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Granby is a small mountain town of about 1500 people about 2 hours West of Denver on U.S. 40, the old "National Road." If memory serves, it is just past the town and ski area of Winter Park. It is one of the stops on Amtrak after leaving Denver.
According to TV news reports, the driver, who was identified, but I don't remember the name had an ongoing argument with the town fathers and courts regarding a property dispute with the cement company which was one of his first "targets."
As of 35 minutes ago (it's 7:45 PM here now), the man was still holed up in his "tank," with SWAT teams and the Jefferson County Bomb Squad trying to figure out how to get him out and if the vehicle is bobbytraped.
It appears that he was very specific in the buildings he attacked which included the town hall, library, the mayor's former home and other businesses owned by town council members.
The live and videotaped pictues are pretty amazing. The one pic above with the "CBS4" logos were on my former station. Their helicopter got there while the action was still going on and showed some remarkable pictures of the bulldozer turned tank literally knocking holes in buildings. Finally, he apparantely high centerd the tractor and they moved in road grading equipment to block exits. It is now stuck halfway into a building (perhaps a hardware store, but I'm not sure. At one point there were pictures of what appeared to be smoke as police fired something at the "tank," but doing no damage. Since most small town cops don't carry bazookas and RPG's, my speculation is that it might have been tear gas used to try to get the driver out.
Interviews with eyewitnesses were pretty remarkable. Pictures also showed police climbing over the top of the tractor trying to find a way into the armour.
The vehicle itself was identified at a Catapiller D-5 bulldozer, buy you would not have recognized it. The man had welded huge pieces of steel all around it, and there was literally no place to shoot. I don't know how he could see to drive it.
A woman identified as his girlfriend claimed he has been planning this since January. When the local extended newscasts finally ended, the Governor was on his way (heaven knows what he'll do) and the situation was still a stalemate.
Pretty amazing stuff. More later.
__________________
Fraternally,
DeltAlum
DTD
The above is the opinion of the poster which may or may not be based in known facts and does not necessarily reflect the views of Delta Tau Delta or Greek Chat -- but it might.
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