Keystone Cops

Part of the tragedy of the Atlanta courtroom shootings is the ineptness of the local police in following common sense security and crime scene procedure. After the capture of Brian Nichols, Atlanta’s local law enforcement officials were on television alluding to the "good job" they did in apprehending the shooter. Right, and pigs fly in Atlanta!


The day before the shooting, police found two shanks (homemade knives) in Nichol's shoes. The day of the shooting their "good job" included no one watching the television monitors in the holding room and hallways from which Nichols launched his attacks.

Their "good job" included allowing a large muscular defendant, accused of a violent crime to be escorted by one female officer from the holding room to the courtroom.

Their "good job" included not securing the garage after attendants told police how to block the only exits.

After finding a reporter who had been pistol whipped and his green Honda commandeered,they put out an all points bulletin. Then, their "good job" failed to immediately secure and search the garage as a crime scene. While everyone was looking for a green Honda out on the roads of Atlanta, an attendant found it parked on an upper level of the garage.

To hear local and federal law enforcement tell it (with the aid of Ken and Barbie television reporting) their coordinated efforts brought the chase to an early conclusion. Right, and pigs fly in Atlanta!

Nichols was captured because of the courage and cool of one Ashley Smith, who’s 911 phone call served the shooter up on a platter.

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On the Abrams Report on MSNBC, the program cut to Atlanta for comments by Joe (deep-think) Scarborough, the talking head apologist of Scarborough Country. How did Ashley Smith manage to do what she did? Joe offered the idea that Nichols, having seen the futile nature of his predicament simply made a cynical effort to humanize his persona , figuring that it might help when and if he was captured. Scarborough then speculated on how the reward money might be split–or if it should be awarded at all because of the wonderful job local and federal law enforcement did. When Abrams disabused him of minimizing Smiths courage and role in Nichols capture, Joe started backing and filling.