Thread: 'Extremely dangerous' survivalist/prepper named suspect in PA. state trooper ambush

'Extremely dangerous' survivalist/prepper named suspect in Pennsylvania state trooper ambush

Published September 16, 2014 FoxNews.com

The suspect in the killing of a trooper and the critical wounding of another outside a rural barracks is a survivalist who has expressed a desire to kill law enforcement officers and commit mass murder, state police said Tuesday.

Eric Matthew Frein, 31, of Canadensis, Pa., is still armed with the .308-caliber rifle that he used to open fire on the barracks late Friday, State Police Commissioner Frank Noonan said at a news conference where he revealed the suspect's name.

Noonan called Frein "extremely dangerous."

"He has made statements about wanting to kill law enforcement officers and also to commit mass acts of murder," Noonan said. "What his reasons are, we don't know. But he has very strong feelings about law enforcement and seems to be very angry with a lot of things that go on in our society."

Frein was charged Tuesday with first-degree murder, homicide of a law enforcement officer and other offenses. About 200 law enforcement officials are combing the rural area of northeastern Pennsylvania marked by dense forest, but "we have no idea where he is," Noonan said.

Frein lived about 20 miles from the ambush site and lived with his parents until a few months ago, Lehigh Valley Live reported.

A gunman killed Cpl. Bryon Dickson, 38, and critically wounded Trooper Alex Douglass outside the barracks during a late-night shift change, then slipped away.

Authorities were led to Frein after a resident who was walking his dog in a wooded area 2 miles from the barracks spotted a vehicle slightly submerged in a pond and called 911. In the vehicle, police found shell casings that matched those found at the shooting scene, Noonan said.

Investigators also found Frein's Social Security card, a Pennsylvania Game Commission range permit, camouflage face paint, a black hooded sweatshirt, two empty rifle cases and military gear, Noonan said.

The Times-Tribune reported Tuesday that there is a thick forest about 50 yards from the front door.

Several law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, were helping with the investigation. Authorities pored over old cases investigated by the two troopers -- and by others in the barracks and elsewhere -- in hopes of turning up a suspect.

"We have been through any number of complex investigations, they take time," said Lt. Col. George Bivens, of the Pennsylvania State Troopers. "I know we have the A-team here."

As the manhunt continued, Dickson's family prepared for his funeral, to be held Thursday at a Catholic cathedral in Scranton. Dickson, a Marine Corps veteran who joined the state police in 2007 and had worked as a patrol unit supervisor in the Blooming Grove barracks since June, is survived by his wife of 10 years and two young sons.

Douglass, a nine-year veteran, was conscious and talking for the first time since he underwent surgery, and investigators planned to interview him.

Earlier Monday, Gov. Tom Corbett said investigators won't rest until they capture the gunman, and asked the public to "pray for the soul" of Dickson. The governor, who toured the crime scene, called Dickson's killing an assassination and planned to meet with family members.

"This is an assault that was not only just on the individual troopers, it's an assault on the state police, it's an assault on law enforcement, it's an assault on society," Corbett said.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/09/16...tate-troopers/

http://www.alipac.us/f19/pa-officers...ooting-310899/

Survivalist sought in Pennsylvania state trooper ambush member of military simulation unit, cops say

Published September 17, 2014 FoxNews.com




The survivalist suspect in the ambush killing of a Pennsylvania state trooper is a member of a military simulation unit based in the eastern part of the state and, in his frame of mind, appears to have assumed that role in real life, authorities said at a Wednesday press conference.

Lt. Col. George Bivens said the suspect, Eric Matthew Frein, belongs to a unit that assumes the role of Eastern European soldiers. He did not name the specific group, but said other members are being interviewed by police.

Frein has also changed his hairstyle. He shaved his head on the sides and has long hair on top that Bivens described as "wider than a Mohawk."
Investigators believe the hair change was part of his preparations for the "cowardly" attack, Bivens said.

More than 150 law enforcement officers fanned out across the dense northeastern Pennsylvania woods Wednesday as they tracked Frein, who is believed to be armed with two high-powered rifles and a grudge against police he's had since 2006. Frein was identified by police as the gunman who killed one trooper and injured another in a late-night ambush outside a state police barracks.

Schools in the Pocono Mountain and nearby Wallenpaupack district were closed Wednesday due to fears of the suspected gunman, The Pocono Recordreported. Bivens said the decisions to close the schools were made by the individual school boards.

"While we can never completely rule out an act of violence, I am convinced Frein is engaged in a personal battle with law enforcement, particularly Pennsylvania State Police," Bivens said.

Frein, 31, is considered "extremely dangerous"

His father, Michael, a retired major in the U.S. Army with 28 years of service, told police that his son is an excellent marksman who “doesn’t miss,” according to a police affidavit. The suspect lived about 20 miles from the ambush site and lived with his parents until a few months ago, Lehigh Valley Live reported. A sniper training magazine was reportedly found inside the parents' home.

The gunman killed Cpl. Bryon Dickson, 38, and critically wounded Trooper Alex Douglass outside the barracks during a late-night shift change, then slipped away. The Times-Leader reported that surveillance cameras recorded the gunshots and the rescue to save the officers.

Authorities were led to Frein after a resident who was walking his dog in a wooded area 2 miles from the barracks Monday spotted a 2001 Jeep lightly submerged in a pond and called 911. Police said they found shell casings inside the vehicle that matched those found at the shooting scene.

Investigators also found Frein's Social Security card, a Pennsylvania Game Commission range permit, camouflage face paint, a black-hooded sweatshirt, two empty rifle cases and military gear, state police Commissioner Frank Noonan said.

"This was not unexpected," Bivens said. "As we've interviewed a number of people, that's been the common theme. This was not a surprise."

Three state police patrol cars were parked at Frein's parents' home, a well-kept two-story residence in a private community. Several other cars were in the driveway Tuesday afternoon.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/09/17...o-doesnt-miss/

Searchers say closing in on Pennsylvania police shooter suspect

BY JOE MCDONALD
BLOOMING GROVE Pa. Sun Sep 21, 2014 7:16pm EDT

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(Reuters) - Searchers found an assault rifle and ammunition hidden in the woods on the ninth day of a massive hunt for a man suspected of attacking two Pennsylvania state troopers, killing one of them, police said on Sunday.

Police said they believe they are closing in on Eric Frein, 31, who they describe as a survivalist, in a rugged area of forests, boulders and caves in the Poconos Mountains of Pennsylvania, where he could easily hide from heat-seeking sensors in helicopters.

Frein is the main suspect in the attack on the Blooming Grove state police barracks during a shift change on Sept. 12. Corporal Bryon Dickson, 38, died in the ambush and Trooper Alex Douglass, 31, was wounded.

"Frein planned for months or maybe years; planned his attack and his retreat," said Lieutenant Colonel Greg Bivens of the Pennsylvania state police at a news conference on Sunday.

"We are pushing him hard," Bivens said. "He's moving as we press him."

Helicopters and trackers with search dogs are part of the hunt, which involves hundreds of police from three states. People living in the remote, sparsely populated area have been warned not to go outdoors, but on Saturday police lifted a "shelter in place" order for people to stay inside.

Search teams found an AK-47 assault rifle, two magazines, an ammunition pouch and a significant number of rounds that they believe were either dropped or stashed about two or three miles from the shooting scene.

The weapon was not the one used in the attack on the troopers.

Troopers from across the state along with other law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, have been searching more than a week for Frein, a Monroe County man who belonged to a role-playing group that dressed in Cold War military uniforms and assumed the parts of soldiers from Eastern European countries.

Frein's planning process included surveillance at the Blooming Grove barracks, Bivens said.

Heavily armed state troopers and SWAT teams in assault vehicles have been seen entering the roads, which were closed to the public, leading to the area where Frein had lived with his parents until a few weeks ago.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/...0HG0XP20140921

• 
  
• AUTHORITIES HUNTING A SURVIVALIST and suspected cop killer in the rugged woods of eastern Pennsylvania have brought in a 6.5-ton armored tactical vehicle dubbed 'The Rook' and outfitted with robotic video cameras to assist in a search now entering its 12th day.
• VIDEO: Manhunt intensifies | Residents criticize roadblocks | VIDEO: Gov. Corbett speaks on search

It is interesting that the Media jumps on

'Extremely dangerous' survivalist/prepper named suspect in Pennsylvania state trooper ambush

Yet, they seem to skim over these very dangerous people that are killing people every day.

Where 7 Mexican drug cartels are active within the U.S.
By Niraj Chokshi February 26


A 2011 Justice Department report found drug cartels active in more than 1,000 U.S. cities, but policy analysts say the number is misleading because it relies on self-reporting by law enforcement agencies, not documented criminal cases. (The Washington Post)

If you’ve followed the news surrounding the weekend arrest of Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, the head of the Sinaloa drug cartel, you probably know that his organization was responsible for flooding the Chicago region with drugs.

Officials in Chicago were among the first to want him tried in their jurisdiction, but indictments were brought in six other court districts. In fact, a 2011 Justice Department report found that cartels had a presence in more than 1,000 cities. That number was likely an exaggeration, analysts and officials in some of those cities told The Post’s Scott Higham this summer. But the report’s finding that the cartels have vast operations in the United States is less contentious.

There is no disputing that Mexican cartels are operating in the United States. Drug policy analysts estimate that about 90 percent of the cocaine, heroin, marijuana and methamphetamine on U.S. streets came here courtesy of the cartels and their distribution networks in Mexico and along the Southwestern border. DEA officials say they have documented numerous cases of cartel activity in Houston, Los Angeles, Chicago and Atlanta.

The Sinaloa cartel, for example, was found to be operating in every single region of the country, dealing in cocaine, heroin, marijuana, MDMA and methamphetamine. That report, the National Drug Threat Assessment, also listed where six other Mexican cartels operated within the United States and which drugs they primarily trafficked. Check it out in the table below.

Where drug cartels operate in the U.S. (National Drug Threat Assessment 2011)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/govbeat/wp/2014/02/26/where-7-mexican-drug-cartels-are-active-within-the-u-s/