Bill Ardolino has left downtown Fallujah and returned to Camp Fallujah. In this post he sets forth “some anecdotes, random facts, amusing stories and personal reflections on the experience” of being in the police station downtown. Here’s a taste:

Over the weekend, several policemen were driving just outside the gate when rounds struck the hood of their vehicle. They dismounted to shoot at insurgents firing from a building and one patrolman was shot through the upper chest. He dropped to the ground, stood back up and continued to engage the enemy. Soon thereafter, his buddies threw him in the truck and drove him back to the station, where Corpsmen Doc J and Doc Watson treated him. The man had trouble breathing and the bullet had probably nicked his lung, but the docs were confident he would survive.

Days later, looking at the twisted remains of dead insurgents lent stark perspective: this is what death looks like, this is how and where the fiery struggle ends. All that these people were – very much like the animated Iraqis milling about them – is gone, and only a broken husk remains. I forced myself to look at them, and despite my respect for life and the tangible gravity of the reminder about war’s stakes, as well as the gruesome nature of their poses and and injuries, I remained oddly unmoved. Clinical. I’m not sure what to think about that, except an apathetic “fuck ’em, they’re terrorists.”

Once you’ve heard the first-hand stories and seen what terrorist insurgents are doing to both Americans and the people in this city, you might feel that way too. I don’t know.

Reading the entire post, together with Bill’s other posts from inside the city, I get the impression that our guys there are really impressive — and that the city is very, very dangerous and chaotic.

The New York Times reports:

The district attorney has asked the state attorney general to take over prosecution of the sexual offense and kidnapping case against three Duke University lacrosse players, an official involved in the case said today.

It’s the weasel’s way out. He can’t go forward, but he doesn’t want to step up and dismiss the charges himself.

Contemptible.

Bold prediction: if the A.G. takes over, he will dismiss all charges.

OK, it’s not so bold. But it’s probably correct.

The person most likely to emerge from this fiasco with a criminal conviction is Mr. Nifong.

UPDATE: I just noticed that the letters in “recused” can easily be rearranged to spell “rescued.” How ironic. I think I’ll alter the post title to reflect this little tidbit.

[This post, like all posts at this site, reflects my personal opinion. I do not speak on behalf of my employer on this site, as my disclaimer on the sidebar clearly states. This post is based purely on published reports. I have absolutely no inside knowledge of the facts of this case. Any comments that disparage me in relation to my job will be summarily deleted.]

Steven Garcia, the officer who shot and killed Devin Brown after Brown backed a stolen Toyota Camry towards him, has released the transcript of the Board of Rights’s findings exonerating him of any wrongdoing. You can read the 19-page document here. (H/t Robert P.)

It is easy to see why Officer Garcia released the transcript. Even lefty Kevin Roderick says that it “makes a good case for Garcia.”

The Captain who read the Board’s unanimous findings stated that, after a visit to the scene, “We were all amazed that Officer Garcia was able to avoid being struck and killed or being seriously injured by the Camry.” He said that the Board members “could easily relate to the fear and anguish Garcia must have felt.” Not only did numerous officers testify that they believed that Officer Garcia had been in mortal danger, but a civilian witness testified: “If that police hadn’t jumped out of the way, he would have been hit.”

Officer Garcia testified that he feared for his life, and the Board found Officer Garcia’s testimony to be genuine and credible. His testimony was corroborated by testimony from an internationally renowned expert on human reactions to stressful situations. That expert agreed with Garcia that he stopped shooting once he perceived the threat to be over.

The Department had admitted in its opening that the first 5 shots were in policy, but had argued that the shooting occurred in two volleys, and that the second volley of 5 shots was out of policy. The Board reviewed extensive evidence, and found that the entire incident happened in four seconds, and that the shots were fired in less than two seconds, in a single volley.

Full details are in the extended entry.

(more…)

The alleged victim in the Duke lacrosse no-longer-rape case has apparently changed her story, again, in many ways. Allah lays it all out and deals the death blow: “I don’t want to be harsh, but her credibility is approaching Greenwaldian levels.”

Ouch. For a guy who doesn’t want to be harsh . . . that’s harsh.