Universal placed on lockdown last night 8/01

[Fan2CSkr]

Just read this story, was anyone there? Sounds like a real traffic mess!

http://www.local6.com/news/9612876/detail.html

 

[ducklite]

I was there. It took me three hours to make what is normally a 20 minute trip. The place was CRAWLING with law enforcement and K-9 units.

Anne

 

[phamton]

Yes, I was there inside the park not trying to drive on the roads.

 

[Sleepy]

We were at IOA and noticed a hovering helicopter. Figured there was just bad traffic. Scooted over to Universal later and when we ordered room service at HRH, the guy who delivered it told us about what happened. We had no idea.

 

[tiggerlily77]

I was there last night. Heard about it in line waiting for boat back to RPR. Saw several helicopters hovering overhead for quite awhile. Thank heavens we weren't in traffic. Heard it was horrible.

 

[ducklite]

Unfortunately the deputy that was the victim of the hit and run died tonight.

Anne

 

[robvia]

That's tragic.

I don't understand how an officer would be standing at Kirkman and Universal Blvd trying to stop cars. That's the intersection across from the parking garage at the TGIFridays lot. It's very busy, and the cars go zooming by. What was he doing? Giving out radar speeding tickets?

 

[ines248]

That's tragic.

I don't understand how an officer would be standing at Kirkman and Universal Blvd trying to stop cars. That's the intersection across from the parking garage at the TGIFridays lot. It's very busy, and the cars go zooming by. What was he doing? Giving out radar speeding tickets?

No, he was problably looking/searching for drunk driving people, strange nervous drivers, or stolen cars filled with cop murderers, and he found one!

I hope that they get whoever this did to a cop!

 

[Metro West]

I was there as well...on the roads that is. It took two hours from the corner of Universal Blvd/Vineland Road to the garage entrance. They were doing car to car searches for the driver...who they caught later that night.

I work at ORMC and saw LOTS of news vans and police motorcycles all over the place for the last two days. It's a shame a young officer doing his job, lost his life to a 19 year old Honduran national who has a history of traffic violations and other offences.

Here's the lastest story:
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news...aug03,0,1477664.story?coll=orl-home-headlines

 

[ChrisK]

This accident took place on the I-4 onramp when you are heading from Kirkman road to Westbound I-4. I believe the speed limit is 45MPH. Some of us that live in the area know that the I-4 ramp that leads to Universal Studios is also the hiding place for Orange County PD to nail speeders. They hide under the bridge portion between I-4 and the service road and clock people. If they find someone speeding, they STEP OUT IN TO TRAFFIC. I hope Orange County rethinks the way they try to nail speeders in this fashion. It's dangerous to the officers involved as you have read the story.

Here is the snip I'm referring to from the Orlando Sentinel website.

Homicide Sgt. Rich Ring said detectives are confident they arrested the suspect who drove a 1996 Honda Civic into Callin, a four-year Sheriff's Office deputy, during a speeding-enforcement operation along an on-ramp from Kirkman Road to Interstate 4 near Universal Orlando at 3 p.m. Tuesday.

Callin stepped into the roadway to signal Barahona to stop, but Barahona swerved left and downshifted to accelerate past Callin, according to an arrest affidavit released late Wednesday.

Callin stepped into the Honda's path again, and Barahona failed to maneuver around him, the document states. Witnesses told Orlando police that Barahona had ample time to avoid hitting the motorcycle officer, and that he failed to brake or try to drive around the deputy.

One witness told them that "it appeared the defendant [Barahona] intentionally struck the victim [Callin]," according to the affidavit.

What a stupid unsafe method that cost this officer his life. I'm glad that he was caught, but it's sad that there is many more out there.

 

[ines248]

I was there as well...on the roads that is. It took two hours from the corner of Universal Blvd/Vineland Road to the garage entrance. They were doing car to car searches for the driver...who they caught later that night.

I work at ORMC and saw LOTS of news vans and police motorcycles all over the place for the last two days. It's a shame a young officer doing his job, lost his life to a 19 year old Honduran national who has a history of traffic violations and other offences.

Here's the lastest story:
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/orange/orl-mdeputy0306aug03,0,1477664.story?coll=orl-home-headlines

Ohh, man thanks for the article! I just remember that I am overdue by a year maybe 1 1/2 year to donate blood!

 

[Fan2CSkr]

Florida Department of Law Enforcement and court records show that Barahona has been arrested at least six times since September 2003, on charges that included fraud, burglary and twice driving with a suspended license. Barahona has been cited for 14 traffic offenses and was arrested by Orange County deputies May 30 for driving with a suspended license. His license was suspended indefinitely on July 27, records show.

I read in the first article that he was here in the U.S and that his Visa has expired that coupled with the above text makes me furious. What does it take to get them shipped the heck out of here and back to their home country where they can deal with his butt.

 

[Wilson]

I read in the first article that he was here in the U.S and that his Visa has expired that coupled with the above text makes me furious. What does it take to get them shipped the heck out of here and back to their home country where they can deal with his butt.

That tidbit is actually from another hit and run from Haines City that happened early in the morning Thursday. There were two police officers killed by Hit and Run drivers in 2 days here in the Orlando area. For some reason the Orlando Senitnel combined both stories into one.

 

[Fan2CSkr]

I went back to read because I did see that they combined 2 stories but the man I am speaking of, Allan Barahona, is a Honduran national with an expired Visa. This is the guy from the OP.
http://www.officer.com/article/article.jsp?id=31892&siteSection=1

The other incident happened in Polk County. That involved an illegal immigrant from Mexico driving without a license.

Both BAD news!

 

[IMGONNABE40!]

Not to try to say that this is not horrible-it is and more. How awful not only for the mens' families, but also for the state of lawlessness that is developing in this country.

That being said--am I to understand that the method for pulling over speeders is to step out in front of a speeding vehicle?! Please tell me I misunderstood this part of the article.

 

[robvia]

No, you don't have it wrong. What happens, is the officer (usually a motorcycle cop), will be on the side of the road. There is usually an area where people can pull over. They shoot people with a radar gun. If the person is going too fast, then the officer literally steps into the road, puts his hand up, and motions for the car to pull over to the side.

The things that make me scratch my head, is that they set up the trap for a highway on ramp. People are going to accellerate so they can merge into traffic.

 

[IMGONNABE40!]

Thank you for that info. Sounds like bad SOP to me. Law enforcement takes enough of a risk just putting on the badge and going to work each day. Thing is, the poor young officer would be just as dead if Holly Housewife, running late to pick up the kids, was dialing her cellphone and not paying 100% attention to the road in front of her. Small consolation that she stops.

 

[iHEARTflorida]

That being said--am I to understand that the method for pulling over speeders is to step out in front of a speeding vehicle?! Please tell me I misunderstood this part of the article.

thats what it sounds like to me too, thats horrible