Did I over-react or under-react?

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azredhawk44

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I was at Walmart yesterday.

I walked into the store, and it's one of those giant walmarts with a grocery store too. Two middle eastern guys are standing in the lobby, walking slowly, between the registers and the produce area. Both are dressed pretty well in slacks and button-up shirts, and one has a large backpack on, maybe 2500 cubic inches.

The one with the backpack has very negative body language. Arms crossed, eyes moving all over.

I immediately got really far away from them and went to the back of the store. I thought it over a bit, and wasn't sure if I should inform a store employee, call the police, or just leave it be.

I drift around back to the front of the store, but way on the other side from where the middle eastern guys were (I made a big U around the back basically) and they were walking slowly, taking notice of everything around them, same negative body language. I got away from them again.

I picked up my purchases and noticed that these guys had split up now, and the guy with the pack was in the middle of the store in the clothing department. I can't remember exactly, but I think it was the girls' clothing department.

I got in line at a register, and I saw the guy with the backpack leave the store without any purchases. He came back in again with his other buddy (who didn't make any purchases either, evidently) and they went into the produce area again. I took a picture of backpack-man with my cell phone and looked for a manager at the store.

I didn't find a manager, but I did tell the nearest non-Opie-ish employee I could find and pointed the guys out. I left right after that.

But guys... this felt just like either:
1) CAIR screwing around looking for a "racial profiling" lawsuit to latch onto, or
2) a dry run of an attack with a "martyr" and his handler.

What's the appropriate response?
 
Contact Homeland Security and send them the photo. Let them track it down. You hear all the time about "heightenned security" and "reporting suspicious behaviour." That is what you saw.

If it was CAIR trolling it is better that the authotities know it. If it was real you really want the authotiies to know it.
 
My general set of instructions...

1) Trust your instincts.
2) Move to a safe(er) location and observe as best you can
3) Get you and yours the heck out
4) Report what you've seen with as much detail as possible.

Let the paid people decide what they are going to do with the information.

----------------------
Sounds like you did fine.
 
Well, considering you are in Arizona, and I have heard some stories about cities in Arizona being US Al Qaeda training grounds...I would say your response was appropriate if not a bit less than it should have been.

I woulda tried to scope them out from the parking lot and wait for them to return to their car, get the license plate number then go home and prepare my pictures and a written outline/essay of the incident to be reported to my local FBI office.

Luckily, suicide bombings are done with individuals isolating themselves in the midst of their assumed enemies. You wouldn't have 2 or 3 guys around with only one of them about to go off. No use wasting 3 guys on one bomb. If they all had backpacks, that may be worrysome. If only one guy was there, or, if you saw the guy go into the bathroom and come out without the backpack, I would run like hell. Not saying it wouldn't happen if there is more than one together, but it is less likely.

But, my point is, if they were truely doing what I think they were doing in light of your story, they were just scoping out a target or training for doing something like that.

Send this story and the photo to your local conservative radio talk show. Send them, personally, to a detective at your local police department and send it to the local FBI office. In-person delivery would be the best option.

Keep a heightened sense of environment and see if you notice anything like this again. Don't become a racist, by any means...but some situations are certinly reasonable to have concern.

Not something to play with.

EDIT: The other day I saw 2 middle easterners circling the parking lot to our office building in a new rental VW Passat. They were scoping the building as they went by with each pass. They were dressed in casual dress, i.e. button up shirt, slacks. They were between 18 and 30. They circled the parking lot about 4 times. I then went to leave and got behind them on my way out, as though it was just the way it was going. I wrote down the license plate and later gave it to the building security and owner. I don't think it was terroristic activity, but a few months ago, our office was broken into.

You never know what you might be preventing when you are being observant.
 
I wonder what their reaction would be if someone ran up to them screaming 'allah akbar!' and moving as if to detonate a bomb vest. Would they stand there serenely or try to get out of the way?

:D

Or better yet, approach from behind, grab one of their arms and say "I'm Jack Bauer, I need you to answer some questions."
 
Do you remember the 29-year-old man who used the name Hani Hanjour as the hijacker who crashed the plane into the Pentagon? He attended CRM Airline Training Centre in Scottsdale, Arizona.

I doubt he is/was the only extremist in Scottsdale. Evil likes to travel in small packs.
 
Wow, just got off the phone with the FBI.

They're fast with that tip line.

They don't want the pic yet, and they thanked me for the info. Don't know if they will dig further on it or not.

But at least they have a fast phone center.
 
I wonder what their reaction would be if someone ran up to them screaming 'allah akbar!' and moving as if to detonate a bomb vest. Would they stand there serenely or try to get out of the way?
Click to expand...

As an aside, would that be grounds for self defense?

Yuck, not that I ever hope to find out...:eek:
 
Probably one of those things that everyone will igore till something happens, then we will lose a few people, as a backpack attack is not going to take out alot of people in a Walmart, as they are not bunched together like in a movie theatre or something. And then anyone fitting the profile with a backpack or duffle bag or something is gonna be intercepted. Does not sound like the biggest "bang" for their dollar if you ask me. Maybe just foreigners acting weird, or awkward, that is known to happen!
 
You did good. I love blowing in suspicious characters (especially DUIers who run me off the road or real ugly hookers on my corner)

I personally would have screamed TANGO TANGO TANGO and then done a few tactical rolls down the lingerie isle, but thats me, I wear pink thongs so my actions are generally suspect.

WildwherearemyflashbangsAlaska TM
 
How would you have reacted if the guys were white, or black? If any different, then you overreacted. If you would have done the same thing, then no sweat.
 
How would you have reacted if the guys were white, or black? If any different, then you overreacted. If you would have done the same thing, then no sweat.
Click to expand...

Blah...racial and religious profiling IS EFFECTIVE...ask the Israelis. And just because you may pick someone out of a crowd because of their race/ethnicity does not mean you are racist.

Racism is hate for someone because of their ethnicity. Ethnic Profiling is taking the stats from reality and applying them to precaution and awareness.
 
Reacted differently if the guys were white or black? I would have. I might have thought they were shoplifting but from the above description I would have wondered the same thing. I agree with crazy, and all the concern about hurting feelings or offending someone is one day going to allow a terrorist to get by and a lot of people will die. It's not difficult to look on the internet and pull up photos of the perps that executed 9-11, or photos of captured or killed or most wanted terrorist. You tell me. What do they look like? Are they white or black? NO! It's not racism, it's fact. I'm not saying nab everyone for questioning that appears of mid-east origin but if acting suspiciously confrontation or questioning should not be avoided by law enforcement because of concern of being sued. Unfortunately, I think that is exactly whats going on a lot of the time and it might just come back and bite us in the ____. We need to let law enforcement do their job without fear of being beat down with the old racial profiling crap.
 
I personally would have screamed TANGO TANGO TANGO and then done a few tactical rolls down the lingerie isle, but thats me, I wear pink thongs so my actions are generally suspect
Click to expand...


HA ..NOW THAT IS FUNNY:D
 
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