Murder of Coastie

[Smokey]

A tragic loss by our sister service......

PORT OF HUENEME, Calif. (KABC) -- A member of the U.S. Coast Guard was killed in the line of duty when his boat was rammed by a drug smuggler's craft.


Law enforcement sources told ABC News that the Coast Guard intercepted two boats - a pleasure craft and a small panga boat - near San Clemente Island in Santa Barbara County at about 1 a.m. Sunday. The panga, which was operated by Mexican Nationals, was carrying marijuana.

According to initial reports, the Coast Guard took the pleasure craft into custody and detained two people on board. Then, the Coast Guard cutter crew lowered its smaller boat into the water to take custody of those aboard the panga boat.

As the Coast Guard's small boat approached the panga, the driver of the panga rammed it and drove over the top of the Coast Guard boat, killing 34-year-old Terrell Horne III of Redondo Beach and injuring another agent.

"We are deeply saddened by the loss of our shipmate. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends, and his shipmates aboard Coast Guard Cutter Halibut," said Admiral Robert J. Papp, Coast Guard Commandant, in a statement.

Two people aboard the panga were eventually taken into custody, but sources say there may be two additional suspects at large. Authorities believe the two were dropped off on Santa Cruz Island just before the interception. A search is under way for those suspects.

The identities of those taken into custody from the pleasure boat and the panga were not released

[bosshawk]

Condolences to the families.  A very good lesson for all CAP members: these guys from south of the border do not play games.  In fact, they are very serious about what they do and lives of those trying to stop them are not worth much.  Take that from one who flew CD missions for over 15 years in CAWG.

[wuzafuzz]

That's awful.  I hope the full weight of the federal govt and the State of California rains down on the murderers.  With any luck the feral pigs will handle the two reportedly left on the island.

http://www.vcstar.com/news/2012/dec/02/us-coast-guard-member-pronounced-dead-at-port-of/

[MSG Mac]

I'm surprised the Coast Guard cutter didn't blow them out of the water.

[That Anonymous Guy]

I'm surprised the Coast Guard cutter didn't blow them out of the water.

It should have.

[PHall]

The Coast Guard believes in following their Use of Force policy.
These two gentlemen are going to be guests of the United States Government for a long time.
And the Feds don't do early release for overcrowding either!

[That Anonymous Guy]

The Coast Guard believes in following their Use of Force policy.
These two gentlemen are going to be guests of the United States Government for a long time.
And the Feds don't do early release for overcrowding either!

What is higher on the use of force scale then a Man Down?

[Ford73Diesel]

As far as I am concerned, intentionally ramming a CG boat rises to lethal force. You can skip UOF levels in situations like this. I'm betting it happened really fast and they were more concerned about getting their people out of the water after the collision

It's a sad day, the CG is a tight community

[Smokey]

****UPDATE***Both suspets were charged today with murdering a federal officer in the line of duty.

The CPO was the father of a 3 yr old and wife is expecting !!

[abdsp51]

That cutter wouldn't have taken action given the proximity of it's people.  And I am willing to bet they followed their UoF policy to the letter.  They rammed and fled in many places that does not constitute the use of lethal force by any means. 

[wuzafuzz]

Updated info from one of the local papers near the Channel Islands.
http://www.vcstar.com/news/2012/dec/03/coast-guard-officer-killed-sunday-called-glue/

[Flying Pig]

abdsp51
That cutter wouldn't have taken action given the proximity of it's people.  And I am willing to bet they followed their UoF policy to the letter.  They rammed and fled in many places that does not constitute the use of lethal force by any means.

How the heck is a drug boat ramming an LE boat not lethal force?  As  a cop, If I am in a car, and a suspect rams me with his car, its rounds down range.   The USCG is in the same boat as the Border Patrol.  They have their hands tied to the point where they need to be taking rounds in order to return the favor.   We have lake boats.  I can tell you if someone rammed one of our lake patrol boats with malicious intent, they would be doing a reenactment of the Bismark. 

[Eclipse]

At least one article indicates the men in the inflatable fired shots as the panga approached.

[MIKE]

At least one article indicates the men in the inflatable fired shots as the panga approached.

According to the Criminal Complaint filed by CGIS, they did: https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/527720-panga-boat-death-of-uscg-officer-complaint.html

In addition, officer D'Arcy fired several shots from his service
weapon at the panga boat, in an effort to deter the crew of the
panga boat from forcibly ramming the USCG small boat.

[wuzafuzz]

At least one article indicates the men in the inflatable fired shots as the panga approached.

According to the Criminal Complaint filed by CGIS, they did: https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/527720-panga-boat-death-of-uscg-officer-complaint.html

In addition, officer D'Arcy fired several shots from his service
weapon at the panga boat, in an effort to deter the crew of the
panga boat from forcibly ramming the USCG small boat.

Yes, and they found bullet holes in the panga boat when they captured it.

[abdsp51]

abdsp51
That cutter wouldn't have taken action given the proximity of it's people.  And I am willing to bet they followed their UoF policy to the letter.  They rammed and fled in many places that does not constitute the use of lethal force by any means.

How the heck is a drug boat ramming an LE boat not lethal force?  As  a cop, If I am in a car, and a suspect rams me with his car, its rounds down range.   The USCG is in the same boat as the Border Patrol.  They have their hands tied to the point where they need to be taking rounds in order to return the favor.   We have lake boats.  I can tell you if someone rammed one of our lake patrol boats with malicious intent, they would be doing a reenactment of the Bismark.

Sir, if you will note I also said fled.  If they are still under the FLETC UoF model and policies they would be hard pressed to justify shooting as the subject was headed away.  The federal govt does when it comes to UoF ties the operators hands more so than state agencies.  Kudos to the guy who did fire. And hopefully all involved will get the max sentence.

[AngelWings]

Gods speed to the family affected and I hope the people who commited these crimes rot in hell. I hate it when lives are needlessly taken all for what, a pretty penny? No money is ever worth the life of a man, and the scum who decided to attack these men deserve the fullest punishment of the law and the inmates they come in contact with.

[The CyBorg is destroyed]

As a former Auxiliarist, I can attest that the Coast Guard is possibly the most tight-knit "family" of the five armed services.  This sucks.  Condolences to the loved ones and shipmates of CPO Horne.

With any luck the feral pigs will handle the two reportedly left on the island.

Or a Pacific Rattlesnake. 

[Johnny Yuma]

Should've shot everyone of them, dumped their bodies overboard for the sharks and burned their boats to the waterline.

Between the Mexican gov't sanctioning illegals coming here, their cross border incursions and the cartels killing our own here why we're not at war with Mexico is a question I don't understand.

[RogueLeader]

We are too busy elsewhere.

[The CyBorg is destroyed]

Between the Mexican gov't sanctioning illegals coming here, their cross border incursions and the cartels killing our own here why we're not at war with Mexico is a question I don't understand.

War is, or should be, a last resort to a direct attack on the United States.

Having said that, I have heard rumours that Texas Wing aircraft have had radar locks by Mexican F-5's.

As old as they are, it's a wonder that they can fly or that the radar even works.

[Майор Хаткевич]

How would our planes know of the lock?

[The CyBorg is destroyed]

How would our planes know of the lock?

I wondered that myself.  I don't know of any of our birds equipped with RWR's.

[Майор Хаткевич]

I would imagineit being an "oh poop" moment though...

[PHall]

How would our planes know of the lock?

I wondered that myself.  I don't know of any of our birds equipped with RWR's.

Time to take that radar detector out of your car and put it in the airplane!

[a2capt]

I guess this kind of thing must do Bad Things to their brains, their thought process .. because I just can not imagine over all what kind of "good" can come from a couple guys on a panga boat shooting at anything Coast Guard. It's not like they didn't see the CG Cutter there. Those things are quite armed. One shot and you've got a scuttling problem.

Yet.. they do it anyway. If they simply bolted and made a run for it they might have a chance. But provoke and engage them? Just not a good idea.

Like the Somalian pirates that fire on the US Navy occasionally. I'm pretty sure that anything the Navy has will outrun whatever rag tag piece of pirate junk they have, and if not .. once they've been provoked, they may just fire back. One shot. Ker-plunk. When we had a CG cutter in our local harbor, I saw that thing was impressively maneuverable. Almost like it turned on an axis, the width of the harbor in front of their dock was about 40 feet wider than the boat length.  The area was dredged out for them. Was sad to lose 'em, as it was a nice attraction for school kids, tours, etc., too.

[Critical AOA]

....
Between the Mexican gov't sanctioning illegals coming here, their cross border incursions and the cartels killing our own here why we're not at war with Mexico is a question I don't understand.

It would certainly be a better use of our forces than anything we currently have them doing overseas.