I have a couple friends that attend UToledo, and apparently the Toledo SWAT team decided to use UT's campus for practice drills last Monday night. However, some of the students and teachers were not informed of this fact. So, when my friends were exiting class around 10 p.m., they were greeted with flash grenades and gunfire. They ran back to class with the other students to barricade the door, shut off all the lights and make calls to 911 and loved ones. They thought they were in the midst of a Virginia Tech, and thought the flash grenades were bombs. A campus officer came to the classroom to calm and escort the students.
I would think the SWAT team would have made sure to notify every person on campus of such events considering the incidents at Columbine, Virginia Tech, and other places of education. An apology letter was sent to everyone in the class, but I was surprised that this story didn't even make the news considering Carty uproar over the shock that would be caused by Marines practicing in downtown Toledo.
Toledo's Most Cloaked News Story?
Comments ... #
It was actually Monday, March 10th. I was there. It was a really terrifying experience.
I'd say you'd have to point the finger at UT for the lack of notification.
posted by GraphicsGuy on Mar 24, 2008 at 01:52:13 am #
What kind of fucking moron does it take to fail to properly notify all staff of such an institution that an armed force will be engaged in simulated battle on their grounds?
It's getting to the point that I'm embarrassed to even hear of such news items since the underlying causes are so pathetic and stupid.
Whoa! JJ's got the right idea! In light of the Carty vs the Marines debacle, why would this story be hidden?
I go there but didnt see anything, and i go at night too. WIsh i did, i would threaten UT to pay for my school or get sued for emotional suffering!!!!
Every person to whom I've told the story referenced the Carty - Marine debacle in their reaction.
I wonder what discipline happened to the TPD officer(s) who simulated the drill on UT's campus?
See, yall bitch about carty kickin the marines out but look what it would have done if he would have let the drills continue.... People callin 911 for no reason....... people leavin our downtown establishments thinkin there gonna get shot...... This aint 1960 people.... its 2k8.... anything can happen....
For the record, I was in favor of Carty's decision. My own experience confirmed my earlier opinion.
Two wrongs dont make a right. As long as people had been informed I think either would of been alright. Is it that hard to call the 3 tv news channels and have them inform the public of the training? It might still be a scary thing to see happening though. By the way dont get scared Wednesday there is going to be Tornado Siren test.
posted by Linecrosser on Mar 25, 2008 at 02:49:07 am #
Linecrosser - Let me retell you my experience. I, along with several others, were exiting a UT building. We heard a pop and saw a flash of light. We called 911. While we were on the phone with 911 we heard at least 10 rounds of amunition being fired. Post Virginia Tech and Columbine, I'll take a tornado siren any day.
Maybe UT is to busy trying to find a new basketball coach it forgot to let the students know of this. I think a call to "Call for Action" 11 news would help to find out who drop the ball on this one. I go to UT and i think it sucks and situations like this never surprise because UT is more worried about making that money.
Corky did I say it was alright? If you would of known that they would be there doing that would you still of called 911? I for one sympathize that you didn't know and got freaked out about it, I would too. But if i would of known before hand, I think it still would of scared me, but at least I would know what it was that was going on.
posted by Linecrosser on Mar 25, 2008 at 12:01:55 pm #
Linecrosser - sorry about the communication misunderstanding. Clearly, had I known that there was going to be a drill I wouldn't have called 911. But I wasn't the only person who didn't know. The 911 dispatcher didn't know either. I'm thinking that if proper notification had taken place then when I or other individuals called 911 we would have been told right away . . . "No need to be alarmed. This is a previously scheduled drill."
No one got this on video? Commercial media isn't going to cover this. Certainly not The Blade, with their mindless support of the TPD.
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