group were convicted on murder charges and are in prison. The group. has been demanding their re-lease. The Police Commissioner said that the authorities did not know whether then: were any bodies in the house.
One Officer Injured
Commissioner Sambor said that one police officer whom tie did not identify was bruised in the back by gunfire. "And the only thing that saved him was his body armor," the Commissioner said.
The police said earlier that at least three officers had suffered slight injuries, including smoke inhalation, exhaustion and hyperventilation.
No other casualties were reported, but the whereabouts of some occupants of the house were unknown.
Mayor W. Wilson Goode said this evening that a 9-year-old left the building with a woman, identified as Ramona Africa, shortly after the fire began. The child, who was taken to a hospital, told the police there were four or five adults and four or five children to the house when the bomb was dropped, the Mayor said at a City Hall news conference. The child was not identified, but the police said the woman was in custody.
Leo Brooks, the City Managing Director, said tonight at the scene that one of the first things the authorities wanted to do Tuesday was to search the charred area.
A Fire Department officer, who requested anonymity, said the authorities did not know where the other children were.
Mayor 'Saddened' by Fire
The Mayor said that three armed adults had been in an alley behind the house, where they were firing at the police. He said there were no known deaths and that he was heartened by that, but he was "saddened" by reports that many homes had been destroyed by the blaze spreading from the house that was bombed.
A Fire Department officer at the scene this evening had said houses burned on both sides of the street in the 6200 block of Osage Avenue, where the Move headquarters was situated, and houses in the block behind it on Pine Street.
The Mayor, when asked why the bomb was dropped, said, "It was an attempt to remove the bunker," the structure on the roof of the house.
He repeatedly tools responsibility for the outcome, although he said he had given his department heads complete freedom to decide on the tactics they thought best. "As Mayor of this city I accept full and total responsibility," Mr. Goode said. "There was no way to avoid it. No way to extract ourselves from that situation except by armed confrontation."
Arrived With Warrants
Mr. Brooks, the City Managing Director, said tonight that the police arrived at the house this morning with arrest warrants for four individuals and asked them to come out of the house. He said the police had promised them there would be no firing.
Commissioner Sambor, according to Mr. Brooks, gave them 15 minutes to come out. They refused, Mr. Brooks said, and responded with "vitriolic talk" over a loudspeaker and then started firing.
"We took a significant number of rounds in our positions," said Mr. Brooks.
In the siege this morning, Commissioner Sambor said, the police started returning the fire, with frequent lulls. tie said the Move people refused all overtures of family, friends and clergy to mediate and to attempt to talk them into coming out.
"At no time did the police fire in an offensive posture," he said.
He said the bunker (in the roof had wooden beams and steel plates, and that it would not budget despite the authorities' use of water cannon. Commissioner Sambor said the tomb was dropped to flush out people who were firing at the police. "If you were in a firefight and the opposition held the higher ground," he said, "what would you do?"
(you can read the rest of the story through the link if you want)
posted by Miss_Vicki at 8:25 PM
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