Beyond 90 Seconds

Update (June 13, 7:47am PST): Unedited aerial video of funeral procession from Phoenix TV helicopter (azfamily.com)

Update (June 12, 9:25am PST): This is a link to The Officer Down Memorial Page, Inc. entry for TPD Officer Erik David Hite. In addition to the main page, the “Reflections” page is a worthy read.

Update (June 10, 4:53pm PST): On the hottest day so far this year, many Tucsonans lined the streets to say farewell to fallen Tucson Police Officer Erik Hite.

As the mercury climbed to 106 degrees, a massive funeral procession made its way through the city’s eastside. At least one local media outlet reported that the procession was “11 miles long.”

The following video of the procession was shot along Speedway Boulevard near Prudence Road.

Slain Tucson Police Officer Erik Hite will be laid to rest today. The video that appears in this post features scenes from a roadside memorial this morning. It concludes with information about viewing today’s memorial service on the Internet.

If you would like to view all of my coverage of this story, please click here. *Once the new page opens, please scroll down to view archives.

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update (June 10): Remembering Officer Erik Hite (*video*)

update: KVOA reports its live coverage will begin at 9:30am Tuesday.

A memorial service honoring the life of Tucson Police Officer Erik Hite will be streamed live on the Internet. KVOA-TV (NBC) and KOLD-TV (CBS) both report that they will provide live coverage on their respective Web sites Tuesday morning. The memorial service is scheduled to begin at 10am.

Investigators say Officer Hite, 43, was ambushed and fatally wounded Sunday, June 1. He is survived by his wife and two children (including a daughter who turned one-year-old June 7.).

Officer Hite had served in the military for 21-years prior to serving the Tucson Police Department for four years.

Two deputies from the Pima County Sheriff’s Office were also shot in the June 1 rampage. Their injuries are not life threatening.

The shooting spree started on Tucson’s northwest side. A pursuit of the suspect’s vehicle stretched across the city, and finally ended when 25-year-old David Nickolas Delich surrendered to authorities on the Mt. Lemmon Highway.

Investigators say Delich was heavily-armed.

The suspect has two myspace accounts. On one myspace site, Delich is pictured with two rifles. Another picture provides a look at the rifles and numerous rounds of ammunition. Investigators say the pictures appear to have been posted on myspace June 1 (the same day as the shooting rampage).

Tucson television station KGUN (ABC) reports that it plans to provide live TV coverage of Officer Hite’s memorial service (as will KVOA & KOLD). It does not appear KGUN will be providing live coverage on its Web site.

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Update (June 12): Alleged shooter’s father writes to victims (Arizona Daily Star)

Update (June 12): Delich documents say searches turned up guns, ammo, pot (Arizona Daily Star)

Update (June 10): Remembering Officer Erik Hite (*videos*)

Update (June 6): Witnesses say killer laughed as he fired (Arizona Daily Star)

A man accused of killing an officer and wounding two sheriff’s deputies Sunday was laughing and making snide remarks during and after the shooting spree that spanned 20 miles, reports released Thursday state. -Arizona Daily Star

The short answer to the question in the headline is, “deadly.” And while I’m not yet aware of any evidence that any of the pictured weapons were used in the shooting spree that killed a Tucson police officer, I wanted to learn the names of the weapons in the picture above.

The photo is featured on David Nickolas Delich’s myspace page. Investigators say Delich shot three law enforcement officers Sunday, fatally wounding TPD Officer Erik Hite.

While I know very little about guns and rifles, I do know someone who is both very familiar with firearms and highly-trained in the proper use of them. Because he’s also somewhat well-known to factions of the Tucson community, he has asked that I not identify him here.

Here is what my source told me about the weapons featured in the picture:

Rifle on the floor, in the back ground:
Polish Tantal, caliber 5.45×39mm

Rifle on the floor, in the foreground:
Bulgarian RPK, caliber 5.45×39mm

Assorted magazines for both on the floor also appear to be Bulgarian manufacture.
Round capacities are both 30 rounds and some that are 45 round capacities.

About these rifles, do not think that Polish or Bulgarian made military rifles are available here on the firearms market. These weapons are imported into the United States in the form of parts kits with the receiver (the metal box holding the trigger mechanism) cut and removed. There is a whole industry in the US to then build these rifles into federally compliant firearms, meaning semi-auto firing, not fully automatic firing weapons. There is a company called K-Var: http://www.k-var.com/shop/
and they sell, and sold weapon parts kits, magazines, etc in the past. One of the other companies that made receivers, the box that holds the guts of the weapons is NoDak Spud: http://www.nodakspud.com/

All of these are of course legal weapons from that I can see and from what I have heard there never was any report of Delich using fully automatic weapons on the day of his rampage.

So, based on what my source is telling me, these are all legal weapons. Perhaps they were all legally obtained, too.

Maybe not.

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Update (June 10): Remembering Officer Erik Hite (videos)

Update (June 6): Witnesses say killer laughed as he fired (Arizona Daily Star)

Delich told detectives his MySpace screen name was “Bogoljub.” His last log-in was the day of the shooting, and the pictures of him in camouflage with guns appeared to have been taken that day as well. -Arizona Daily Star

Update (June 5, 2:41pm): What are those weapons featured on Delich’s myspace page?

Update (June 5, 9:41am): Delich’s “other” myspace site (user name “zeljko”). Videos on Muslim topics will no longer play. Link to Serbian site. More plants…
(*special thanks to Beyond90Seconds.com reader “Bonnie” for this tip)

Update (June 3, 1:10pm): The Tucson Citizen has dug-up more disturbing content on murder suspect David Nickolas Delich’s myspace site, to include this entry dated February 22, 2008:

(please note: a link to VIDEO appears at the end of this post)

(Tucson, Arizona) David Nickolas Delich had apparently not logged into his myspace account since Sunday, June 1, 2008; the same day investigators say he shot three law enforcement officers, fatally wounding one of them.

But it appeared someone logged-in to the account shortly after 3:30 this morning. It’s a moment I recorded on video.

The video also includes two photos of Delich with weapons. A third picture appears to be aimed at showcasing his effort to display his arsenal.

A caption beneath one of these photos states, I love you bella donna.

Is bella donna a porn star?

Or, perhaps, a highly toxic and mind-altering plant?

Delich’s myspace site features many pictures of a green plant.

Before watching the video, I hope you’ll read the brief article above it.

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