FBI agents shoot dead 'arsonist' as police reveal California fires were started deliberately

[shance]

Have a question, do they have conclusive proof that this person started the fires?



FBI agents shoot dead 'arsonist' as police reveal California fires were started deliberately

UK Daily Mail
Thursday October 25, 2007

A suspected arsonist was shot dead by police as FBI agents revealed several of the fires that have forced one million people from their homes in southern California had been started deliberately.

Police said officers killed a man during a chase as he tried to escape when challenged in the city of San Bernardino.

A motorcyclist who police say set a small fire in the foothills of the San Bernardino Mountains was arrested but investigators said they did not know whether he was connected to any of the larger fires.

FBI agents confirmed that a huge fire in the town of Santiago in Orange County that destroyed 10 homes was started on purpose in two different places.


A £35,000 reward was offered for information to trace the arsonists today as a break in the weather finally allowed firefighters to make progress after virtually conceding defeat to the series of wildfires that have been fanned by fierce winds.

President Bush arrived in California after declaring the country's worst nightmare since Hurricane Katrina a "major disaster".

Insurance companies estimated that property worth more than £600 million has been destroyed in four days of fires.

More than 1,500 homes and more than 700 square miles of land have been scorched across five counties, from Ventura in the north all the way down to Mexico. The office of emergency services said 28,000 homes were still threatened.

Many residents along the coastline from Malibu to San Diego, through the inland canyons to the mountain playgrounds of Lake Arrowhead and Running Springs, returned home last night to find just burning rubble.

Thousands more waited anxiously in makeshift evacuation camps, not knowing if they had lost everything they own.

The improving weather has allowed for a greater aerial assault on the flames with helicopters and air tankers dropping tons of water.

Just one death has been directly attributed to the fires, a man who refused to leave his home, although six others died during the evacuations and about 50 people have been injured, including 20 firefighters.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/worldnews.html?in_article_id=489620&in_page_id=1811

[Mike Daniels]

1. He was shot for ramming his car into the police vehicles

"University police called in San Bernardino officers. When officers approached the suspect, he jumped in a car and fled, Patterson said. The man drove north on Waterman Avenue, then up a dirt fire road into the foothills, he said. When officers tried to stop him, he rammed their vehicles with his car, Patterson said.

"The officers fired their weapons in self-defense, and the suspect was struck and died as a result of his injuries," Patterson said."

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/breakingnews/2007/10/a-suspected-ars.html

[Kazak]

2. Why is the reward being offered in british pounds?

:shrug:

[Mike Daniels]

3. I imagine a British newspaper (which is the link in the OP) uses pounds

so their readers have an idea as to the size of the award in their currency.

[Blaze Diem]

11. Covering Blackwater's tracks.

heil bush

[RebelOne]

4. Because the article is from a British publication.

[Richard D]

8. And why . . .

. . . did they shoot a dead arsonist?

[Theres-a]

10. I heard $50,000 USD on CNN

Adjusted to Euros,it's only 35,000.

[MidwestTransplant]

12. The Treasury is bankrupt so we are relying on the Brits to pay the reward for us

:)

[Turbineguy]

5. Now all they need to do

is make sure he is not an Al-Qeada guy. After all, if he was, the Bush Administration would be blamed for another attack on the homeland.

So remember: He's not Al-Qaeda, we were not attacked, look at the watch and repeat after me: He's not Al-Qaeda, we were not attacked.

Good. Now here's a nice tall cold drink: :spray:

:tinfoilhat:

[pampango]

7. I find myself at cross purposes with issues like the one you raise.

Is Bush more likely to cover up an actual Al-Queda attack on the US to prevent being blames for not protecting the homeland, to manufacture an actual "Al-Queda" attack to generate fear and promote his agenda, or to spin an unrelated attack as an Al-Queda attack?

[The Stranger]

9. The Bushistas and Neocons would actually want to manufacture an Al-Queda guy and "another attack."

That way they can continue torturing, murdering, stealing, raping, extraordinarily rendering, and warring.

You seem to have it backwards.

[Turbineguy]

14. Well maybe

but their warring, etc. have become extremely unpopular. They now have to avoid blame, while at the same time suggesting that it really was Al-Qeada (shades of Bob Boudelang "It was not Al-Qeada, so stop saying that!").

[shadowknows69]

6. Oh, this is starting to stink already

Bush is going to use this whole tragedy somehow. Fucking spineless, evil piece of shit.

[shance]

18. Now the displaced residents are being shuffled out of the stadium for a Chargers

fucking game.

If this whole thing doesnt wreak, I don't know what does.

But as long as they are allowed to get away with it, they will continue to abuse Americans.

Katrina

September 11th

San Diego

[raccoon]

13. Just who DID shoot the arsonist?

FBI agents shoot dead 'arsonist' as police reveal California fires were started deliberately

UK Daily Mail
Thursday October 25, 2007

A suspected arsonist was shot dead by police


I can't believe such sloppy writing.

[muriel_volestrangler]

15. The Daily Mail is a tabloid; yet again, UKers have to say "the Mail is the last place to look ...

... for accurate reporting". Seriously, people, always use the internet to look for an alternative source to the Mail. It's a right wing tabloid that injects its politics into all of its reporting, and has very low accuracy standard compared with the American media (British media accuracy is probably a bit below American standards anyway, but the tabloids are awful).

If a story only appears in the Mail, or their competitors The Sun, or the Daily/Sunday Express, then you might use it. But make the source clear.

[shadowknows69]

17. I would have received a C in Newswriting I instead of an A

pumping out headers like that. Good catch.

[shance]

16. kick

n/t

[shance]

19. Kick

n/t