I first heard the rumor a couple weeks ago. Two police officers were explaining that the only Interstate North/ South freeway through Denver was to be closed down during Obama’s speech at Invesco Mile High Stadium (where the Denver Broncos play.)
The DNCC moved Obama there because the venue could hold so many more people than the Pepsi Center (capacity 17k), where hockey is normally played. The original thrust was to close the highway from 3pm through rush hour and ending after the evening at the stadium was over and all the milling crowd back hotel-sweet-hotel again… perhaps past midnight when all said and done.
Why cause such disruption to all of Northern Colorado through traffic of truckers, workers, just plain old citizens? The officers explained: The Interstate and some of the bluffs rather long distant, but facing the stadium– are a perfect vantage point for a person with a long range firearm. They also thought that after dark, there are too many places for a high-powered rifle toting person to hide in the talus’ shrubbery, the huge elevated concrete cloverleafs and bridges criss-crossing the Interstate, the rollercoaster and ferris wheel at Six Flags Amusement Park across the river from Invesco. They said these topographies posed serious logistical issues for surveillance.
Indeed, the state of Colorado sent out welders this week to weld shut any opening, tool shed, hollow concrete abutment with a door… on all the massive bridges near the stadium… those cubbyholes ordinarily being the hidey-holes and parlors of homeless people and their meager possessions.
I spoke to my editor-in-chief Gandelman and my fellow columnist Mullen, asking about the ethics of broadcasting such information that could perhaps give ideas to a person already unbalanced. I listened to their advices, which were excellent; get second confirmations, et al. In the end, I decided against mentioning it.
But, tonight, this report from The Denver Post. It may be a big nothing, for I ‘ve noticed in the past two weeks especially that odd events that perhaps might occur regardless, maybe, have a lot of folks jumpy, not to mention possibly jumping to conclusions… such as finding the body of Saleman Abdirahman Dirie, a Canadian who had come into the US without papers… His body was found on Monday next to a jar of cyanide in Denver’s Burnsley hotel. He was not a terrorist, the police said, after his sister said he suffered from schizophrenia.
Not sure about that logic, given that destroyers are known to also employ the mentally ill for homicidal forays.
But, nonetheless, today…. Federal authorities report that
“…a fortunate traffic stop by Aurora Police may have disrupted an assassination attempt against Barack Obama.
“KUSA-TV is reporting that two men have been arrested on weapons charges after the traffic stop early Sunday.
“… Tharin Gartrell, 28, was charged with suspicion of being a felon in possession of a weapon after police found two rifles, a high-powered scope and methamphetamine in his car after the traffic stop.
“When police accompanied Gartrell to his hotel …a second man jumped from a window and was injured in a four-story fall… That man was also arrested.
“Federal authorities are refusing to comment about why they believe the case is possibly tied to an assassination plot, but scheduled a news conference for 4 p.m. Tuesday.”
One wonders how critical such an incident might be when the news conference is scheduled so late in the day.
If there’s more, will let you know.
________
… in the satellite picture, Invesco Mile High Field is to the left, and across the dark green river to the right, is a series of light colored swirls looking a little like eternity signs … this is actually the roller coaster at Six Flags, amongst other elevated amusement rides there.