In the interest of setting up a community-based platform for the discussion of last night's shocking Ogden City firefight, here's last night's initial Standard-Examiner story, reporting on the shootout which occurred in the vicinity of Ogden City's 33rd Street and Jackson Avenue:
In a followup story, the Standard reports that one police officer has died as a result of gunshot wounds:
This story's also "gone viral" across the national news media, with writeups appearing everywhere from the Washington Post to the Austin Statesman. While Ogden City boosters have been knocking themselves out trying to put Ogden City "on the map" for many years, this is most certainly not what they had in mind.
While details still remain sketchy, we'll open up the discussion of this disturbing incident, so our gentle Weber County Forum readers can chime in with their own takes. Although we agree with WCF readers Bob Becker and Ray that now is NOT the time to "play politics" with this story, we'll also add that even at this early date, keeping last week's strong Standard-Examiner editorial in mind, we don't believe a general discussion of police tactics in serving search warrants in residential neighborhood settings is entirely inappropriate or premature.
The world-wide webosphere eagerly awaits the ever-earnest outpourings of those of us living here in and around Ogden City, the nation's most recent "War On Drugs" urban battleground.
We'll also express our sincere best wishes to all Weber-Morgan Narcotics Strike Force and Ogden Police Department officers who were wounded in this unfortunate event, along with our heartfelt condolences which we offer to the grieving friends, family and law enforcement colleagues of Agent Jared Francom, the first Ogden Police Department officer to lose his life in the line of duty in Ogden City since the legendary OPD hero Marshall White.
Have at it, WCF Readers.
Update 1/5/12 10:38 a.m.: In this newly uploaded story, the SE reveals the names of the injured officers and the suspected "perp":
The Standard is also now carrying the video from this morning's press conference on its website home page. Here's the embedded video via the Standard's sexy new "Live Show Podcaster Site":
Watch live streaming video from standardnet at livestream.com
We'll of course provide further updates here on WCF as this story continues to develop.
Update 1/5/12 5:33 p.m.: Here's the latest S-E story, for what it's worth:
Update 1/6/12 7:14 a.m.: For the sake of our WCF readers who do not subscribe to our home-town newspaper, here are another seven (Count 'em 7) Standard-Examiner stories which have popped up on the S-E site (and in the print edition) since our last update:
- Ogden police shooting likely death penalty case
- Donation accounts set up for police officers shot
- Ogden shooting reverberates in Davis County
- 3 shot officers remain in critical condition
- Hundreds pay tribute to officers at vigil
- Sharing the pain
- Stewart's family heartbroken over shooting
Whew!
Update 1/7/12 6:00 a.m.: The latest from the Standard-Examiner (and now the Salt Lake Tribune):
- Accused shooter's attorney has worked with injured Ogden officers
- Wounded Ogden officer now in fair condition, hospital says
- Cops need to revise 'knock and search' method
- Ogden police getting weekend help on patrol
- Retired Ogden officer relives memories of brushes with criminals
- Injured officer says he’s ‘devastated’ by Ogden shooting
- ‘Knock-and-announce’ warrants are the standard
