This ain't Hell, but you can see it from here

Author: Jonn Lilyea

  • US/UK Casualties in Syria identified

    US/UK Casualties in Syria identified

    The two coalition soldiers who were killed last week near Manbij, Syria have been identified as US Special Forces Master Sergeant Johnathan J. Dunbar and UK Special Air Services Sergeant Matt Tonroe;

    “Coalition forces, in an advise, assist and accompany capacity with our partners, were conducting a mission to kill or capture a known (Islamic State) member when they were struck by an improvised explosive device,” the U.S.-led coalition said Saturday in a statement to The Associated Press.

    Tonroe’s commanding officer, who was not named by the MoD, said the sergeant was a “deeply intelligent man and one of life’s characters”.

    “He had a steel core, served his country with pride and was a first class soldier, proven in combat, faced risk willingly and was ever ready for more,” the CO said.

    “He thus died as he lived: daring and fearless in duty. We mourn his loss dearly.”

  • Jonathan Bartlett Robertson arrested for theft of Purple Hearts

    Jonathan Bartlett Robertson arrested for theft of Purple Hearts

    49-year-old Jonathan Bartlett Robertson was arrested in Richmond, Virginia on a warrant from Oklahoma for his crime spree which netted him a quarter-million bucks in ill-gotten booty. From the Seattle Times;

    The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office says it has identified 20 victims so far from throughout central Oklahoma. The stolen items include TV’s, an ATV, four trailers, guns, collector’s items, expensive sound equipment, Purple Heart medals and a casket.

    Virginia LEOs pursued Robertson for more than an hour. Robertson was driving a stolen car during the chase.

  • Sunday morning feel good stories

    Sunday morning feel good stories

    From Columbia County, Mississippi;

    State police were called to the home of Mark Zika in a rural community in Columbia County for the report of a burglary.

    Investigators say Zika returned to his home on Blueberry Lane in Benton Township around 3 p.m. yesterday only to find a man in his basement.

    The would-be burglar then ran outside and Zika confronted him.

    That’s when police say the intruder pointed a handgun at Zika but took off after Zika fired warning shots from his own gun.

    From Memphis, Tennessee;

    The Uber Eats food-delivery man had just gotten in the driver’s seat of his 2016 Hyundai early Thursday morning when he found himself staring at the barrel of a gun, a police report said.

    The suspect approached him in the parking lot of an IHOP in Memphis, Tennessee after he had picked up a delivery, the Commercial Appeal reported. The man pointed a gun at the driver, told him to be quiet and demanded his money and car keys, police said, News Channel 3 reported.

    But the driver had a gun in the car, police said. He reached into the console, pulled out a .40-caliber gun and started shooting, the Commercial Appeal reported.

    The suspect wasn’t alone, police said. And two of his accomplices allegedly returned gunfire, News Channel 3 reported.

    Police say the suspect was wounded in the shooting. He was taken to a hospital in critical condition, CBS 47 reported.

    Officers found bullets in the Uber Eats driver’s car, News Channel 3 reported. The driver’s wife, who was in the passenger seat, told police she ducked down when the shooting started, the Commercial Appeal reported.

    The other two suspects fled the scene, police said. But one of the men showed up to the hospital later and was taken into custody. He hasn’t been charged, the newspaper said.

  • Magpul airlifts 30-round magazines to Vermont ahead of ban

    Magpul airlifts 30-round magazines to Vermont ahead of ban

    Recoil reports that they are involved with Magpul’s airlift of 1200 free 30-round magazines to Vermont after the legislature voted to ban the sales of the devices. The bill awaits the governor’s signature;

    In anticipation of a legislative ban on standard capacity rifle magazines, the editors of RECOIL magazine are working with MAGPUL Industries to facilitate the delivery and distribution of 30-round PMAG rifle magazines free of charge to the citizens of Vermont in an overnight operation dubbed the “Green Mountain Airlift.”

    In order to support the law-abiding gun-owners of Vermont and blunt the assault on their Second Amendment rights, RECOIL’s Rob Curtis will give away 1,200 30-round PMAGs on Saturday afternoon in front of the Vermont Statehouse in Montpelier starting at 2pm.

    From VT Digger;

    That law, which bans long gun magazines over 10 rounds and pistol magazines over 15, was passed by both the House and the Senate this week.

    Rep. Martin LaLonde, D-South Burlington, who proposed the amendment that includes the magazine limit, said during debate on the House floor the provision “could mean the difference between life and death.”

    “Let’s say a shooter has to use 10-round magazines instead of magazines that hold 30, 50, or 100 rounds,” LaLonde said. “In that case, for every 100 rounds fired, that 10-round limit would afford six to nine more chances for bystanders or law enforcement to intervene during a pause in firing.”

    That would also mean more chance for something to go wrong during a magazine change, and more chances for potential victims to find safety during a pause in the fire, he said.

    They should make 50- and 100- round magazines mandatory if they’re serious about gun safety. Those size magazines jam more than they operate properly.

    Vermont’s law exempts magazines that have already been purchased from the ban, but would outlaw any purchase, transfer or possession of new magazines once the law comes into force.

    The Vermont Office of the Attorney General said that because of that “grandfather” clause, the law would be “largely unenforceable,” as magazines generally do not have serial numbers or manufacturing dates imprinted on them.

    So, actually, the law is largely symbolic, like everything legislatures do these days.

  • You can pry the coffee cup from my cold, dead hands

    You can pry the coffee cup from my cold, dead hands

    The Associated Press reports that Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Elihu Berle has determined that coffee contains the carcinogen acrylamide and so coffee packaging must have a warning to consumers.

    In 2016, the cancer agency of the World Health Organization moved coffee off its “possible carcinogen” list.

    Studies indicate coffee is unlikely to cause breast, prostate or pancreatic cancer, and it seems to lower the risks for liver and uterine cancers, the agency said. Evidence is inadequate to determine its effect on dozens of other cancer types.

    Coffee companies have said it’s not feasible to remove acrylamide from their product without ruining the flavor.

    This how the legal war against tobacco began, a warning on the packaging. So begins the war against Big Coffee. This lawsuit was mainly aimed at Starbucks, because the lawyers want access to deep pockets and Starbucks probably has the deepest pockets – well, not as deep as Juan Valdez’ burro’s pockets, but deep.

  • Toby Haynes; phony Green Beret

    Toby Haynes; phony Green Beret

    Our partners at Guardians of the Green Beret share their work on this fellow, Toby Haynes, who thinks he’s a special forces soldier. I guess these pictures were taken at his wedding;

    He’s wearing the 12th SF group flash on his beret – the 12th Group was deactivated in 1995.

    He also claims special forces training in his LinkedIn profile;

    Apparently, the only killing he has done was when he drove intoxicated and had an accident;

    According to his records, he did deploy to Afghanistan with the 10th Mountain Division;

    GOTGB compare his records to his uniform;

     

    CIB ?True

    MFF Wings False, Not even Airborne

    Special Forces Long Tab False, never even attempted the SFQC

    Airborne Tab and USASOC Patch False, never Airborne or in that unit.

    Corporal False, He ETS’d a PV-1

    Row 1:

    Distinguished Service Medal False

    Row 2:

    BSM x 2 False

    Purple Heart False

    Row 3:

    Joint Service Commendation Medal x 2 False

    Army Commendation Medal with V Device True

    Row 4:

    Army Achievement Medal True

    Navy Combat Action Ribbon False

    Combat Readiness Medal False

    Row 5:

    Good Conduct Medal False

    Berlin Airlift Medal w/o device, issued from 1948-49 False (LOL)

    National Defense Service Medal True

    Row 6:

    Afghanistan Campaign Ribbon True

    Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal False

    Global War on Terrorism Service Medal True

    Row 7:

    Air Force Military Training Instructor Ribbon False

    Army Service Ribbon True

    Army Distinguished Civilian Service Award Ribbon False

    Row 8:

    Overseas Ribbon True

    Air Force Small Arms MarksmanshipRibbon False

    United Nations Ribbon False

    Row 9

    NATO Medal True

    NATO Training Mission Iraq Medal False

    Multinational Force Observer Medal (V device) False

    Basic Parachute False, never attended much less graduated Airborne school

    Air Assault False, never attended much less graduated Air Assault school

    Expert in Everything False
    SCUBA False, never attended much less graduated Combat Diver Qualification Course

  • Saturday morning feel good stories

    Saturday morning feel good stories

    Tim sends a link from Phoenix, Arizona;

    A Phoenix Police Department spokesperson said a family arrived home at 13th Avenue and Union Hills Drive to find an armed burglar.

    One of the residents and the burglar fired shots at each other, and the suspect took off. No injuries were reported as a result of the gunfire.

    Officers are searching for the suspect and say he has yet to be apprehended.

    Eggs sends a link from Tucson, Arizona;

    The suspect, 21-year-old Treshun Devonte Bates, tried to buy tobacco products but was turned away for lack of identification, according to police.

    A few moments later Bates returned with another person. That person tried to buy the same cigarettes Bates was trying to buy. The clerk told the other person he was not able to sell the cigarettes because it was against the law since he was not able to prove Bates was over 18.

    The police report says Bates became “extremely irate” and lifted his jacket to expose the waist of his pants, showing a pistol. He then told the clerk “I can get whatever I want.”

    The cashier tried to remove Bates from the store, at which time Bates struck the cashier with the firearm in the forehead. The police report then says Bates pointed the pistol at the cashier. The cashier grabbed Bates to stop him from pointing the gun at him. The cashier picked up Bates and threw him through the window of the store. The cashier went back into the store and tried to detain Bates until police arrived.

    Bates then told the cashier the police were there, so the cashier let go thinking he would run into officers. Police were not on the scene yet and Bates took off running from the scene.

    Witnesses saw Bates walk to an apartment complex in the 1600 block of Iola. Responding officers found blood at an apartment there. At that point, additional officers were requested to the scene and were able to take Bates into custody without incident.

    From Hesperia, California;

    Michael Goode, 36, of Hesperia was airlifted to Arrowhead Regional Medical Center after he was shot by an armed homeowner protecting himself inside his home.

    It happened at 10:32 pm, in the 9000 block of Ponderosa Avenue on March 29, 2018, Hesperia sheriff’s deputies responded to a residence reference a burglary in progress.

    When deputies arrived they found the Goode down and suffering from a gunshot wound to his ‘upper body’, sheriff’s officials said.

    “Through interviews and evidence at the scene, Detectives determined Goode went to the location and attempted to gain entry as the resident slept. The adult male resident heard the disturbance and engaged in a verbal confrontation with Goode at the door. Goode continued to attempt entry to the house at which time the resident armed himself. Seconds later, Goode successfully forced entry and fearing for his safety, the victim fired one round from his firearm, striking the suspect,” sheriff’s officials stated in a news release.

    Following the shooting, Goode attempted to flee on foot, however, due to his injuries he collapsed in the front yard at about the time deputies were arriving on scene.

    From Memphis, Tennessee;

    A robbery suspect is in critical condition, another in police custody, and a third suspect is on the run after a robbery and shooting at an IHOP restaurant.

    Shots were fired about 12:41 a.m. Wednesday in the 1200 block of East Shelby Drive in Whitehaven.

    Police say three men tried to rob a man as he walked to his car. That man fired shots at the three suspects, injuring one of them. That suspect was taken to the hospital in critical condition. A second suspect was taken into custody. The third is on the run.

    From Allentown, Pennsylvania;

    A state police trooper working his first week at the Fogelsville barracks was dispatched Wednesday evening to the Walmart in Lower Macungie Township on a shoplifting call and spotted a suspect right away — a man wearing a type of mask seen in horror movies while pushing a full shopping cart.

    After seeing the trooper, the masked man ditched the cart and ran out the side entrance of the store, passing bewildered customers and employees as he headed to the parking lot.

    Moments later, the man pulled a gun and fired “one shot” at the trooper from 15 yards away, state police Capt. Richard D’Ambrosio said. The trooper fired back nine times, he said, hitting the man multiple times — he died with a .40-caliber Glock on his lap.

  • Weekend open thread

    Weekend open thread

    March 30, 2018

    On the Run

    Horses run through the snow in Hokkaido, Japan. While perhaps not typically associated with Japan, horses have lived in the country for almost 2,000 years. In fact, there are eight purebred Japanese breeds.