Tonight, Tuesday, 15 June, 2010, @ 9:00pm. I will be on The Rick Amato Show with USTREAM TV!  Don’t miss it!

http://www.USTREAM.tv

http://den-a.plr.liquidcompass.net/player/flash/audio_player.php?id=KCBQAM&uid=149

or on KCBQ 1170am radio in San Diego County!!

Appointed Sheriff William D. Gore steps in it again!  Do NOT miss this story.  Google William D. Gore & Ruby Ridge then Google William D. Gore & 9/11.  See for yourself beofre you vote.  Then, Google me!  The choice will be clear; vote Jay La Suer for Sheriff, San Diego County.

Numerous inconsistencies in Sheriff Gore’s account regarding his FBI exploits

June 7, 8:04 AMSan Diego County Political Buzz ExaminerKimberly Dvorak

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In a stunning turn of events, just days before the California primary, Sheriff Gore appears to have embellished his FBI exploits. Statements like “I stormed hijacked planes, I did all that stuff,” could have been exaggerated and needs further explanation.

The emotional aspects of the San Diego County Sheriff’s race may have caused Gore, the current appointed caretaker of the Sheriff’s office, to misspeak or embellish his background as an agent with the FBI.

After dozens of phone calls to verify Sheriff Gore’s days as a young G-man in the FBI storming hijacked planes and killing bank robbers it seems it is Gore who has some explaining to do. According to multiple news stories Sheriff Gore talked about his high flying days in the FBI in order to shrug off complaints from San Diego Sheriff Opponents Jim Duffy and Jay LaSuer about his lack of street experience. This game of one-upmanship have led to more questions than answers

In several recent print articles published in San Diego County, Sheriff Gore is reported to have offered specific details, regarding his background in law enforcement, which in turn caused questions to be asked by many who found inconsistencies in the facts contained in the articles. And when contacted there were no requests from Gore to correct the obvious inaccuracies in the articles. In the East County Magazine story an email was sent from the Sheriff’s Dept. thanking them for a good story, said Miriam Raftery.

Those asking questions about Sheriff Gore’s comments about his background were concerned that he may have embellished details regarding his involvement in two incidents- a 1972 hijacking in Seattle and a bank robbery in 1978.

Once the details of the background check unfolded, dates did not match up. In the published articles, Sheriff Gore related his involvement in a 1978 bank robbery and a 1975 hijacking incident both of which occurred in Washington State.

Sheriff Gore says he stands by his record as a FBI agent and has no reason to lie about the details to prove anything to the Sheriff candidates Duffy and LaSuer.

(Links to the stories; East County Magazine- http://www.eastcountymagazine.org/node/1865, San Diego Tribune- http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/may/16/sheriffs-campaign-brings-out-macho-side/, and Voice of San Diego- http://www.voiceofsandiego.org/government/article_974ac536-62e8-11df-b754-001cc4c03286.html)

When questioned and asked for specific details regarding his involvement in the incidents, Sheriff Gore began to validate his involvement by explaining that the hijacking incident actually occurred in 1973 rather than the 1975 as reported, and then proceeded to provide news reports. Both the 1973 and 1975 dates were wrong and the hijacking actually took place in August of 1972 according to the Seattle Times article provided by Gore. Further research pointed to the agents involved in the hijacking as Special Agent Dave Maples and Philip R. Miller from the Portland FBI office and they were driven to the aircraft by S.A. Martin, according to the book Society of Former Special Agents of the FBI.

When Gore was asked about the incidents in question, he was combative and claimed to not remember specific dates and questioned this reporter as to why a fact check was even needed. However, numerous discrepancies contained in San Diego news articles made it clear fact checking was necessary.

Gore described the hijacking event vividly with Raftery of East County Magazine.

“I helped stop a plane hijacking in 1975 (actually 1972). I was in a chase car under the plane (not how agents who boarded the aircraft recall the event), which had landed in Seattle. We came up with a plan to storm the plane…We convinced the hijacker he needed to put a new crew on the plane (the hijacker Frank Markoe Sibley requested a new crew with experience flying across the ocean). We sent in an FBI agent who had flown military planes (actually two FBI agents boarded the aircraft both with flight experience) and thought he could bluff his way through, but we didn’t know the hijacker had been a commercial pilot. He started quizzing our guy about specs of a 727 and realized he was faking…He made them [the agents] strip down,” Gore described.

“Our man had a gun in the lining of his jacket and he managed to toss it down to us (there is no mention of this). The hijacker handcuffed our agents in the front, instead of behind their backs, big mistake. He put him up in the pilot’s seat. Our agent dropped a Styrofoam cup or something pre-arranged…We raised up the gun on a pole and we were waiting to storm the doors…Sure as hell: boom, boom, boom! Our agent managed to shoot the hijacker and no one on board got hurt.”

“Then we went back in the terminal. There were 400 people there. To get a hero’s welcome was definitely a high for a 29-year-old agent (except to make this story plausible and accurate Gore would have to be 25 as he was born on July 11, 1947).”

The press contact for the Seattle SeaTac Airport, Perry Cooper (no relation to DB Cooper he says), searched for details on Gore and came up empty handed. Longtime newsman and purveyor of Seattle news, Chris Ingalls of NBC’s King 5 also checked into the story without any luck.

Seattle’s most infamous hijacking is the DB Cooper case, Cooper stole $200,000 and jumped out of the plane never to be found his case remains open in the FBI to this day.

When the FBI was contacted about the airplane hijacking, Seattle agent Fred Gutt (goot) said the agency doesn’t discuss current or retired employees with the media. However, the easiest way to confirm the story would be with the FBI report regarding the hijacking, but according to several law enforcement agencies the FBI is reluctant to work with any other agencies and is by far the most secretive operation in the United States.

Another event in the Seattle region that Gore spoke about was a bank robbery in which he claims to have shot and killed the robber as he fled the scene of the crime. Police records regarding the August 24, 1978 robbery indicate the event took place and the bank robber was killed by FBI agents. Three FBI agents’ names are in the police report; Gore is not one of them.

This is how Gore remembers the bank heist in Bremerton, Washington.

“It’s not like TV. When you take somebody’s life, it stays with you. That was in 1978. I was in a shoot-out with a bank robber in Seattle. He had a pistol. I had a shotgun…We had a tip that the bank was going to be robbed. I was outside and my wife who was an FBI agent—actually we were engaged back then–was inside, posing as a teller. All she heard was two shots fired outside. There were some tense moments, but the good guy won,” Gore told East County Magazine.

Similar recounts of the events appeared in the Voices of San Diego and the San Diego Union Tribune and it is worth pointing out that the Tribune has endorsed Sheriff Gore’s quest to continue on as Sheriff.

Gore’s academic, military and law enforcement record is certainly impressive. He finished his undergraduate work at the University of San Diego in 1969 and somehow picked up a masters at Seattle University, completed basic navel officer military training, finished a 20-week FBI training and serve in Kansas City FBI office all before the 1972 hijacking.

Something has to give. Plus, Gore is reported to have said he was 29 at the time of the hijacking, but he was at least 24/25 which would have made him a newly-minted FBI agent and it’s highly unlikely the FBI would let him plan and storm a high-profile hijacking case, according to law enforcement agents.

San Diego Sheriff Deputy and contender for Gore’s office, Jim Duffy says he is not critic of Gore’s FBI experience, but it’s his lack of California Penal code experience. “He has never arrested anybody and he recently spoke about arresting speeders and it’s unlawful for law enforcement to arrest speeders. He simply lacks the basic fundamentals of California law,” says Duffy. “This is where he falls short and it makes him unsuited for the Sheriff job.”

Gore’s other Sheriff Opponent, Jay LaSuer says, “If these embellishments are true he (Gore) has tarnished the badge of every law enforcement officer in this county.”

It looks like the voters have a tough decision in front of them tomorrow.

For more stories; http://www.examiner.com/x-10317-San-Diego-County-Political-Buzz-Examiner

This covers about 550,000 homes in SD county.

Cox is the biggest cable provider in SD county.

http://www.jamesllambert.com/nightlightstv.html

WHO IS APPOINTED SHERIFF BILL GORE?

9/11

A June 9, 2005 article in The San Diego Union-Tribune, stated that the FBI failed to seize at least 5 opportunities to intercept two 9/11 hijackers before the attacks, including two instances in San Diego County when the terrorists lived with an FBI informant and were befriended by a subject of a previous FBI investigation.

According to a report released by the Justice Department’s Inspector General, the FBI office in San Diego erred by focusing too much on drug investigations before Sept. 11, 2001.

Despite the fact that FBI headquarters had established counter terrorism as a top priority of the FBI in 1998, the San Diego field office was continuing to pursue drug trafficking as its top priority in 2001, the report stated.

The hijackers did not draw attention to themselves while in San Diego. They used the same names known to the intelligence community for all purposes.

One of the terrorist’s names was published in the telephone book!

Another serious FBI breakdown was the agency’s mishandling of a Phoenix FBI agent’s memo two months before 9/11 that outlined the potential for Osama bin Laden to send students to enroll in flight school in preparation for attacking civil aviation targets.

Two of the hijackers on board the airliner that crashed into the Pentagon trained in San Diego.

Mr. Gore was the FBI Special Agent in charge at the San Diego FBI office during this period of time!

This same person, Bill Gore, wants to be the Sheriff in this county.
——————————————————————————————-

RUBY RIDGE, IDAHO

In August 1992, three people died at a place known as Ruby Ridge, Idaho. Mr. Gore was the Special Agent in Charge at Seattle and was part of the command structure at Ruby Ridge when the FBI command structure changed the Rules of Engagement for the FBI (operating at Ruby Ridge) to basically a “Shoot on Sight” policy. The FBI was attempting to arrest Randy Weaver on a weapons violation charged in a warrant of arrest.

The FBI shooting policy in effect in August 1992 provided: “Agents are not to utilize deadly force against any person except as necessary in self defense or for the defense of another when they have reason to believe that they or another are in serious danger of death or grievous bodily harm. Where feasible a verbal warning should be given before deadly force is applied.”

The rules were changed as follows:
a. “If any adult male in the compound is observed with a weapon prior to the (surrender) announcement, deadly force can and should be employed, if the shot can be taken without endangering any children.”

b. “If any adult in the compound is observed with a weapon after the surrender announcement is made, and is not attempting to surrender, deadly force can and should be employed to neutralize the individual.”

As a result, Vickie Weaver was shot and killed while standing behind the front door of the cabin. She was not holding a gun, she was holding her baby!

News articles report that he (Gore) believed that “Any armed adult (who) emerged from the cabin… would be displaying clear disregard for the lawful demand to lay down arms and surrender.”

He believed that the Rules of Engagement seemed appropriate for the situation at Ruby Ridge. He understood that the Rules made any adult male with a weapon in the Weaver compound the subject of deadly force….

Regardless of whether or not they were a threat.

Mr. Gore never questioned or challenged the policy change or the rest of the leadership team regarding the potential for the unwarranted and unnecessary death of any person who was not a direct threat.

In a CNN report posted on the web on October 14, 1995, the following is stated: “FBI Swat team members told a Senate panel Friday that they were shocked by the “shoot-on-sight” rules in effect during the FBI’s 11 day siege of white separatist Randy Weaver’s cabin in 1992”
“My reaction is ‘you’ve got to be kidding.” agent Donald Kusulas told the committee.

Agent Peter King said that his reaction was “that’s crazy; that’s ridiculous.” and both men testified that they decided not to follow rules which allowed them to shoot on sight at any armed, adult male at the scene.

The U.S. Senate Sub-Committee investigating the events at Ruby Ridge, in their official report, stated, “Ruby Ridge represents a tragic chapter in the history of American law enforcement. The American people expect more and deserve more. If our government is to maintain – indeed, even deserve the trust of the American people, it cannot fear or avoid the truth.”

The 9th District Court said that the shooting policy was a gross deviation from constitutional principles and a wholly unwarranted return to a lawless and arbitrary wild-west school of law enforcement.

The U.S. Senate Sub-Committee, in their official report, stated “Rules of Engagement cannot eliminate constitutional rights with regard to certain suspects, even if they are particularly dangerous.”

Mr. Gore, when called to testify before the U.S. Senate Sub-Committee investigating the Ruby Ridge incident, used his 5th Amendment right against self incrimination and refused to testify.

——————————————————————————————-

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

RUBY RIDGE: Report of the subcommittee on terrorism, technology and government – information of the senate committee on the judiciary.
Seattle Post-Intelligencer – September 20, 1995 – Headline: $ FBI Agents take the 5th at Ruby Ridge Hearing.
The Washington Post, September 20, 1995 – Headline: Siege Leader says he was tossed to ‘Sharks’; Demoted FBI Official indicates role of superiors in Ruby Ridge has been glossed over.
Associated Press – September 19, 1995 – Headline: FBI Field commander says he is scapegoat
#444 Civil Suit settled in Ruby Ridge case – Department of justice press release – August 15, 1995
CNN U.S. News October 14, 1995 Web posted at 8:56 a.m. EDT Headline: SWAT team members: FBI shooter rules “crazy” at Ruby Ridge
Federal News Service, September 19, 1995 Headline: Hearing on the senate judiciary committee on terrorism, technology and government information subcommittee SUBJECT: Federal raid in Ruby Ridge, Idaho
The Tech Online edition, September 26, 1997 Headline: Court says ‘Shoot to Kill’ practice used by FBI at Ruby Ridge unlawful
The 9/11 Commission Report – Final report of the national commission on terrorist attacks upon the United States
Sign on San Diego June 9, 2005 Headline: Local FBI faulted for pre-9/11 errors

Thanks for your support guys!

In order to put my name on the June, 2010 ballot, I must pay a filing fee of $2,185.04.  Over the next seven weeks, I need to gather 8,741 signatures for a” Petition in Lieu of Filing Fee.”   By getting these signatures, I do not have to spend your donated campaign dollars on a San Diego County Filing Fee!  This is what I call Fiscal Responsibility.  I would be honored if you would help by signing this “petition in lieu of filing fee,“ and then gather signatures from your family and friends.  Please email Volunteers@SheriffJay.org, give your name, how many petitions you would like & mailing address.  We will send you a petition/s.

There is another way you can help! Any registered voter in San Diego County may sign a Petition in Lieu of Filing Fee.  You can help by asking your friends, contacts, associates to sign too.  In order to circulate this petition, you must be registered to vote in San Diego County.  This is a non-partisan race, so it does not matter what you or the signer’s Party is.  Simply fill the petitions, then fill out the short form on the back of each petition.  When completed, drop them into the mail to the campaign address below.  Or…

Looking for another way to join Team Sheriff Jay?  On Thursday, 18 February, 2010, I and my Campaign Team will be at the Scottish Rite Center (Mission Valley), in the Parking Lot (under the canopies).  Come on by & drop off your completed petitions from 4-7:00pm.  We will have “Sheriff Jay” bumper stickers, t-shirts and yard signs available too!  Just drive thru and sign a petition or drop off your petitions.  How about parking, grab a cup of hot apple cider, introduce yourself, and join the Team!  Jumpin’ Jack Flash will be there playing some great tunes too! Come on down!

If you are unable to make the “Drive Thru Signature Drive” event, simply drop your completed petitions into the mail, addressed to:

“Sheriff Jay”

P O Box 2115

La Mesa, CA 91943-2115

If you find you have too many petitions to mail and cannot make it by the event, call me at 619-341-2010 and my Volunteer Coordinator will drop by and pick them up!   My campaign is a very, very strong, grassroots effort and our numbers larger every day.  Together, we will change San Diego County for the better, for a safer tomorrow.

Thanks so much for your help, and I look forward to seeing you on the road to VICTORY,

Jay

Simply visit: https://www.sheriffjay.org/donate.shtml and join my CAMPAIGN for SHERIFF, San Diego County Team! Or  send your donation to: ” Sheriff Jay” P O Box 2115 La Mesa, CA 91943.

Together, we can bring true change to San Diego, and make our County a Safer Place to live and raise our families. Any amount is welcome and I appreciate every penny! Please do not hesitate to contact me at 619.341.2010 with any questions , or here on Facebook, at your earliest convenience and again, I appreciate your support!!! I can also be reached via email at Jay@SheriffJay.org (I believe in an “Open Door Policy” and welcome communication ALWAYS!).

Jay La Suer, ONE TOUGH SHERIFF, 2010!!!

It gives me great pleasure to endorse the candidacy of Jay La Suer for San Diego County Sheriff. Jay is a professional lawman who knows and understands law enforcement. More importantly however, Jay
La Suer knows the duties of the sheriff to stand for liberty and the importance of keeping his oath to uphold and defend the Constitution. The people of San Diego are lucky to have such a man to elect as their sheriff.
Sheriff Richard Mack (Ret)

San Diego Sheriff candidate- and former Chief of Staff for republican Ron Roberts- JIM DUFFY appeared as a guest on my show last night and dropped what some may call a bombshell.

When asked if he would position himself “to the left or to the right of opponent Bill Gore” Duffy said:

“Definitely to the left of Bill Gore. In fact I will be to the left of all other candidates”.

When asked to give examples on which issues he will be on the left, none were offered.

Interestingly, Duffy supports permits for concealed weapons and using the local Sheriff’s department to enforce federal illegal immigration law.

Sal gets some help with his story from Miriam Raftery at East County Magazine. Sal and Miriam combo on the story which gets picked up very quickly by Kim Dvorak at another lesser known outfit, Examiner.Com. From these sources the tale of the weapons system deployment by Gore at peaceful assemblies of citizens burns thru internet trees. Rick Amato of KCBQ radio also picks up on the story and has the above named journalists at his live debate with Sheriff candidates in El Cajon last Saturday. Rick attributes the story and allows the authors to pose questions about the deployment to Bill Gore and get reaction from the other three candidates.

Now, come Tuesday and Channel 10 heralds, “As we first reported yesterday,” and goes into follow up story on the Lrad. They did not “first report.” Sal done it. Miriam done it and Kim helped. And give Rick some credit as well. Channel 10 did not done it.

There is no cost to Channel 10 to attribute the story to Liberty One Radio or East County Magazine. They can lay claim to any follow up they do (which is mostly providing air time for Gore and his department to deny deadly capability of the weapons system) but they did not “first report.” That they may not claim.

So Kudos from the Dehesa Valley Gazette to Sal, Miriam, Kim and Rick. And a black rose to Channel 10.

Now, as regards the weapons system. Lrad is an offensive and defensive weapons system. It can disperse a crowd and it can kill. Turn the dial the wrong way and it can explode the vessels in your head. Ease back on the dial and it can cause enough discomfort to encourage folks to get out of range, pronto.

That Bill Gore would deploy such a weapons system at peaceful assemblies of American citizens is outrageous. Frightening and grounds for his immediate “dis-appointment,” from his temporary job as Sheriff of San Diego County.

As frightening as Gore buying the system and then deploying it on American soil is the fact, as it came out in the Saturday debate, that folks assigned to operate the system didn’t have a clue how to operate the system. Opps, sorry, just killed two dozen townhall meeting attendees. Won’t happen again, promise. Hey, several folks didn’t get dead…just deaf for life.

And now comes the Sheriffs department, kissing Gore butt, to tell us that the system is not meant for combat. It’s actually a tool to let folks know when a wildfire strikes. It’s a fire prevention device. It can enable Bill Gore to speak to folks a long way away and warn them about fire danger. It’s just a big microphone. Harmless, really.

Was Ed Mosgrove of the Sheriff’s department wearing brown lipstick or was it my TV set, when he told Channel 10 the weapons system would be used for “search & rescue,” and to “warn residents during fires or floods”. (Floods? We should be so fortunate here in SoCal).

So Gore was expecting a fire or a flood at the Susan Davis and Darrell Issa townhall meetings. Okay, never mind.

And where is the County Board of Supervisors in all this? We know they got cowed by Bill Kolender (he had a secret personnel file?) but still. Can Gore go out and buy a suitcase nuke without oversight? A missile system?

I look around closely on Saturday while at Rick Amato’s hosted Sheriff’s debate. No Lrad. Gore not anticipating having to warn folks at the debate about fire or flood? What are we chopped liver? Don’t we deserve protection?

http://socialnetwork.libertyoneradio.com/

http://www.eastcountymagazine.org/

http://www.examiner.com/x-10317-San-Diego-County-Political-Buzz-Examiner~y2009m9d11-San-Diego-Sheriff-deployed-military-crowd-control-device-at-Congressional-town-halls?#comments

http://www.amatotalk.com/

http://www.10news.com/news/20931535/detail.html

WWW.DEHESAVALLEYGAZETTE.COM

In a perfect world, the Lrad deployment (not to mention 911 and Ruby Ridge) would be enough to doom Gore’s chances in the Sheriff election. But we expect he has strong down-town support and power brokers like him. Not to mention the Board of Sups….still we can hope. And that would leave us with three candidates for Sheriff. Jim Duffy (pretty boy youngster and union stalwart) Bruce Ruff (disgruntled former deputy) and Jay La Suer, (longtime lawman, city councilman, state assemblyman, military vet and gun owner).

From:  Wired.com

http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2009/09/sonic-blaster-deployed-to-local-political-events-beach-competition/

http://eastcountymagazine.org/?q=node/1874

From East County Magazine-

By Miriam Raftery

September 11, 2009 (San Diego) – “Long-range acoustic devices [LRADs] for crowd control can be extremely dangerous. These are used in Iraq to control insurgents. They can cause serious and lasting harm to humans…We want to know WHY our Sheriff Dept has this weapon,” Sal Magallanez of San Diego-based Liberty One Radio said in an e-mail sent to East County Magazine. The device was stationed by San Diego County Sheriff deputies at a recent town hall forum hosted by Congresswoman Susan Davis (D-San Diego) in Spring Valley and at a subsequent town hall with Congressman Darrell Issa (R-San Diego). The Davis Rally drew an estimated 1,300-1,500 people, including vocal conservative and liberal protest groups.

A public records search conducted by East County Magazine has confirmed that the device is an LRAD 500-x manufactured by San Diego-based American Technology Corporation (ATC). Capable of use as an effective loudspeaker, the LRAD also has the ability to emit a deafening tone aimed at incapacitating and dispersing a crowd without use of lethal force.
LRADs were developed by ATC at the request of the U.S. Navy after the attack on the U.S.S. Cole as a means of dissuading hostile invaders. ATC founder Elwood “Woody” Norris is a pioneer in sound technology who has also been instrumental in development of ultra-sound and ground penetrating radar.

Cruise ship Captain Michael Groves successfully repelled pirates off the Somali coast using non-lethal weapons including an LRAD. Groves has since filed suit against Carnival Cruise Line, claiming he suffered permanent hearing loss as a result, the BBC has reported.  Navy News describes the LRAD as “louder than a jet engine” and helpfully explains that it overwhelms its targets with “sound so loud they hear it inside their heads.”

ATC initially sold LRADs primarily to the U.S. military, but has since sold products internationally and domestically. The company and its representatives have not limited sales to military, maritime and law enforcement personnel, however. Local lifeguards and even Liberty One Radio are among potential customers to whom ATC’s sales force has attempted to peddle LRADs.

Liberty One Radio host Mike Copass, a former Democratic Congressional candidate who ran against Davis, tried to interview the Sheriff’s officer who appeared to be in charge of the device, which was mounted on a Rhino all-terrain vehicle. But Magallanez said the official “acted as if he didn’t know what it was.”

East County Magazine contacted Lieutenant Anthony Ray at the Lemon Grove sheriff substation. “I was the incident commander,” said Ray, who confirmed that the device was an LRAD but was not sure of the model. “It’s a really loud speaker,” he said, adding that the device is used to assure that announcements can be heard over the din of a crowd. “We’ll often use a helicopter, but this is something portable,” he explained. The device has also been present at a sand-castle building competition in Imperial Beach and could be deployed at any large event locally, since the Sheriff’s office is sometimes subcontracted by other cities within San Diego County to provide security.

Asked if he was aware that the device had a deterrent capability that includes a directed sound loud enough to cause hearing loss, he replied, “You mean like they use in Iraq? I can’t imagine we’d do that, because it would hurt our own people at the same time…I can’t believe that we would use the kind of thing on a crowd that the military does,” he said, adding that the deputy on the Rhino was not wearing protective earphones. “There were deputies right in front, too,” he observed, but added that he would have to “go home and look this up on Google” to learn more.

In an interview last week with newly appointed Sheriff Bill Gore, formerly the Undersheriff, East County Magazine posed the following questions about LRADs.

ECM: Crowd control has been in the news with the Francine Busby pepper spray incident. Now some have expressed concern after spotting long-range acoustical devices (LRADs) at Congressional members Susan Davis and Darrell Issa town hall forums on healthcare. We understand these devices can be used as loudspeakers, to avoid need for a helicopter to address large crowds—

SHERIFF GORE: That’s not the primary purpose.

ECM: They’re also called sonic cannons, capable of directing a deterrent sound. They’ve been used in IRAQ on insurgents and to repel pirates.

SHERIFF GORE: That’s a precaution in case you need it.

ECM: LRADs can cause permanent hearing loss and other health problems. What make and model LRAD do you have, what are the guidelines for when these may be used, what training is provided, and how can you assure that your deputies and innocent bystanders won’t be hurt?

GORE: Our deputies have the required training.

He indicated that he did not consider LRAD technology to be a non-lethal weapon, such as tasers and pepper spray, then deferred other questions on this topic pending results of a public records request submitted by ECM.

However, Defense Update, a British defense contracting publication, lists LRADs as “non-lethal directed energy weapons. The publication states: “LRAD works like a highly directional, high power megaphone, able to blast sounds (such as crowd-dispersal instructions in Arabic) in a narrow beam and with great clarity at a deafening 150 decibels (5 times the human threshold of pain). LRAD can also create deafening noises which can incapacitate people within 300 meters by “firing” short bursts of intense acoustic energy.”

An article from Atomic Scientists at describes the device’s “ear-piercing siren” and confirms it has been used by U.S. Marines in Fallujah. The device has also been used by New York City Police for crowd control during the Republican National Convention. A technology article at GovPro.com states that the LRAD system “transmits powerful deterrent tones, by which piercing sound can cause pain, nausea, disorientation and possibly even hearing damage.”

Our records search confirmed that the Sheriff’s Deparment purchased an LRAD 500-X and on-site training instruction for $37,500 on July 21, 2008 supplied by the Lorimar Group, which signed an LRAD reseller agreement with ATC in 2006. In responses to questions asking whether the deterrent sound feature has been deployed locally or whether any complaints of harm have been received, the Sheriff’s office responded that no such records are available.

The manufacturer’s specifications indicate that “The superior voice intelligibility and clarity of LRAD 500X provides a directional audio beam that can communicate with 100% intelligibility over 88 dB of background noise beyond 300 meters and capable of communicating over 2000 meters away in a benign environment. LRAD 500X operators have the ability to issue clear, authoritative verbal commands, followed with powerful deterrent tones to enhance response capabilities.” Moreover, the spec sheet indicates the device has a frequenty range of +/- 5dB over a 500 to 5kHz range, with a maximum volume of 148dB at 1 meter continuous and over 95 dB at 300 meters.

Ironically, the devices positioned at healthcare reform rallies hosted by Congressional members Susan Davis and Darrell Issa have the potential to cause serious health harm if its sonic crowd control feature is deployed, one medical professional informed East county Magazine.  Dr. Mike Copass Sr. (father of radio personality Mike Copass) confirmed that “148 db, the max sound of the 500x ATC LRAD, will damage/destroy human hearing and damage, potentially, the brain.”

That detail hasn’t deterred sales.  ATC media and industrial relations representative Robert Putnam informed Liberty One Media that “Business is looking really good.” He said thousands of LRAD models have been sold worldwide, hundreds have been sold in California, and that two or three units have been sold within San Diego County, but declined to release agency names.

In an interview with East County Magazine, Putman initially denied that the Sheriff’s office had been sold an LRAD made by ATC. But when informed that Sheriff’s documents confirm the purchase, he said the company uses distributors—raising the question of how many more devices have been sold—and to whom. “ATC has 95% of the LRAD market which we helped create. Before, there was really no acoustic hailing and warning device,” he added.

Putnam objected to the term “sonic cannon”, responding, “It’s not a sound cannon. It gets their attention and hopefully gets them to comply.”

He also denied that the company’s LRADs can cause hearing problems or other health concerns. “No, not true,” he said. “You’d have to be in close proximity for several minutes in order to have any damage at all. If you willingly stand in that beam for an extended situation, then that’s your choice. There’s no way a large crowd would stay.” He said the company provides hands-on training to customers and has not had any lawsuits filed over damaged related to LRADs. The company is now offering a hand-held model, he added, which costs about $5,000 and can emit noise levels up to 135 dB. The device can also be adapted to have a high-powered light, infrared night vision, or the ability to translate commands into a foreign language.

Bullhorns are ineffective in large crowds, carrying only 20-25 yards and suffering distortion, he said. “With our LRAD, you are good to up to three kilometers. The 500-x is good for about a kilometer or a kilometer and a half.” Activation of the deterrent tone is a function of the volume control, not a separate switch, he confirmed. “But they are also highly directional, so people operating them don’t get anywhere near.”

He defended use of the technology as a non-lethal way to provide warnings and to prevent innocent people from being harmed, such as fishermen who venture too close to a military vessel, international border, or nuclear station. “The whole point is to save lives,” he said. “If you’re a bad guy and keep coming, or wear protective headgear and keep coming, then you know they are not there innocently and you ratchet up the response.”

He also revealed potential new domestic uses for the LRAD technology. “We are also excited to save wildlife,” Putnam said. “We are working on trial tests to clear birds out of runways because when a jet is taking off or landing, that’s when it is most vulnerable to a bird strike.” Such technology could potentially save passenger and crew lives as well. He also predicts the technology could be useful to prevent bird deaths from drinking tainted water at mining tailing ponds or flying into wind turbine blades at wind farms, as well as preventing damage to solar panels from bird defecations. Birds would not suffer damage unless exposed to the deterrent signal tone for several minutes, added.

Seattle Weekly has warned that an LRAD device could be “an extremely attractive implement of torture in the wrong hands—or an equally alluring engine of light terrorism in others. Imagine how easily a miscreant could trash any sort of outdoor gathering.”

That concern raises troubling questions about just how closely ATC screens potential buyers of its long-range acoustical devices.

San Diego Life Guard Mike Russell told Liberty One Radio that life guards were approached by ATC about purchasing an LRAD unit similar to the LRAD-500x seen at the Susan Davis rally.  An ATC sales represented “tried to sell it to the Lifeguard service for focused warnings in the middle of crowds or in the water,” he recalled, adding that the equipment was not purchased due to the high cost.

Asked by East County Magazine whether the sales rep disclosed the unit’s weapons capacity, Russell replied, “I was just told that it could be used “like an audio laser-beam” to speak to an individual or small group up to 300 yards away, without disturbing the people all along the beach. This seemed like great potential, people entering ripc urrents, or even in rip currents, could be communicated with, without disturbing the rest of the beach with the traditional loud speakers.” He added, “I wasn’t informed about any dangers to hearing, but I was just listening to the sales pitch guy indirectly…Perhaps the senior staff were informed.” A call to a senior lifeguard official was not returned by press deadline.

Liberty One Media (a politically progressive media outlet currently posting podcasts online while raising funds to purchase a broadcast station) sent an e-mail to ATC inquiring about purchasing an LRAD for use at concerts. The manufacturer sent sales literature, including a technical specification sheet, without warning about potential weapons usage—or inquiring about backgrounds of those seeking to purchase the product.

At least one use of an LRAD deterrent sound system used against a civilian crowd of demonstrators by riot police in the former Soviet-block nation of Georgia has been recorded on video.

Watch this video of a Sonic Weapon in use: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4UM6vuEf4o&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fnoworldsystem%2Ecom%2Fcategory%2Flrad%2F&feature=player_embedded#t=123.