FBI
Man Gets Probation for Taking Hostage by Knifepoint at FBI Office in Salt Lake City
By Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com A man who took a hostage at gunpoint at the FBI’s office in Salt Lake City in an attempt to get help from the bureau has been sentenced to three years of probation, the Salt Lake City Tribune reports. Robert Joseph Hibbard, 43, avoided jail in a plea agreement with prosecutors…
FBI Busts Training Facility for Pit Bulls As Part of Cocaine Investigation in South Carolina
By Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com FBI agents listening to wiretaps of alleged cocaine dealers in South Carolina discovered a large training facility for fighting pit bulls in Lexington County, the Charlotte Observer reports. During the raid, agents seized 48 pit bills, many of them emaciated and tied to chains outside. On Oct. 1, the same investigation…
Veteran FBI Agent with Doctorate in Physical Chemistry to Take Over San Diego Field Office
By Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com FBI agent Eric S. Birnbaum, a 26-year-veteran of the bureau, will take over San Diego’s field office. The Times of San Diego reports that Birnbaum has been named to succeed Daphne Hearn, who retired in August. Birnbaum has a bachelor’s degree in math from Miami University in Ohio and a doctorate…
Homeland Security Chief: Fewer Immigrants Crossing Border But Threat of Terrorism Exists
By Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said fewer immigrants are crossing the border because of increased security efforts, but he emphasized that other threats require a strong law enforcement presence, the Arizona Capitol Times reports. The good news is that illegal immigration is falling. “Put simply, it’s now much harder to cross…
FBI Offers $5,000 Reward in Search for High-Powered Guns Stolen from Agent’s Car
By Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com The FBI is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the recovery of two high-powered weapons and body armor from an FBI agent’s car in North Carolina, WSOCTV.com reports. The shotgun and rifle were stolen from the agent’s car sometime between midnight and 8 a.m. Monday in the Hunter Oaks…
Why Would Someone Ambush, Shoot 2 Pennsylvania State Troopers? Special Agent Offers Insight
By Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com It’s still anyone’s guess why someone would ambush two Pennsylvania state troopers and then shoot them with a high-caliber rifle on Sept. 12. One special agent with the FBI offered some insight into the suspect – 31-year-old Eric Matthew Frein. Frein lived with his parents and likely was unsatisfied with life, said…
New Technology Will Enable Law Enforcement Officers to Quickly Analyze DNA Swabs
By Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com Awaiting DNA results can be frustrating for law enforcement. But the FBI hopes to change that by expediting the process using the government’s new biometric identification database, Biometric Update reports. The FBI is accelerating the collection of DNA profiles for the Next Generation Identification System. Law enforcement officers will be able…
Retired FBI Special Agent Becomes Chief of Huntington Police Department in West Virginia
By Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com Joe Ciccarelli, a retired FBI special agent, is taking over as the Huntington Police Department’s new police chief, Metro News reports. Ciccarelli got his start in law enforcement with the Huntington Police Department in West Virginia. “Joe Ciccarelli understands our city, our opportunities and our challenges,” Huntington Mayor Steve Williams said…