Snake Valley makes the News - for all the wrong reasons!

ballaratdragons (Ken) · #1 14-06-2011, 01:57 PM

There is currently 50 cops and one lunatic involved in a Siege here in our quiet little country town of Snake Valley!

The sky is full of helicopters and all our streets are shut. The Siege is in my street about 1k up towards where we hold our Astro Camp (for those that know the area).
Started about 9pm last night. Atleast they have gotten the Women and kids out of the house today.
But the twit with the gun is still holding cops off with his gun.

HERE: http://www.thecourier.com.au/news/lo...e/2194206.aspx

Even the country has it's gun-toting loonies

asimov (John) · #2 14-06-2011, 02:11 PM

It'll be interesting to see if he's under the influence of anything or not..

jenchris (Jennifer) · #3 14-06-2011, 02:25 PM

Quote:

50 cops and one lunatic involved in a Siege

why not just give up?

AstralTraveller (David) · #4 14-06-2011, 03:00 PM

At least he avoided an observing night. You'd be spittin' if they closed the road on the first clear-moonless night in months.

DavidU (Dave) · #5 14-06-2011, 03:12 PM

Nasty stuff Ken

erick (Eric) · #6 14-06-2011, 03:18 PM

I hope the negotiators get a good outcome.

ballaratdragons (Ken) · #7 14-06-2011, 05:00 PM

Unfortunately it appears it might be Ed, a friend of ours.
They aren't giving any names out yet but the photos online are of his house.

http://www.thecourier.com.au/multime...ley-siege.aspx

Paddy (Patrick) · #8 14-06-2011, 05:01 PM

As you say Ken, it's good that the woman and kids are out.

adman (Adam) · #9 14-06-2011, 05:02 PM

how distressing - lets hope it works out well for all involved

Adam

ballaratdragons (Ken) · #10 14-06-2011, 05:16 PM

Bugger bugger damn damn

It was just on TV news. It appears it is our friend Ed, and his wife Janelle and 3 of their kids!
They showed their house and said that he is still in there by himself heavily armed (yes, Ed does own a lot of rifles).
He has held Police off for 21 hours now. He must be getting tired which means he may start making mistakes and either shoot someone, himself, or get shot.

This is a real pain coz he is only 1k away and I can't do anything to help. The area around the house has been closed and no-one can get in or out!

Cheryl (my missus) is really stressed out as Janelle is her good friend. The Police have taken her and the kids away somewhere.

Give up ED!!!!!!! Please mate.

renormalised (Carl) · #11 14-06-2011, 05:22 PM

What's sent him over the edge??? This sounds like it's been brewing for quite some time and he's just finally snapped.

They need some gas to knock him out, then they can grab him and nothing bad happens. Otherwise he mightn't last the day.

jjjnettie (Jeanette) · #12 14-06-2011, 05:22 PM

How very distressing for all of you. I hope for every ones sake that reason and sense will prevail.

spacezebra (Petra) · #13 14-06-2011, 05:24 PM

Stay safe Ken

Cheers Petra d.

ballaratdragons (Ken) · #14 14-06-2011, 05:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by renormalised

What's sent him over the edge??? This sounds like it's been brewing for quite some time and he's just finally snapped.

I won't go into their private life too much but to give you an idea:

Ed moved here from Missisippee USA after meeting Janelle about 12 years ago while she was on holiday over there. They married and had 3 girls.
Ed has struggled with all sorts of strange illnesses since moving to Oz and has been missing his own family in USA, but not being able to afford to visit them.
Two years ago after finally getting over a bout of some illness (like a severe flu) and with no other illnesses for a change Ed started to cheer up, but while I was at his house he was bitten on the knee by a white-tail spider and that night ended up in hospital. The reaction and damage to his knee was so bad that they were considering amputating his leg, but saved it. He was unable to walk for months.
He has had a limp since then and hasn't quite felt 100%.

Then 2 years ago he was getting weaker and weaker then diagnosed with Cancer. Him and Janelle also split up last year.
Then only a few months ago he had brain surgery to remove a Tumour and has never felt well since.

I reckon he has finally snapped. This has happened last night while Janelle has been there letting the girls visit him.

Normally, Ed is a very quiet gentle friendly man who would bend over backwards to help you if you needed it.

Nuff said.

renormalised (Carl) · #15 14-06-2011, 05:52 PM

The police should get in contact with his family in the US and bring some of them out. They may be able to help him out. That's what I'd do before I did anything else. Otherwise he may do something silly and have a cop shoot him out of a knee jerk reaction. Better to have him hold up there knowing family were going to come out and look after him than to go in with guns blazing acting all macho and having the whole thing go completely pear shaped. At least then they could keep an eye on him and make sure he was OK.

ballaratdragons (Ken) · #16 14-06-2011, 06:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by renormalised

The police should get in contact with his family in the US and bring some of them out. They may be able to help him out. That's what I'd do before I did anything else. Otherwise he may do something silly and have a cop shoot him out of a knee jerk reaction. Better to have him hold up there knowing family were going to come out and look after him than to go in with guns blazing acting all macho and having the whole thing go completely pear shaped. At least then they could keep an eye on him and make sure he was OK.

Yes Carl, he needs to know his family
is near him. He is a big 'family' man.

But I doubt they would have time to get here.
1. It is a long flight from USA and he may not make it much longer (as hard as that is to say)
2. Planes can't land in Victoria anyway coz of the ash.

I have to face the horrible truth that this isn't going to end well at all for my friend. I know what he has done is terrible, but I feel sad, not angry.

mill (Martin) · #17 14-06-2011, 06:10 PM

Just seen it on the news.
I just hope it all turns out well without any problems.

renormalised (Carl) · #18 14-06-2011, 06:12 PM

They maybe a long way away, but there'd be no harm in trying to get them out here as fast as they could. Get them to ring him and keep him from doing anything silly and to let him know that at least some of them were on their way out. If the planes can't land in Melbourne, then fly them by chopper from Sydney or Canberra. They can get them there if they have to.

Waxing_Gibbous (Peter) · #19 14-06-2011, 06:12 PM

I will definately be sending good thoughts your way!
The cops here are amoung the most twitchy and trigger-happy I've ever seen. People have been shot for wielding a knife 20 feet away!
I 've disarmed armed drunks and crackpots wielding guns/knives/8 Irons etc., with nothing more than a soda siphon or a fire extinguisher. Lets pray that someone with patience, an understanding of an stressed mental state and a slow finger takes control.

ballaratdragons (Ken) · #20 14-06-2011, 06:20 PM

Just found out that the 'other' woman that was held hostage with Janelle and Ed's 3 daughters is Janelle's eldest daughter Shaylee, who is also my 2 sons close friend. They said she wasn't at school today. We now know why.
She loves Ed like a real Dad. He is such a great father to all his kids.
He would not normally scare his kids the way he has now.
Even my boys feel close to him.

They too are stressing now that they have found out about this.

Something has severely gone wrong.

2 days ago he was his usual smily self.