[url]http://www.sacbee.com/state_wire/story/1348534p-1418064c.html[/url]

Supervisors critical of ATF agents response in August shootout

Published 5:20 a.m. PST Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2001
LOS ANGELES (AP) - County supervisors blamed federal agents for their tactics during a standoff with a man barricaded in his home last August who shot and killed a sheriff's deputy.
An internal report was given to supervisors Tuesday by sheriff's officials about the Aug. 31 shooting. Deputy Hagop Kuredjian was killed as he helped fellow deputies and agents from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms surround a house in the Santa Clarita Valley, north of Los Angeles. The man inside the home, James Allen Beck, began firing at officers, killing Kuredjian. Beck, 35, barricaded himself in his home following the shootout and authorities said he died in an ensuing fire.

Supervisor Mike Antonovich questioned the response of ATF agents who were serving a search warrant at Beck's home. Supervisors criticized the agents for underestimating the potential of Beck, a felon with a history of impersonating law enforcement officers and stockpiling weapons.

"As a result of their actions, we lost a very fine deputy," said Antonovich, who requested the report.

The federal agency has not completed its own investigation. A shooting review board will be convened to determine how the four-hour gun battle started.

Transcripts of conversations between Beck and authorities also were released as part of the sheriff's report. "I'm not going to prison for life," Beck allegedly told a deputy. "I am sorry I had to take out one of your guys . . . It's your fault. You guys did this . . .

"I am not going down. This is going to be a mini-Waco. Bring on the sheriff's SWAT team."

The sheriff's investigation also revealed that 18 deputies and seven federal agents fired more than 500 rounds of ammunition. Beck fired "hundreds if not thousands" of rounds, the report said.

ATF agents conducted a search of Beck's home last year but no weapons were found. They did not believe Beck would cause any problems when they searched his home in August.

1. This is a disturbing phrase...it sounds like they're trying to demonize the guy without facts.  If they have the facts, use them, otherwise don't spread info that doesn't have a basis to support it.
2. It's been nearly 4 months, you think they'd have some idea by now

I remember the guy falsely claimed to be a us marshall, but wasn't there something about him actually being ex-dea, maybe needed to be hushed about something?

That was somebodies fantasy...

But when the ATF report comes out it is going to point out what everyone saw on TV... the guys with the 40mms had body armor with SHERIFF in big yellow letters on the back!  They were the ones who burned his place down with him in it.  This is just a case of LA county trying to weasel out of the huge law suit they see coming down the pike.

Mike Antonavich is extreamly gun phobic- I am sure he wonders why a tank wasnt used to serve the original warrent[rolleyes]

That was a goat-screw of monumental proportions on everyone's part. Beck wasn't the one who fired thousands of rounds, it was the sheriff's dept. LASD deputies who arrived at the scene had no idea which house Beck was in, so they opened up on the neighbor's houses on either side. A young couple with a newborn baby cowered in their upstairs bathroom while the SD shot up their house (lucky they weren't injured/killed). One of the residents from down the street pointed out the LASD's mistake and they eventually stopped shooting up the wrong houses.

The LACSO is trying to hide behind the ATF's notoriety, even though in this case the ATF did nothing wrong. I know some people will find it shocking but it DOES happen occasionally.

Why is it that people always call and area LA (Los Angeles) just because it is in the same state?  Most of these places including Long Beach, Orange County, and San Diego are located a good couple of hours drives away.  Yet anytime something happens in the boonies, it another breaking LA story.  No wonder LA has such a crazy reputation.  Los Angeles county is big, but not that big.  The city of LA is even smaller.  Who knows where Santa Clarita is.  For all I know its probably somewhere near San Fransisco, "just (8 hours) North of LA."

Is there a point to this or are you just blathering?

The biggest mistake was broadcasting a 911 "Shots fired" call by the Sheriffs' dispatch so that a motor cop rolls up to the scene unaware of the nature of the situation. That mistake cost a life.

The rest is just history.

Always a critic.--See below.