First we had the olympic park bombing, then that psycho running in the court house, killing people then taking that girl hostage, then the "runaway bride", and all that bs, now this nutcase on the crane or whatever in Atlanta, what u guys putting in the water down there?
LMAO......I have no clue.....I drink bottled water just in case.
I mentioned to the General not long ago that every crazy azz thing seems to be happening in Georgia lately.....
Thank God "Crane Man" came down off that thing....lots of activities and a Jazz festival goining on in that area....
Update on the runaway bride story - Gwinnett County charged her with a Felony (false statements) and a misdemeanor (forgot the charge) last week and scheduled a press conference for her attorney ...... neither showed up. She is in "intense treatment" somewhere and will be allowed to finish her treatment before turning herself in..... the saga continues.
You guys have no idea about the other crap that goes on around Atlanta....its amazin. The local news broadcast are hilarious, too.
I mentioned to the General not long ago that every crazy azz thing seems to be happening in Georgia lately.....
Thank God "Crane Man" came down off that thing....lots of activities and a Jazz festival goining on in that area....
Update on the runaway bride story - Gwinnett County charged her with a Felony (false statements) and a misdemeanor (forgot the charge) last week and scheduled a press conference for her attorney ...... neither showed up. She is in "intense treatment" somewhere and will be allowed to finish her treatment before turning herself in..... the saga continues.
You guys have no idea about the other crap that goes on around Atlanta....its amazin. The local news broadcast are hilarious, too.
Crane story
Police Arrest Man Perched on Atlanta Crane
A man at left, officials identified as being Carl Edward Roland of Clearwater, Fla., motions to authorities, at right, during a standofff atop a construction crane in Atlanta, Friday, May 27, 2005. The homicide suspect remained perched on the 18-story construction crane for a third day Friday, holding police at bay and causing a spectacle in the heart of the city's entertainment district.
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Saturday May 28, 2005 12:01 PM[/font]
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AP Photo GARF105
By ELIOTT C. McLAUGHLIN
Associated Press Writer
ATLANTA (AP) - Police used a Taser gun early Saturday to arrest a Florida homicide suspect who spent 56 hours perched on an 18-story construction crane and had threatened to kill himself by jumping, authorities said.
The man, identified as Carl Edward Roland, was arrested about 12:30 a.m. Saturday, normally one of the busier times in the city's bustling Buckhead neighborhood, known for its numerous bars and restaurants.
Roland got onto the crane around 5 p.m. Wednesday, said Atlanta police Sgt. John Quigley. The 41-year-old man brought Buckhead to a standstill for more than two days, shutting down the main road through the district. Police reopened Peachtree Road about two hours after Roland was taken into custody.
Roland was wanted by the Pinellas County, Fla., sheriff's department in the death of ex-girlfriend Jennifer L. Gonzalez, 36, whose body was found Tuesday. An arrest warrant affidavit accuses Roland of strangling Gonzalez and dumping her body in a pond behind the apartment complex where she lived.
Quigley said Saturday that Roland was arrested after he got close enough to police for them to ``get their hands on him.''
Alan Dreher, Atlanta's assistant police chief, said later in a news conference that officers got Roland in a position so they could ``effectively utilize the Taser'' without harming him. A SWAT team member shocked Roland once with the device, Dreher said.
Tasers have been a contentious topic in Georgia following incidents last year in which two men died within four days of each other after being shocked with the devices.
Roland was transported to Grady Memorial Hospital and police expected to charge him with crimes in Atlanta in addition to the Florida charges. Hospital officials said early Saturday that Roland was in good condition, but doctors were still monitoring him.
Pinellas County authorities were in Atlanta when Roland was arrested, and Dreher said he expected them to begin the extradition process soon.
Roland's saga apparently began Tuesday when one of Jennifer Gonzalez's neighbors flagged down a fire rescue vehicle and told a Pinellas County deputy that she had seen Gonzalez floating in a detention pond, according to the affidavit.
Gonzalez's daughter, Alycia Michele Zamora, later told police that her mother, who had been dating Roland ``on and off for the last three to four years,'' left the house that day to talk to Roland and never returned, the affidavit states.
Two days earlier, Roland told acquaintances he believed Gonzalez was cheating on him and asked them if they could get him a firearm so he could kill her, according to the affidavit.
Since March, the Clearwater, Fla., man had quit his job as a software salesman, filed for bankruptcy and talked about moving to Las Vegas, the St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times reported Friday. He had also talked about getting back together with the woman he is now accused of killing.
The standoff disrupted traffic - and provided free entertainment - to residents and visitors in Buckhead. Lunch and dinner crowds packed restaurant patios with clear views of the crane standoff, though many complained that the police road blocks were hurting business in the area.
During the negotiations, Roland accepted a jacket from police, which he used to beat back the chill at night and the sun during the day, but he refused offers of food and water.
A Thursday attempt by his younger sister, Tiwana Allen, to talk him down also was futile. She was not allowed to go up on the crane, so she borrowed a mirror and tried to get his attention by flashing sunlight and shouting, ``Sugarfoot, it's your baby sister!''
Dreher said Roland showed mixed emotions during negotiations, but he chose not to speak to any of his family members after his arrest.
``At times he was calm. At times he was cordial. At times he was irate. At times he was argumentative. It just depended on the situation,'' he said.
--- Associated Press
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Police Arrest Man Perched on Atlanta Crane
A man at left, officials identified as being Carl Edward Roland of Clearwater, Fla., motions to authorities, at right, during a standofff atop a construction crane in Atlanta, Friday, May 27, 2005. The homicide suspect remained perched on the 18-story construction crane for a third day Friday, holding police at bay and causing a spectacle in the heart of the city's entertainment district.
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Saturday May 28, 2005 12:01 PM[/font]
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AP Photo GARF105
By ELIOTT C. McLAUGHLIN
Associated Press Writer
ATLANTA (AP) - Police used a Taser gun early Saturday to arrest a Florida homicide suspect who spent 56 hours perched on an 18-story construction crane and had threatened to kill himself by jumping, authorities said.
The man, identified as Carl Edward Roland, was arrested about 12:30 a.m. Saturday, normally one of the busier times in the city's bustling Buckhead neighborhood, known for its numerous bars and restaurants.
Roland got onto the crane around 5 p.m. Wednesday, said Atlanta police Sgt. John Quigley. The 41-year-old man brought Buckhead to a standstill for more than two days, shutting down the main road through the district. Police reopened Peachtree Road about two hours after Roland was taken into custody.
Roland was wanted by the Pinellas County, Fla., sheriff's department in the death of ex-girlfriend Jennifer L. Gonzalez, 36, whose body was found Tuesday. An arrest warrant affidavit accuses Roland of strangling Gonzalez and dumping her body in a pond behind the apartment complex where she lived.
Quigley said Saturday that Roland was arrested after he got close enough to police for them to ``get their hands on him.''
Alan Dreher, Atlanta's assistant police chief, said later in a news conference that officers got Roland in a position so they could ``effectively utilize the Taser'' without harming him. A SWAT team member shocked Roland once with the device, Dreher said.
Tasers have been a contentious topic in Georgia following incidents last year in which two men died within four days of each other after being shocked with the devices.
Roland was transported to Grady Memorial Hospital and police expected to charge him with crimes in Atlanta in addition to the Florida charges. Hospital officials said early Saturday that Roland was in good condition, but doctors were still monitoring him.
Pinellas County authorities were in Atlanta when Roland was arrested, and Dreher said he expected them to begin the extradition process soon.
Roland's saga apparently began Tuesday when one of Jennifer Gonzalez's neighbors flagged down a fire rescue vehicle and told a Pinellas County deputy that she had seen Gonzalez floating in a detention pond, according to the affidavit.
Gonzalez's daughter, Alycia Michele Zamora, later told police that her mother, who had been dating Roland ``on and off for the last three to four years,'' left the house that day to talk to Roland and never returned, the affidavit states.
Two days earlier, Roland told acquaintances he believed Gonzalez was cheating on him and asked them if they could get him a firearm so he could kill her, according to the affidavit.
Since March, the Clearwater, Fla., man had quit his job as a software salesman, filed for bankruptcy and talked about moving to Las Vegas, the St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times reported Friday. He had also talked about getting back together with the woman he is now accused of killing.
The standoff disrupted traffic - and provided free entertainment - to residents and visitors in Buckhead. Lunch and dinner crowds packed restaurant patios with clear views of the crane standoff, though many complained that the police road blocks were hurting business in the area.
During the negotiations, Roland accepted a jacket from police, which he used to beat back the chill at night and the sun during the day, but he refused offers of food and water.
A Thursday attempt by his younger sister, Tiwana Allen, to talk him down also was futile. She was not allowed to go up on the crane, so she borrowed a mirror and tried to get his attention by flashing sunlight and shouting, ``Sugarfoot, it's your baby sister!''
Dreher said Roland showed mixed emotions during negotiations, but he chose not to speak to any of his family members after his arrest.
``At times he was calm. At times he was cordial. At times he was irate. At times he was argumentative. It just depended on the situation,'' he said.
--- Associated Press
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The latest Atlanta Drama
Crane Climber To Fight Extradition
56-Hour Standoff Ended With Taser
<TEXT id=txt_updated>UPDATED:</TEXT> 9:05 p.m. EDT May 28, 2005
<!--startindex--><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>BUCKHEAD -- The man who held police at bay for 56 hours atop a Buckhead crane plans to fight extradition to Florida, where he is accused of killing his ex-girlfriend, Atlanta police said.
Carl Roland was listed in good condition at Grady Memorial Hospital after an officer used a Taser to subdue him early Saturday. Doctors treated him for dehydration and exposure, and psychologists evaluated him. He was to be transferred later to the Fulton County Jail.
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>Investigators from Pinellas County, Fla., who came to Atlanta during the standoff sought to interview him at Grady, but he refused and asked for a lawyer, Atlanta Police Sgt. John Quigley said.
Roland, 41, was charged in Florida with murdering Jennifer Gonzalez, 36, of Oldsmar. The mother of two was found Tuesday in a retention pond behind her apartment complex. She had been strangled.
"He killed her," neighbor Monica Easter said, "and he needs to really suffer."
Pinellas County investigators said Roland was the last person seen with the victim and was known to have made threats against her.
"We're very confident he's the individual," Pinellas County Sheriff's Dept. spokesman Mac McMullen said.
Atlanta police shocked Roland with the stun gun as he reached for a cup of water. "Apparently, he was thirsty," Sgt. Quigley said.
Officers made their move around 12:30 a.m. Atlanta Assistant Police Chief Alan Dreher said police got the crane climber in a position to "effectively use the Taser."
"The SWAT officers basically got the suspect in custody, and got him to where he was manageable and safe for us to deal with," said Battalion Chief Chris Wessels of the Atlanta Fire Department, which coordinated the precarious rescue effort. "Our rope rescue team got him packaged for his safety in a stretcher device, and we were able to hook our ropes to him and lower him down to the ground, at which time some of our EMTs checked him out and transported him over to Grady."
"I'm just glad that he's down and that he didn't get hurt or anything like that," said Roland's sister Tiwana Allen. "I'm happy -- I'm satisfied now."
The part of Peachtree Road between Bolling Way south to Buckhead Avenue was closed in both directions during the standoff. Roland climbed to the top of the crane during the start of Wednesday evening's rush hour. The spectacle effectively held part of Buckhead hostage, bringing traffic and business to a standstill as gawkers craned their heads skyward.
Buckhead was already dealing with gridlock problems as crews worked to fix a broken pipe a few blocks down the road. The crane incident made an inconvenient situation even less bearable.
A visitor from New York voiced surprise when told police had used a Taser on Roland.
"Why didn't they do that in the beginning?" said Brian Shanahan, in town for a wedding. "Why did they wait three days and close the road off." "It looked like a pretty risky thing to do," Atlanta resident Brian O'Reilly said. "Taser a guy and he kind of loses control and falls down and rolls around quite a bit. But it worked out well."
Allen said if police had let her talk to her brother, the whole incident could have ended sooner and minimized the impact on Buckhead businesses.
"I feel it would have been over with if they'd just let me talk to him," she said. "He would have come down knowing that his sister -- his baby sister -- is here."
According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the big crane is being used in the Trammell Crow Company's construction of the 19-story Ovation condominium, part of the Buckhead Plaza complex at the southwest corner of Peachtree and West Paces Ferry roads.
During the standoff, Roland walked along the crane, sat on it and reclined on it while negotiators tried to get him to calm down and talk him out of suicide threats.
At one point, he apparently threw his wallet down to police.
"It was his ID and his credit card and library card that he was throwing down," said Chris Voisey, who is visiting from Los Angeles and was eating at a restaurant as the event began unfolding. "They actually landed on Peachtree Street."
Friday, police used loud music and a helicopter to keep Roland from getting too comfortable. They also followed his movements with a large construction bucket that could have caught him had he fallen -- or jumped.
Channel Two correspondents Tom Jones and Carrie Edwards contributed to this report.
<!--stopindex-->
Crane Climber To Fight Extradition
56-Hour Standoff Ended With Taser
<TEXT id=txt_updated>UPDATED:</TEXT> 9:05 p.m. EDT May 28, 2005
<!--startindex--><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>
Carl Roland was listed in good condition at Grady Memorial Hospital after an officer used a Taser to subdue him early Saturday. Doctors treated him for dehydration and exposure, and psychologists evaluated him. He was to be transferred later to the Fulton County Jail.
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>Investigators from Pinellas County, Fla., who came to Atlanta during the standoff sought to interview him at Grady, but he refused and asked for a lawyer, Atlanta Police Sgt. John Quigley said.
Roland, 41, was charged in Florida with murdering Jennifer Gonzalez, 36, of Oldsmar. The mother of two was found Tuesday in a retention pond behind her apartment complex. She had been strangled.
"He killed her," neighbor Monica Easter said, "and he needs to really suffer."
Pinellas County investigators said Roland was the last person seen with the victim and was known to have made threats against her.
"We're very confident he's the individual," Pinellas County Sheriff's Dept. spokesman Mac McMullen said.
Atlanta police shocked Roland with the stun gun as he reached for a cup of water. "Apparently, he was thirsty," Sgt. Quigley said.
Officers made their move around 12:30 a.m. Atlanta Assistant Police Chief Alan Dreher said police got the crane climber in a position to "effectively use the Taser."
"The SWAT officers basically got the suspect in custody, and got him to where he was manageable and safe for us to deal with," said Battalion Chief Chris Wessels of the Atlanta Fire Department, which coordinated the precarious rescue effort. "Our rope rescue team got him packaged for his safety in a stretcher device, and we were able to hook our ropes to him and lower him down to the ground, at which time some of our EMTs checked him out and transported him over to Grady."
"I'm just glad that he's down and that he didn't get hurt or anything like that," said Roland's sister Tiwana Allen. "I'm happy -- I'm satisfied now."
The part of Peachtree Road between Bolling Way south to Buckhead Avenue was closed in both directions during the standoff. Roland climbed to the top of the crane during the start of Wednesday evening's rush hour. The spectacle effectively held part of Buckhead hostage, bringing traffic and business to a standstill as gawkers craned their heads skyward.
Buckhead was already dealing with gridlock problems as crews worked to fix a broken pipe a few blocks down the road. The crane incident made an inconvenient situation even less bearable.
A visitor from New York voiced surprise when told police had used a Taser on Roland.
"Why didn't they do that in the beginning?" said Brian Shanahan, in town for a wedding. "Why did they wait three days and close the road off." "It looked like a pretty risky thing to do," Atlanta resident Brian O'Reilly said. "Taser a guy and he kind of loses control and falls down and rolls around quite a bit. But it worked out well."
Allen said if police had let her talk to her brother, the whole incident could have ended sooner and minimized the impact on Buckhead businesses.
"I feel it would have been over with if they'd just let me talk to him," she said. "He would have come down knowing that his sister -- his baby sister -- is here."
According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the big crane is being used in the Trammell Crow Company's construction of the 19-story Ovation condominium, part of the Buckhead Plaza complex at the southwest corner of Peachtree and West Paces Ferry roads.
During the standoff, Roland walked along the crane, sat on it and reclined on it while negotiators tried to get him to calm down and talk him out of suicide threats.
At one point, he apparently threw his wallet down to police.
"It was his ID and his credit card and library card that he was throwing down," said Chris Voisey, who is visiting from Los Angeles and was eating at a restaurant as the event began unfolding. "They actually landed on Peachtree Street."
Friday, police used loud music and a helicopter to keep Roland from getting too comfortable. They also followed his movements with a large construction bucket that could have caught him had he fallen -- or jumped.
Channel Two correspondents Tom Jones and Carrie Edwards contributed to this report.
<!--stopindex-->
Copyright 2005 by WSBTV.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast
G. MONEY said:
Actually, look at Lamperd Less Lethal instead. Ticker symbol is LLLI. It is the new taser, and you'll shitt your pants when you see what it has been doing the last few weeks. There were several days in early May that it traded ZERO shares. Now it's trading over 5 million shares a day. And going up. Big time.
