A Very Sad Day in Aggieland

Today was a sad day because a constable was shot and killed while serving eviction papers to a man in College Station.  It happened in a neighborhood a few blocks away from where I work.  Another officer was shot in the leg and two others were injured by shrapnel.  A 43 year old man was killed and another woman was shot and is in critical condition at the hospital.  The gunman was firing a semi-automatic weapon at the police and the others for about a 30-minute period.  The police shot him and he later died, he was 35 years old.

It is not my place to judge and what he did was not acceptable.  I just wonder sometimes what it is that make people do senseless things and they feel the only option is to hurt innocent people.  Just like the shooting in Colorado, this was just senseless.  In fact any outright killing spree or even killing of one other human being is senseless.  I just don't understand why people think killing other innocent people is the only answer.

This officer had a wife and children.  I don't know the story on the other resident, but the rumor on the woman is that she was here helping her daughter move in for school.  I cried tears today and my heart was broken for these families. I will be praying for all the families that lost a loved one, all the families that have injured family members and all of our police officers in the community because they are all hurting tonight and will be for some time to come.

This is the timeline from CSPD:

Fidelity Street Shooting Timeline

Posted Date: 8/17/2012 2:30 PM

Since Monday, Aug. 13 College Station Police Department officers and investigators, along with investigators from multiple other agencies have been working around the clock in an effort to gather information and evidence in this case.
The College Station Police Department has been assisted by the following agencies during the initial call and the subsequent investigation: Bryan Police Department, Brazos County Sheriff's Office, Texas A&M University Police Department, Brazos County Constable Offices, City of College Station Marshall's Office, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, Texas Department of Public Safety Highway Patrol Division, Texas DPS Emergency Management, Texas DPS State Crash Team, Texas DPS Aircraft Section, Texas Ranger Company A, Texas Ranger Company B, and Texas Ranger Company F.
As a result of the continued investigation, the following timeline of events has been determined. Note that the times provided are approximate times.
12:11 p.m.- First 911 call received. Caller advised that an officer had just been shot and he thought that his girlfriend (Holdsworth) had been shot also. Numerous 911 calls were received including a call reporting that Northcliffe had been shot.

• Holdsworth was shot as she pulled her vehicle into a driveway in the 600 block of Highlands.
• Northcliffe was next to a parked vehicle in the 600 block of Highlands when he was shot.
• Witnesses also told police that the suspect approached Constable Bachmann, after shooting him and removed his duty weapon from his gun belt.
• During this same time period a civilian in the 600 block of Highlands fired 5-6 rounds from a small caliber handgun towards the suspect.

12:14 p.m.- First officers arrive on scene and approach from Maryem Street. They immediately come under fire from the suspect.
12:18 p.m.- Additional units begin arriving and set up a perimeter.

• Shortly after arriving on scene Officer Oehlke was shot in the calf by the suspect.

12:28 p.m.- Two officers arrive at Park Place and Fidelity. Using a patrol vehicle as cover they attempt to reach Holdsworth and Northcliffe.
12:30 p.m.- Two SWAT officers arrive on scene and formulate a react plan.
12:35 p.m.- Suspect is shot and secured by CSPD officers.
Between 12:14 and 12:35 p.m. the following incidents occurred:

• The suspect continually fires rounds at officers from his front porch.
• The suspect retreats into his house between rounds of fire.
• Several firearms were recovered from the suspect's house including Constable Bachmann's service weapon. It does not appear that Constable Bachmann's weapon had been fired. The suspects weapons are described as follows:
• Dragunov 7.62x54 semi-automatic sniper rifle
• SA vz. 58 7.62 mm assault rifle
• 40 caliber Glock Model 35 pistol
• Mosin-Nagant bolt-action rifle
• In excess of 65 rounds were fired by the suspect during the incident.
• The number of rounds fired by law enforcement officers are still being determined.