Muscatine

kopf1988 said: "...if you're ontop of a building with a rifle I'm classifying you as a sniper."

I suppose then the folks who stood on their roofs with rifles during the L.A. riots or the aftermath of Katrina, defending their property from looters, were snipers then?  I think not...

As a member of the media, you haven't the right to call anyone a "sniper" unless they are actually a sniper.  By using the term "sniper" inappropriately, you are calling a bias into play, probably caused by ignorance, and more than likely employing that bias for the purposes of sensationalism or politics (i.e. terrifying the ignorant to promote an anti-gun bias).

A person with a rifle anywhere is no more a sniper than a person with a car is a race driver or someone with a stethoscope is a doctor.  "Sniper" is a job one is employed in during a military, militia or law enforcement operation or purposes therein, and is usually a job one is trained specifically for.  Someone shooting at someone else with a rifle of any kind during immoral activity is nothing more than an a-hole with a gun, and not, in fact, a sniper.  A sniper is a moral person acting morally.  An a-hole murdering people is anything but, and should be referred to simply as "criminal."

Please use the term more intelligently in the future.  As a reporter, your job is to report facts, not misuse terminology to suit a bias and/or sensationalize a story.

kopf1988 said: "I guess I mean I doubt they were the regular patrol officers you'd see every day."

The Muscatine Police Department Special Response Team (SRT) is comprised largely of the partol officers as MPD's budget does not allow for a seperate on-call team like you see in the movies or find in Los Angeles and Chicago.  The rest of the SRT is comprised of members of the PD administration or detective branch, like Tovar, who is one of MPD's snipers. 

So long story short, yes, they are the "regular patrol officers you'd see every day."

I have been reading posts on here for over a month, but this topic has really hit home.  Just when you think you might be able to get past and move on after a tragedy with a friend (practically family) it shows up when you least expect it.

Whether or not the journal released his name first or Ryan did doesn't really matter.  What matters is that it was released without his family being notified first.  Second of all the police were not shot at twice.  There were 2 shots fired period.  The first one at the girl's car window (not at her).  The second shot is the one that took his life.  However, the bullet did go through the wall and that is what the police thought was being shot at them. 

When there were no more shots fired the police should have known it was over.  There was no reason for the police to remain outside for another 2 1/2 hours trying to talk him out.  They knew as well as all of the friends and neighbors outside that it was over.

Ryan I have never heard of your sight before now, and frankly after reading your article that showed no sign of respect for Lee or his family and friends I don't know that I would ever read it again.

Ryan,

I think you have very good intentions in what you are doing. I, personally don't want you to get discouraged in what you are doing. But you should read these posts and learn from them. When we are young, we think we know it all. I sure thought I did. But now I look back and see how much of snot-nosed puke (*as Nedl would put it), I was. Learn for the older people. Maybe you should be real sensitive when it comes to issues like this.

Otherwise, keep up the good work and keep on working on your gaming place!

Hey Ryan,

I read on your opinion page the piece you wrote on Happy Joes.

You recommended North HJ for people with kids. I just wanted to know if you ever played the games at North HJ? Most of them are out of order.......ALL the time.