About a minute later, one of the SWAT team members who had swarmed around the machine reported hearing a single gunshot from inside the sealed cab. "Had these tanks ruptured and exploded, anyone within one-half mile of the explosion could have been endangered", the sheriff's department said; within such a range were 12 police officers and residents of a senior citizens complex. Heemeyer had been feuding with Granby officials, particularly over fines for violating city ordinances and a zoning dispute regarding a concrete factory constructed opposite to his muffler shop that had caused his business to fail. Attempts to disable the bulldozer's cameras with gunfire failed as the bullets were unable to penetrate the 3-inch (7.6 cm) bulletproof plastic. [1] Onboard fans and an air conditioner were used to keep Heemeyer cool while driving and compressed air nozzles were fitted to blow dust away from the video cameras. He had recorded several tapes recounting his experience in Granby and why he had decided to become so violent. He was fined for several violations on his land, the most glaring of them that he had not hooked up his place to the sewer line. [2][5], One officer dropped a flash-bang grenade down the bulldozer's exhaust pipe, with no apparent effect. All told, his rampage caused more than $7 million worth of damage to structures and vehicles in the community, though in the minds of some, every bit of it was warranted. "I think God will bless me to get the machine done, to drive it, to do the stuff that I have to do," he said. "I was always willing to be reasonable until I had to be unreasonable", Heemeyer wrote. "God blessed me in advance for the task that I am about to undertake. "[23], "Man who bulldozed through Colo. town is dead", "Granby Rampage Damage Expected To Exceed several Million", "Crews Begin Dismantling Granby Bulldozer", "Rampager was surprised his plans went unnoticed", "Rampages – Tanks, Bulldozers, Whatever You Got! At one point during the rampage, Undersheriff Glenn Trainor managed to climb atop the bulldozer and rode the bulldozer "like a bronc-buster, trying to figure out a way to get a bullet inside the dragon". On June 4, 2004, Heemeyer drove his armored bulldozer through the wall of his former business, the concrete plant, the Town Hall, the office of the local newspaper that editorialized against him, the home of a former judge's widow, and a hardware store owned by another man Heemeyer named in a lawsuit, as well as others. Twelve police officers and residents of a senior citizens complex were within such a range. [9], For visibility, the bulldozer was fitted with several video cameras linked to two monitors mounted on the vehicle's dashboard. Alex Hollings writes on a breadth of subjects with an emphasis on defense technology, foreign policy, and information warfare. This is where the legend of the Killdozer tends to part ways with reality in some accounts. The most important example is that of the town library, which Heemeyer destroyed meaninglessly and, at the time, there were children in the building. [1], For visibility, the bulldozer was fitted with several video cameras linked to two monitors mounted on the vehicle's dashboard. This all sounds like a small business owner getting muscled out by a town zoning commission and big business (and there may be some truth to that narrative), but Heemeyer also found himself trapped on that two-acre plot of land through his own lack of foresight and, some could argue, greed. Three external explosions and more than 200 rounds of ammunition fired at the bulldozer had no effect on it. We understand ads might not be why you’re here, but our ad revenue is one of the ways we keep the lights on and our veteran writing staff paid. Picture Credit: ‘Tread’ on Netflix Aged 52, Marvin Heemeyer was the only man to die that day. "God built me for this job," Heemeyer said in the first recording. A legend muffler shop owner got on revenge on local government He was an insane badass motherfucker with an arc welder and a mad desire for vengeance at all costs, and he decided he wasn't going to take it anymore. This juryrigged system allowed him to remotely see outside and steer this juggernaut effectively. [3], John Bauldree, a friend of Heemeyer, said that Heemeyer was an enjoyable person. Heemeyer reportedly took shots at … According to reports, journalists in the newspaper office Heemeyer destroyed were still fleeing the building out the back door as he came through the front wall. At the town library, for example, a children's program was in progress when the incident began. From there, he drove directly into and through the concrete plant across the way, before setting off into town. What ensured this ironic reality? Heemeyer had shot himself. [2] According to a neighbor, Heemeyer moved to town over 10 years prior to the incident. The tapes were released by the Grand County Sheriff's Office on August 31, 2004. Attempts to disable the bulldozer's cameras with gunfire failed as the bullets were unable to penetrate the 3-inch bullet-resistant plastic. [1] The coroner stated that Heemeyer used his .357-caliber handgun in the suicide. Eventually, after years of petitions, appeals and negotiations that proved about as fruitful as smashing his face into a cinderblock, the bastards at the Granby Zoning Commission basically told Marv that he could go fuck himself gently with a chainsaw. He also kept a 9mm pistol in the glove box and a .357 revolver in a holster on his belt. Chri… He then enclosed those cameras inside three inches of bullet resistant plastic to ensure law enforcement couldn’t shoot them out. Heemeyer had bought a bulldozer two years before the incident with the intention of using it to build an alternative route to his muffler shop, but city officials rejected his request to build the road. Christie Baker said that Heemeyer threatened her husband after he refused to pay for a faulty muffler repair. How do you see him? [1] Authorities initially speculated that he may have used a homemade crane – found in his garage – to lower the armor hull over the dozer and himself. In 2001, the zoning commission and the town's trustees approved the construction of a cement manufacturing plant. Heemeyer unsuccessfully appealed the decision, claiming the construction blocked access to his shop. [3], John Bauldree, a friend of Heemeyer's, said that he was a likable person. Others offered different views. According to the police, it included the buildings he destroyed, the local Catholic church (which he did not damage), and the names of various people who had sided against him in past disputes. Q4 SOFREP Sweepstakes - Over $4,000 in prizes - Click here for more information → [14], Defenders of Heemeyer's contended that he made a point of not hurting anybody during his bulldozer rampage;[1] Ian Daugherty, a bakery owner, said Heemeyer "went out of his way" not to harm anyone. Eleven out of the thirteen buildings that Heemeyer had bulldozed were occupied at the time of the attack and it was only because they were alarmed on time that they managed to run for their lives. [7], Heemeyer's bulldozer was a modified Komatsu D355A,[8] which he referred to as the "MK Tank" in audio recordings, fitted with makeshift armor plating covering the cabin, engine, and parts of the tracks. [1] Compressed-air nozzles were fitted to blow dust away from the video cameras. Heemeyer lived in Grand Lake, Colorado, about Template:Convert/mi away from Granby.According to a neighbor, Heemeyer moved to town over 10 years prior to the incident. Heemeyer soon upped the ante again, reportedly demanding a deal worth as much as a million dollars to get him to leave his two-acre plot. [8] It was planned that individual pieces would be dispersed to many separate scrap yards to prevent admirers of Heemeyer from taking souvenirs. [citation needed], On April 19, 2005, it was announced that Heemeyer's bulldozer was being taken apart for scrap metal. Over 700 hours of military entertainment and video content, 12 free e-books, breaking news from the front lines and exclusive interviews with the people in charge. [20] The first recording was made on April 13, 2004.
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