Saturday March 18 1:04 AM ET
Suspects Surrounded in Death Valley
DEATH VALLEY NATIONAL PARK, Calif. (AP) - Three suspects were surrounded by authorities in Death Valley late Friday after a 100-mph car chase that included gunfire and shots that forced down a Highway Patrol helicopter.
The helicopter crew was unharmed and no other officers were wounded.
The two men and a woman were surrounded by 80 officers in the Furnace Creek area Friday night, authorities said. They planned to wait until daylight before moving in on them.
``We are prepared to wait it out, nighttime favors no one,'' said Inyo County sheriff's Cpl. Scott Stell. ``We are confident in our containment boundaries, where we'll remain until daylight. We have water, they don't.''
There was gunfire Friday night whenever an aircraft hovered over the area where the three were holed up.
The trio's car contained a cache of high-powered rifles and bullets, Stell said. Warrant checks on the car showed it had not been stolen, and investigators did not immediately have a motive for the chase and shooting.
The standoff began after Nevada Highway Patrol officers attempted to pull over the car when they spotted it speeding on U.S. 95 near Lathrope Wells, Nev., about 60 miles north of Las Vegas. The chase began shortly after 5 p.m.
A chase ensued, with the suspects shooting at authorities, who did not return fire, Stell said. The car left the highway on a side road near Furnace Creek, then broke down on a dry lake bed.
As the suspects fled on foot, they allegedly fired at a CHP helicopter carrying three people, damaging the craft badly enough that it had to land.
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I can hear the calls to ban sniper rifles already.
Joe's Second Amendment Message Board
Suspects Surrounded in Death Valley
DEATH VALLEY NATIONAL PARK, Calif. (AP) - Three suspects were surrounded by authorities in Death Valley late Friday after a 100-mph car chase that included gunfire and shots that forced down a Highway Patrol helicopter.
The helicopter crew was unharmed and no other officers were wounded.
The two men and a woman were surrounded by 80 officers in the Furnace Creek area Friday night, authorities said. They planned to wait until daylight before moving in on them.
``We are prepared to wait it out, nighttime favors no one,'' said Inyo County sheriff's Cpl. Scott Stell. ``We are confident in our containment boundaries, where we'll remain until daylight. We have water, they don't.''
There was gunfire Friday night whenever an aircraft hovered over the area where the three were holed up.
The trio's car contained a cache of high-powered rifles and bullets, Stell said. Warrant checks on the car showed it had not been stolen, and investigators did not immediately have a motive for the chase and shooting.
The standoff began after Nevada Highway Patrol officers attempted to pull over the car when they spotted it speeding on U.S. 95 near Lathrope Wells, Nev., about 60 miles north of Las Vegas. The chase began shortly after 5 p.m.
A chase ensued, with the suspects shooting at authorities, who did not return fire, Stell said. The car left the highway on a side road near Furnace Creek, then broke down on a dry lake bed.
As the suspects fled on foot, they allegedly fired at a CHP helicopter carrying three people, damaging the craft badly enough that it had to land.
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I can hear the calls to ban sniper rifles already.
Joe's Second Amendment Message Board
