U.S. attorney 'confident' Obama not threatened
By John C. Ensslin, Rocky Mountain News (Contact), Judi Villa, Rocky Mountain News , April M. Washington, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)
Published August 25, 2008 at 5:15 p.m.
Updated August 26, 2008 at 6:57 a.m.
Barry Gutierrez © The Rocky
Detective Marcus Dudley speaks to the media about the three suspects Monday night in Aurora.
Photo by Barry Gutierrez © The Rocky
Dudley, a police spokesman, said the case had "federal implications."
Tharin Gartrell, 28.
Nathan Johnson
Photo by Barry Gutierrez © The Rocky
A broken window that appears to be on the sixth floor of the Cherry Creek Hotel in Glendale. It is not confirmed that this is the window that the suspect jumped from.
AURORA — The U.S. Attorney for Colorado said authorities are "absolutely confident" three men arrested on weapons and drug charges posed no threat to presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama.
Aurora Police held a news conference Monday to announce the arrests and said that during their investigation officers seized a bullet-proof vest, two rifles — one of which was stolen; another had a hunting scope — plus ammunition, drugs and walkie-talkies.
"We're aware of the matter discussed tonight by the Aurora Police Department," said Colorado U.S. Attorney Troy Eid in a statement late Monday night. "Federal law enforcement is working hand-in-glove with the Aurora Police Department. Because this matter is currently under investigation, there is little we can say right now.
"We can say this: We're absolutely confident there is no credible threat to the candidate, the Democratic National Convention, or the people of Colorado."
Earlier Monday, CBS4 News reported that at least three people had been arrested in connection with a possible plot to kill Obama at his Thursday night acceptance speech at Invesco Field at Mile High.
Aurora police had arrested a suspected drunken driver at 1:30 a.m. Sunday during a routine traffic stop. The man was seen "weaving," sources said.
Aurora police seized weapons and drugs, which included methamphetamine, from the suspect's rental pickup.
Detective Marcus Dudley, a police spokesman, told reporters gathered in a parking lot behind the police station Monday that he could not discuss the "federal implications" of the case. However, he did confirm that federal authorities were involved in arresting two of the men.
"Clearly, we feel there are federal implications. Beyond that I can't elaborate," he said.
He said the U.S. Attorney for Colorado will hold a news conference Tuesday afternoon.
CBS4 had reported one of the suspects told authorities that they were "going to shoot Obama from a high vantage point using a ... rifle … sighted at 750 yards."
Law-enforcement sources told CBS4 that one of the suspects "was directly asked if they had come to Denver to kill Obama. He responded in the affirmative."
A second source told CBS4 News that they are concerned they may have come upon a possible "assasination plot."
Dudley identified the three suspects as:
* Tharin Robert Gartrell, 28, who was carrying a Colorado identification card that listed a Centennial address. Gartrell was erratically driving a rented 2008 blue Dodge Ram truck that was not registered in his name. The guns, ammo, drugs and other equipment were found in the truck.
* Nathan Johnson, 32. About three hours after Gartrell's arrest, police from Aurora, Denver and Greenwood Village, and federal agents arrested Johnson at a hotel near Interstate 25 and Belleview Avenue. He is being held on drug charges in Denver. His bond amount was not available.
* Shawn Robert Adolf, 33. Police and federal agents arrested Adolf at the Cherry Creek Hotel at 600 South Colorado Boulevard in Glendale around 5 a.m. Sunday after he jumped from a sixth-floor window. Adolf was injured when he fell four stories onto the second-floor roof of the hotel kitchen. He then jumped again onto the ground around the hotel, where police caught him a short time later. Johnson was hospitalized with unspecified injuries from his fall. He is being held on 7 outstanding warrants with bonds totaling $1 million.
The Secret Service, ATF, FBI and U.S. Attorney's Office are investigating.
Brian Maass of CBS4 News contributed to this report.
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August 25, 2008
5:34 p.m.
Suggest removal
HairTrigger writes:
Yes, good work by the police ...
August 25, 2008
5:44 p.m.
Hooligan writes:
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
August 25, 2008
5:56 p.m.
Sensible writes:
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
August 25, 2008
5:59 p.m.
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StraightShooter writes:
People from Kenya are not Arabs. My Lord......this country should require an IQ test before allowing people to vote.
August 25, 2008
6:03 p.m.
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RDenver writes:
Sounds like you might be a little high yourself Sensible.
August 25, 2008
6:07 p.m.
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Raconteur writes:
Aurora, Colorado. Trash personified. Way to go Denver, way to go.
August 25, 2008
6:20 p.m.
Hooligan writes:
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
August 25, 2008
6:25 p.m.
Suggest removal
Hambone writes:
I believe that McCain was not born IN the United States. Am I wrong?
August 25, 2008
6:37 p.m.
Suggest removal
HopiMedicineMan writes:
The good news is to this point, the most common words in these posts, "racist" and "idiot" have been uttered but once apiece down to here.
August 25, 2008
6:38 p.m.
Suggest removal
Doggone writes:
Hambone-
Play some air guitar and in your loudest voice he was born in...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIqR0g...
August 25, 2008
6:46 p.m.
Suggest removal
Hooligan writes:
Hambone- You are right
McCain was born in the Canal Zone- but at least his parents were "real" Americans- if there is such a thing.
The constitutional qualifications for the presidency are — a natural born citizen, at least 35 years of age with 14 years of residence —
I think both of these guys should be disqualifide, and we should start the election process over.
August 25, 2008
6:46 p.m.
Suggest removal
bluffan writes:
This is not a story, or at least shouldn't have been one until the police actually got to the bottom of it.
From the headline, you'd think that anyone with a gun who says something derogatory about Obama is plotting to assassinate him.
August 25, 2008
7:10 p.m.
Suggest removal
dummas writes:
It look likes the 50 million dollars for security is working. Taking some meth heads with guns off the streets is a good thing. Just tack on an "assassination plot" to the police report there you have it; 50 million dollars well spent.
August 25, 2008
8:17 p.m.
Suggest removal
kc02 writes:
This is what happens when 8000 media types descend Denver looking for a story. This will turn out to be nothing more than some idiot cranked-out worm brained losers who were in the wrong place at the wrong time. But it makes for great copy, and gives all those other wormed brained losers another reason to believe this is a racist country.
August 25, 2008
8:28 p.m.
Suggest removal
broadwaybill writes:
WHAT I REALLY WANT TO KNOW IS: WHAT IS GEORGE EATING TONIGHT...BURRACKS BROTHER IN KENYA! Is he watching his family on t.v.? NO! He does not have electricity...what a farce!! POOR GEORGE!! Rich Barrack!!
August 25, 2008
8:29 p.m.
Suggest removal
WestminsterJ writes:
Amazing. Somehow 4 white punks coming to Denver to shoot Obama becomes a *left-wing* conspiracy.
August 25, 2008
8:35 p.m.
Suggest removal
Hooligan writes:
Big D said:
"If you are doing it on purpose realize that defamation can be a basis for a lawsuit. Colorado has even sentenced people to jail time for harassment on the internet and some of these rants fall very close to that precedent."
Your right Big D- I should be afraid the sniper meth heads will sue me. Good example of liberal censorship and attempted disinfomation.
August 25, 2008
8:40 p.m.
Suggest removal
joggle writes:
kc02: "This will turn out to be nothing more than some idiot cranked-out worm brained losers who were in the wrong place at the wrong time."
And you know this how? Your gut? It boggles your mind that it's possible that somebody might want to assassinate Obama? Or it boggles your mind that such an idiot would be caught ahead of time?
These guys haven't been found guilty in a court of law so I don't know if they were planning an assassination or not. But until that day I wouldn't make bets one way or the other in regards to them planning an assassination.
August 25, 2008
9:31 p.m.
Suggest removal
me2 writes:
I sincerely hope the quality of punks stays this low, makes them so easy to round up. "Yep we came here to shoot him, yep we sure did."
Just look at Mr. Bad Dye Job. What a beaut.
August 25, 2008
9:33 p.m.
Suggest removal
sldfkd writes:
"Law-enforcement sources told CBS4 that one of the suspects "was directly asked if they had come to Denver to kill Obama. He responded in the affirmative."
" The man allegedly made comments about Sen. Obama, but sources wouldn't say what they were. It was enough, however, to make police believe the man might have been plotting to somehow harm Obama."
Hmmm...that doesn't quite make sense. Oh well, I guess that's what we should expect from RMN.
August 25, 2008
9:46 p.m.
Suggest removal
tylerfrost writes:
Look like a couple of tweakers to me, not assassins. But hell, they are white guys with guns so they must be after obama...right? Oh those evil white guys! what a joke. this story is a tall tale in the making, with every media outlet reporting something slightly different. if you are white and don't like obama watch what you say or you may be portrayed as the next assassin.
August 25, 2008
9:50 p.m.
Suggest removal
WestminsterJ writes:
tylerfrost: But hell, they are white guys with guns so they must be after obama...right?
Uh, they said they were out here to shoot Obama. But don't let the facts get in the way of your persecution complex.
August 25, 2008
10:12 p.m.
Suggest removal
mozey writes:
Holly crap, somebody REALLY wants foreclosure
http://www.foreclosuredoctoronline.co...
to up higher and higher!!
August 25, 2008
10:12 p.m.
Suggest removal
mytwosense writes:
tylerfrost: "Look like a couple of tweakers to me, not assassins."
Yeah, everyone knows assassins are actually rational people with a solid grip on reality.
--rolls eyes--
August 25, 2008
10:42 p.m.
Suggest removal
JOCoKansas writes:
Thanks Judy, good reporting - I was watching the convention and saw the video stream regarding the press conference regarding; I did a Google search afterwards to find our what it was all about, and you had it covered, again - thanks.
By the way - just a thought: there might be a Pulitzer in this for you somewhere, or at least a Scripps Howard for using the online medium: by following up with some of the people leaving comments - as in Capote. Somebody really should explore the minds and conditions of people such as these; it truly is extraordinary considering the nature of the events described in your article and the potential deadly nature of same - not to mention the incredible weight of history that surrounds United States presidential candidates.
Even more so - we're talking about human lives, the lives of people who have dedicated themselves, their lives, to working very hard to do good for others, as compared to those who...think for some reason that they are - evil?
Anyway, you have their addresses - all you have to do is get started.
JOCoKansas
PS Feel free to write me concerning.
PPS Not that this is a political forum, but the comments obviously reveal a lot of manifest political hate: Personally I am still looking over the candidates, but I have to say that from what I found here tonight, I do think that this country needs universal mental health care, at the least . All I can say is - wow. What was that one guy's comment (the man with his entire cerebellum functioning): "Holy tinfoil hats". Wow - that just about says it all.
August 25, 2008
10:49 p.m.
Suggest removal
vinnieboiblue writes:
I wouldn't be surprised to find out those weapons were paid for by the one an same Jerome Corsi. The white"supremicist" who wrote the trash book that was released recently. There is so much hatred by these so-called supreme race groupies, that the only thing they've proven is supreme stupidity of the worse kind.
Vinnie
August 26, 2008
midnight
Suggest removal
EZBakeOven writes:
"Shawn Robert Adolf, 33. Police and federal agents arrested Adolf at the Cherry Creek Hotel at 600 South Colorado Boulevard in Glendale around 5 a.m. Sunday after he jumped from a sixth-floor window. Adolf was injured when he fell four stories onto the second-floor roof of the hotel kitchen. He then jumped again onto the ground around the hotel, where police caught him a short time later. Johnson was hospitalized with unspecified injuries from his fall."
Gee, do you think this guy was on meth when he jumped TWICE? I think most of us would be dead if we duplicated this feat.
August 26, 2008
12:08 a.m.
Suggest removal
H20 writes:
The guy is in Kansas, How can he be threaten!
August 26, 2008
1 a.m.
Suggest removal
mani writes:
This is the best Whacko the DNC can draw? A couple of speed freaks with hunting rifles? You shut down my Friggin City, have spent millions on Arming the DPD and have AT&T logging this and every other email in the city and all you got is a couple of Speed freaks trying to impress their cracj=k wh*re girlfriends.
News for Recreate 68 - This ain't it
All may not be lost though, the DPD may get to try out their Jack Boots on some Pot smoking Hippies over by the Greek Theater and rubber bullet some 80 year old checking out Watership down too many times at the Library.
I feel safer than a John getting a double trojan BJ. Thanks DNC! Ya'll come back now.
August 26, 2008
6:39 a.m.
Suggest removal
Sixtysixdeuce writes:
These strung-out pieces of white trash probably hadn't even thought of assassination until being interrogated, and were too stupid to realize that saying they were planning one takes this from a local drugs and weapons possession charge to a Federal conspiracy charge. I'd just love to hear details about what the two weapons were, because as an avid shooter, I can tell you what it takes to make a 750 yard shot just in terms of equipment (not to mention the skill level). The "bullet prooof vest" is probably a surplus flak jacket, and I'd not be at all surprised to find out the rifles were something like an old .30-30 and a scoped .22. I think the only part of the article that is accurate is that these retards "posed no credible threat".
Good that we have 3 less armed drug addicts on the streets, but I think authorities and media are grasping at straws in an attempt to show that the money spent on law enforcement for the DNC was well used.
August 26, 2008
8:02 a.m.
Suggest removal
jwbeuk writes:
Non story, if you watched the local tv coverage last night you realize that they seem to all be auditioning for a national job and they have now jumped into this story in an attempt to bring up their profile. CBS4 should be embarassed that they have given some meth heads the national spotlight. Brian Maass is a joke and this story is an embarrassment to the local media which should probably stick to covering the latest pit bull scare.
August 26, 2008
8:17 a.m.
Suggest removal
PRAYFORTHEKIDS writes:
Regardless if they are supremists or not. They were out to hurt someone and I am glad they got them off the streets.
August 26, 2008
8:33 a.m.
Suggest removal
DrDoomsDay writes:
Less than 24 hrs into the investigation the police were saying it was just "knuckleheads." This is typical law enforcement. This is the second weapons violation linked to the convention. I would not take kids to the convention for any reason. It's totally irresponsible of the police to "guess" at what is happening. At one time the leader of the Sons of Silence and a woman kidnapped the mayor of Colorado Springs daughter and held her for ransom. Was that knuckleheads to? These morons don't care who gets hurt or killed. The police need to treat them like terrorist and not knuckleheads.
August 26, 2008
8:38 a.m.
Suggest removal
JustSayin writes:
H2O wrote just after midnight "The guy is in Kansas, How can he be threaten!"
Umm, okay.....feds & coppers, you wanna check this guy out? If nothing else you might get another meth-head off the streets.........
August 26, 2008
8:55 a.m.
Suggest removal
davies writes:
"Personally I am still looking over the candidates, but I have to say that from (the comments) I found here tonight, I do think that this country needs universal mental health care, at the least ."
Ba da boom! Ha ha ha ha ha...
DrDoom: The police appear to have made an evaluation of these guys' abilities and expertise, and are now quite reasonably trying to restore calm. You know, so if a balloon pops at Obama's acceptance speech, 75,000 people don't stampede for the exits?
GloriaP: How about you ease up on the conspiracy theories for awhile? Take a mental health break. Hillary may have a ruthless streak, but she's not stupid, or crazy.
August 26, 2008
10:43 a.m.
Suggest removal
FlyfishDude52 writes:
toenee - have you ever seen a photo of lee harvey oswald? I didn't think so. With a little make-up johnson could be a look alike.
August 26, 2008
7:18 p.m.
Suggest removal
Sixtysixdeuce writes:
"Iron sights and a little knowledge?"
You think some speed freak with a stolen gun can pull that off?
"Join the Marines. They can teach you to shoot that far..."
I appreciate what military training can do for some, but not everyone who prints tight groups at great range is a former Marine.