DISQUS

Paul Jacobson: Immediate and gritty: on the spot citizen journalism with Roy Blumenthal

  • Roy Blumenthal · 1 year ago
    Hiya Paul...

    Thanks for posting this, dude. Much appreciated.

    I really wish the footage could have been better. And I see from watching it now at the office that at least seven or so minutes didn't make it to the site. Pity. Probably transmission errors or something.

    Between 15 and 20 shots were fired by my reckoning. The one cop was shot in the groin, and upper arm. The other cop, critically wounded, looked like he had a lower chest wound, an upper leg wound, and an arm wound. He was airlifted out first, after paramedics stabilised him.

    The two cops were coincidentally in the area.

    The man whose house was being robbed ran out of his garage, calling for help. An old man on crutches was busy calling the cops when a patrol car stopped at the stopstreet directly opposite the house.

    The three men were sauntering away, and the old man pointed them out.

    The two cops drove in their direction, and blipped their siren once.

    I saw the biggest of the three robbers delving into his jacket pocket, and I ducked behind the windowsill. That's when the shooting started. Loads of it. And it was LOUD. And pretty damn scary.

    When the shooting stopped, I looked out again, and the groin-wound cop was asking the old man to call an ambulance, probably to help his critically wounded partner. He was stumbling along the road in the direction of the getaway. Probably because he was trying to prevent the hijacking that was happening at exactly that point.

    The hijacked car owner was unharmed. The people in the house were unharmed. The two cops were stabilised, and taken to hospital. I heard from one of the cops that a third cop may have been shot while in pursuit of the robbers.

    My lips have gone numb from adrenaline overload. And I think I'm not the most productive dude at work today. But hey.

    These guys looked casual. But they were striding with purpose. Very smartly dressed. Keep your eyes open. Stay safe, keep a big following distance in your vehicle to give you maneuvering room, stay observant.

    Happy weekend, folks.
  • Roy Blumenthal · 1 year ago
    Hiya Paul...

    Thanks for posting this, dude. Much appreciated.

    I really wish the footage could have been better. And I see from watching it now at the office that at least seven or so minutes didn't make it to the site. Pity. Probably transmission errors or something.

    Between 15 and 20 shots were fired by my reckoning. The one cop was shot in the groin, and upper arm. The other cop, critically wounded, looked like he had a lower chest wound, an upper leg wound, and an arm wound. He was airlifted out first, after paramedics stabilised him.

    The two cops were coincidentally in the area.

    The man whose house was being robbed ran out of his garage, calling for help. An old man on crutches was busy calling the cops when a patrol car stopped at the stopstreet directly opposite the house.

    The three men were sauntering away, and the old man pointed them out.

    The two cops drove in their direction, and blipped their siren once.

    I saw the biggest of the three robbers delving into his jacket pocket, and I ducked behind the windowsill. That's when the shooting started. Loads of it. And it was LOUD. And pretty damn scary.

    When the shooting stopped, I looked out again, and the groin-wound cop was asking the old man to call an ambulance, probably to help his critically wounded partner. He was stumbling along the road in the direction of the getaway. Probably because he was trying to prevent the hijacking that was happening at exactly that point.

    The hijacked car owner was unharmed. The people in the house were unharmed. The two cops were stabilised, and taken to hospital. I heard from one of the cops that a third cop may have been shot while in pursuit of the robbers.

    My lips have gone numb from adrenaline overload. And I think I'm not the most productive dude at work today. But hey.

    These guys looked casual. But they were striding with purpose. Very smartly dressed. Keep your eyes open. Stay safe, keep a big following distance in your vehicle to give you maneuvering room, stay observant.

    Happy weekend, folks.