JavaScript is disabled
Our website requires JavaScript to function properly. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser settings before proceeding.
So I read the article and not a whole lot of real information there.
There was however a lot of questionable "talking points" by the police spokesman.

While I have never been in law enforcement...
I have served as a Infantryman , in LRSD / LRRP units and as a sniper.
In any of the above you are never supposed to be more than arms distant from your rifle / weapon.
This 'rule" would have been helpful here in the OP.

I also have to question the idea of a sniper being in plain view with a good clear silhouette of himself , on a roof top.
Again...I have never been a police sniper...so maybe they work differently then how we did it in the Army.
Andy
 
Last Edited:

Then on to the bear pit where the inevitable happens.

Interesting. Best analog to this I can think of would be camera with heavy lens on top of a tripod. I've come close to having a tripod fall over with camera on it but have caught it before it fell. A couple things I see:

Rubber foot of one leg of tripod is on very edge of roof (not behind edge like other two). Slightest slip would send that leg over the edge and everything else would follow.

Hanging bag can act as a pendulum. Tripod can be balanced at time he leaves it but bag shifts center of gravity as it swings (for example from the slightest wind) and that can be plenty to send it over. Nothing wrong with hanging the bag as it adds stability but it can act as a pendulum I've had this happen.

Ball mount vs gimbal. I don't know why someone would use a ball mount over a gimbal. Makes no sense to me. You have 12-15 lbs or whatever balanced on one tiny point maybe 3/4" wide. Gimbal is way more stable and allows you to move the gun while stabilized on a mobile target much better than a ball mount. Also if the wind pushes on the gun the gun will move rather than the whole thing falling over.

Example of .22 on a gimbal mount:


Contrast gimbal to a ball mount such as the officer was using. All that weight is balanced on one little 1/2" (or whatever) post.

0B16BB5E-03B1-4DA9-955D-F136BC615A7E.jpeg
 
Last Edited:
So I read the article and not a whole lot of real information there.
There was however a lot of questionable "talking points" by the police spokesman.

While I have never been in law enforcement...
I have served as a Infantryman , in LRSD / LRRP units and as a sniper.
In any of the above you are never supposed to be more than arms distant from your rifle / weapon.
This 'rule" would have been helpful here in the OP.

I also have to question the idea of a sniper being in plain view with a good clear silhouette of himself , on a roof top.
Again...I have never been a police sniper...so maybe they work differently then how we did it in the Army.
Andy
Totally agree with the arms length thing. I can only speak from experience of cameras and not guns though. Having had expensive camera almost falling over but catching the tripod in time makes one forever wary that it can happen when you least expect it and even when you think everything is stable. I always stood close by and could see it out of the corner of my eye after that.

Reminds me of one time I was at an event and guy had monopod (ie a pole) with little tiny feet at the bottom. He left the camera standing there like that in a crowd of people. Holy moly a $5500 camera and $2200 lens about 5 feet off the ground and the slightest bump from a person backing up or a kid running around and it would have fell. He got lucky that day.
 
I just looked up the winds on that day. All morning they had 20 mph winds. Leaving the tripod for even a few seconds Imo is irresponsible in those conditions. I've had tripods threaten to blow over in 5 mph winds. 20 mph it would be nuts to leave it even for a second.

Wind speed on morning of the 21st:
947EE829-A67C-47A8-A83A-5BA04821BDFC.jpeg
 
Last Edited:
I'll chime in here with some comments based on my observations of the workings of city government.

Let me begin by saying that the officer was obviously negligent for wandering away from his weapon, among other actions.

My opinion on why the "sniper" was up on the roof is based on politics. There was a recent shooting in Buffalo with multiple fatalities. Whenever something like that happens, the politicians feel that they have to take highly visible actions to "prevent" future tragedy. With a big parade coming up, the mayor/city council probably told the Police Chief to make a "show of force" at the parade to discourage violence.

Hence the "sniper" out in the open, highly visible on the roof. Some SWAT member was told to go up there and let the public know that anyone trying to harm them would be shot by a "highly-trained marksman." Probably at a location chosen for its visibility, rather than suitability as a tactical position. Hence the tripod foot located on the edge. Presumably, the tripod had to be on the edge to get the desired field of fire from the unsuitable position.

I further speculate that the officer may have had SWAT training, including marksmanship and tactical, but no specific training for establishing and operating from a rooftop position with potential threats coming from unknown directions.

I could go on, but the point is that the officer made some mistakes, but also was put in a position he wasn't trained for, with equipment that wasn't intended for that job, and ordered to do it based on politics, rather than a well-prepared plan for defending against a known threat.

Lots of blame beyond the officer himself.
 
"Training"

If his care/awareness of the weapon system is any indication on how serious he takes his craft it's probably a good thing he didn't have to take a shot or make a tactical decision.
 
Honestly I think if that guy had spent any time training in windy environment he would have made that same mistake in training and would probably (hopefully anyway) never make it again. Or a better trainer of course could have drilled it into him to never leave it.
 
Honestly I think if that guy had spent any time training in windy environment he would have made that same mistake in training and would probably (hopefully anyway) never make it again. Or a better trainer of course could have drilled it into him to never leave it.
Pain retains. But we aren't allowed to do that in America any more….. cause feelings…..
 
And a 'weighted bag to secure it is protocol' (the Dip chit spokesman officer's words)

And it is unattended and in clear view of everyone?

At 3.21: 'You gotta have highly trained tactical officers in these situations'

This is a very bad precedent....
I cringed every other paragraph of that guy's statement. Makes a bad situation even worse.

Seems like the sniper and the public relations officer both failed pretty badly.
 
I am very disappointed that some gang banger didn't all crack-like bend over snatch it and immediately take off running.

Had this been Portland it would have been more of an entertaining video.
 

Upcoming Events

Tillamook Gun & Knife Show
Tillamook, OR
"The Original" Kalispell Gun Show
Kalispell, MT
Teen Rifle 1 Class
Springfield, OR
Kids Firearm Safety 2 Class
Springfield, OR

New Resource Reviews

New Classified Ads

Back Top