HOUSTON (KTRK) -- The sight of Army helicopters and the sound of gunfire created a lot of concern Monday afternoon in one Houston neighborhood.
We received a lot of phones calls, Tweets and Facebook posts from worried neighbors, wondering what was going on.
SkyEye 13 HD was over the south side where at first look, it appeared there was a massive SWAT scene happening.
With military helicopters flying above her southeast Houston neighborhood, Frances Jerrals didn't know what to think.
"When you see this, you think the worst. When you hear this, you think the worst," Jerrals said.
And so, she passed along her concern.
"She told me 'don't come home it sounds like we're in a war zone. Guns, shooting, helicopters flying around the house,'" Isaac Robertson Jr. said.
The U.S. Army along with other agencies took over the old Carnegie Vanguard High School near Scott and Airport. There were armed men in fatigues, plenty of weapons and what many thought were real live rounds
"I felt like I was in a warzone." Jerrals said. "It was nonstop. I was terrified."
Turns out, it was a multi-agency training drill that Jerrals wished would have come with warning.
"They could have done a better job in notifying the neighborhood," Jerrals said.
The Army did not give any details of what the training is for. Some people we spoke to needed no explanation.
"If it's to protect our kids, I'm all for it," neighbor Glenn DeWitt said.
Ok, I've become just a tad paranoid, but why conduct such military exercises within city limits, on public land? Until now even urban warfare exercises have been confined to military reservations. Is it training to integrate other Federal agencies and local police departments with military units? Why would these other agencies be needed in Afghanistan or other foreign combat areas where the military operates?
Ever heard of The Posse Comitatus Act......"it shall not be lawful to employ any part of the Army of the United States, as a posse comitatus, or otherwise, for the purpose of executing the laws, except in such cases and under such circumstances as such employment of said force may be expressly authorized by the Constitution or by act of Congress".
Has Congress passed such an Act, we haven't heard of?
Could this become a come scene throughout the country in the future, except its not an exercise, but martial law being enforced?
Posse Comitatus has been dead for years.
ReplyDeleteCheck this out from Gateway Pundit:
http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2013/01/obama-administration-repositioning-homeland-security-ammunition-containers/
Thanks for the heads up Dave, I updated the post. I the guess Posse Comitatus wouldn't matter anyway, Obama hasn't paid much attention to Constitution up to this point.
Delete"Delta" and the 160th SOAR have used urban settings (San Antonio, for example) for training in the past. I can't speak for other SPECOPS but would guess that they, too, have trained "off base." This is the first time, to my limited knowledge, that the SPECOPS guys have trained with local law enforcement. I don't care for that particular scenario. regards, Alemaster
ReplyDeleteSecond time this month in a major city. The first time was in Miami. This is now two major cities in key Southern states that are resisting the Government's tyrannical efforts. The first operation has video that has been widely posted and verified on Youtube and Miami Dade PD press releases.
ReplyDeleteNeither of these operations alerted local residents to the operation. Training operations are required to notify the local population to minimize disruption of their daily lives. I am active duty and you cannot shoot blank rounds in a populated area without notifying the local population!
This violates the Posse Comitatus litmus test.
They don't care and are showing it.
ReplyDeleteGonna get real sometime soon...