PART 3 OF 4
[Michael Moses Ward] We used to play on the roof.
[William H. Brown, III] You used to play on the roof a lot?
[Michael Moses Ward] A lot of times.
[William H. Brown, III] Now, you said something about a bunker.
[Michael Moses Ward] Mm-hmm.
[William H. Brown, III] How many bunkers were there on the roof?
[Michael Moses Ward] Two.
[William H. Brown, III] Two? And do you know what they were made of?
[Michael Moses Ward] Tree wood, and regular wood, and then we put steel on it, and then we put plyboard on it.
[William H. Brown, III] What kind of holes did they have in the bunkers?
[Michael Moses Ward] Like the bunker was halfway over the roof like this, and you could look down. You could see up the street in the – all over.
[William H. Brown, III] Do you know what those holes were for?
[Michael Moses Ward] They said for shooting holes.
***
[THE COMMISSION BROUGHT IN A MODEL OF OSAGE AVENUE TO HELP CLARIFY WITNESSES’ TESTIMONY]
[Fire Commissioner William Richmond] That bunker you see there is kind of a toyish-looking thing, and I will tell you on Osage Avenue, it commanded the scene. It overlooked and overpowered anything you may – you can imagine. It was awesome.
***
[Police Provocateur] There’s been talk that there are explosives in this house. Uh, is there any truth to that?
[Ramona Africa, MOVE member] That’s only people’s, you know, hallucination, because they have not been inside this house. So they would not know what is in this house. What is in this house is the strategy of John Africa that is very explosive.
[Police Provocateur] Is it a confrontation?
[Ramona Africa, MOVE member] It most certainly is a confrontation, one strategized by John Africa years and years and years ago.
***
[Commission Counsel William B. Lytton, Esq.] Commissioner, could you tell us what the lessons were that you felt were learned in the 1978 confrontation from your point of view?
[Police Commissioner Gregore Sambor] From my point of view, sir, was that MOVE was a group who was bent by virtue of their dogma and by their actions of destroying civilized activity and ability to live in a neighborhood peacefully.
***
[POLICE ADMINISTRATION BUILDING]
[Female Pro-Police Reporter] Tonight, there are growing concerns about the controversial group, MOVE. City officials met today for the second straight day to discuss strategy.
[Male Pro-Police Reporter] Sources reveal that Philadelphia District Attorney has now prepared the warrants that are legally necessary to evict MOVE members from their home. Once those warrants are signed by a judge, action by police to evict MOVE could come at pretty much any time.
[The city’s case for eviction was based in part on information from two confidential informants – Louise James and LaVerne Sims.]
***
[Commission Counsel William B. Lytton, Esq.] Do you know a police officer by the name of Delores Thompson?
[Louise James, Former MOVE member] Yes, I do.
[Commission Counsel William B. Lytton, Esq.] Do you recall telling her that your son Frank was ordered to attack you, that you were beaten until you started to vomit violently, that Frank then placed a pillow over your face and asked John Africa if he wanted you to be cycled or killed, and that John Africa replied, “Not at this time”?
[Louise James, Former MOVE member] Did she tell you that I said that?
[Commission Counsel William B. Lytton, Esq.] I have her report of that conversation, Mrs. James.
[Louise James, Former MOVE member] Okay. Well, if she – were you satisfied with what she said?
[Commission Counsel William B. Lytton, Esq.] I’m asking you.
[Louise James, Former MOVE member] Okay. I heard rumors to the effect that my son had beaten me. I’ve also heard rumors to the effect that Wilson Goode put his wife’s jaw on a pulley, that he beat the hell out of her. Will you ask Mayor Goode that when he comes in here if he in fact beat his wife? And if not, why not? If it is relevant that my son beat me or whether or not he did beat me, then I would say it is just as relevant for you to ask Wilson Goode when he comes in here, “Did he beat his wife?” I don’t think you’re gonna ask him that. I really don’t. But you should, if you feel that it is relevant.
[Laverne Sims, Former MOVE member] Mr. Lytton, I just want to make it clear in my mind so that I understand. Am I to assume that the bomb was dropped on MOVE people because Frank beat his mother?
[Commission Counsel William B. Lytton, Esq.] Ma’am, we’re trying to find out what happened, and we’ll continue asking questions.
[Laverne Sims, Former MOVE member] Oh. Okay.
[D.A. RENDELL PURSUED CHARGES OF DISORDERLY CONDUCT, PAROLE VIOLATION, CRIMINAL CONSPIRACY, AND TERRORISTIC THREATS. ON MAY 12, 1985, POLICE BEGAN TO EVACUATE OSAGE AVE. AND THE SURROUNDING AREA.]
***
[Harvey Clarke, Reporter] Of course, on Mother’s Day, the evacuation has been slow. People had plans for today. A few had decided that they’d stay and not evacuate. But police have now apparently advised those people that they think it’s best that they leave.
[Black Man] I hope that it’s resolved quickly, and have all confidence that the mayor’s going to be doing the right thing.
PEOPLE SAY they don't care about politics; they're not involved or don't want to get involved, but they are. Their involvement just masquerades as indifference or inattention. It is the silent acquiescence of the millions that supports the system. When you don't oppose a system, your silence becomes approval, for it does nothing to interrupt the system. People use all sorts of excuses for their indifference. They even appeal to God as a shorthand route for supporting the status quo. They talk about law and order. But look at the system, look at the present social "order" of society. Do you see God? Do you see law and order? There is nothing but disorder, and instead of law there is only the illusion of security. It is an illusion because it is built on a long history of injustices: racism, criminality, and the enslavement and genocide of millions. Many people say it is insane to resist the system, but actually, it is insane not to.
-- Death Blossoms: Reflections From a Prisoner of Conscience, by Mumia Abu-Jamal
[Earl Watkins] I wouldn’t mind staying myself, you see. But I was told to leave, just ‘cause he don’t know what the extent of this is going to be, you know.
[Male Reporter] What do you think?
[Earl Watkins] I think – believe it or not, I think you’ll have to kill all of them.
Black Americans have always aspired to succeed like White Americans but they have always been aware of the obstacles facing them because of their status or race (Ferman, Kornbluh and Miller, 1968; Myrdal, 1944; Ogbu, 1978; Rowan, 1967; Sochen, 1972). Another obstacle is the "burden of 'acting White.'" Before and after emancipation, as well as after the civil rights movement, they responded to this obstacle with one of the five culturally patterned strategies or copings described earlier: assimilation, accommodation without assimilation, ambivalence, resistance of opposition and encapsulation. Clearly, resistance or opposition has always been just one of the coping responses. It is probably by no means the most prevalent coping strategy during any of the periods.
-- Collective Identity and the Burden of "Acting White" in Black History, Community, and Education, by John U. Ogbu
[Casey, Female Reporter] And neighbors have been told by police not to return to their homes for 24 hours. That’s 10:00 tomorrow night. Now, what will happen between now and then remains to be seen. Charles.
[Charles, Reporter] And, Casey, some of the neighbors, as they were leaving, said to me that as they were going, leaving the neighborhood, the MOVE people were sitting out in front of the MOVE house, the children in hand. Perhaps that was a subtle or not-so-subtle indication of what’s happening here.
***
[Commission Counsel William B. Lytton, Esq.] Did you consider, sir, that at least in 1978, the members of the MOVE organization who were at the Powelton Village house had used their children, uh, as if they were hostages?
[Police Commissioner Gregore Sambor] No, sir, I did not.
[Commission Counsel William B. Lytton, Esq.] You’ve said they came out holding their children up as shields. Uh, I’m not an expert in police science, but I think to the layman, that might suggest that they were using their children as a hostage. That’s why I’m asking you why you did not consider that.
[Police Commissioner Gregore Sambor] They were using them simply as a ploy, and using that philosophy, that feeling that we had for the sanctity of children and everyone else, to our disadvantage.
***
[Louise James, Former MOVE member] I do not want to wake up tomorrow morning and find myself short one son, because if this thing kicks off, you’re going to have bodies strewn every which way. You’re going to have children killed, and you’re going to have adults killed. I am very much afraid you’re going to have blood-soaked streets.
***
[Ed Rendell, Philadelphia District Attorney] Every one of us knew that there was an extraordinarily high likelihood that someone was going to die. We didn’t know whether it was going to be a policeman. We didn’t know whether it was going to be a fireman. We didn’t know whether it was going to be a MOVE member. The worse dread of all was that it was going to be a child or a neighbor or a bystander. I don’t know if anyone on this panel has ever had the responsibility of saying “go” to a plan that you know is going to cost human lives. Until you’ve done that, it’s very difficult to gauge whether the city officials were right or wrong in what they did.
The sadistic aggressive personality (see my categorization in Character Disturbance) is a most unique aggressive personality sub-type. All of the aggressive personalities hurt people. That’s because in their relentless, thoughtless, and undisciplined pursuit of their self-serving agendas, they’re quite willing to run over those whom they perceive as standing in their way. They’ll do whatever it takes to “win,” secure the dominant position, or get something they want. Still, for most of the aggressive personalities, causing pain and injury to others is not their primary objective. Triumph is their ultimate aim, even if someone has to get hurt in the process. Sadistic-aggressive personalities, however, are primarily interested in hurting, degrading, demeaning, and inflicting agony upon others. And making someone else grovel is not only the major way sadists secure the dominant position their relationships but also an activity they truly enjoy.
-- Demeaning as a Lifestyle: The Sadistic Aggressive, by Dr. Simon
***
[William H. Brown, III] Did you all have meetings where you would discuss what to do if the police came?
[Michael Moses Ward] Mm-mmm. Not us.
[William H. Brown, III] Not the children? How about the adults? How about the grown-ups?
[Michael Moses Ward] They were to be upstairs by theirself when they had their meetings.
[William H. Brown, III] When they had their meetings? How often would they have their meetings?
[Michael Moses Ward] A lot of times.
[William H. Brown, III] A lot of times? Did you ever sit in on – Were you ever in any of their meetings? Did you ever know what went on in those meetings?
[Michael Moses Ward] Mm-mmm.
[William H. Brown, III] What is a confrontation? Do you know?
[Michael Moses Ward] Like it was.
[William H. Brown, III] But what happens when you have a confrontation?
[Michael Moses Ward] When the cops come and stuff.
***
4. “It’s like another – another Vietnam out here.” – Harvey Clark, WCAU
[May 13, 1985 – 3:30 A.M.]
[Reverend Paul Washington] What did you believe they might have had by way of firearms in that house?
[William Stewart, Philadelphia Police] We were led to believe that they had automatic firearms. Shotguns. I guess just as well as equipped as we were.
[Reverend Paul Washington] Mm-hmm. And so based on what you believed they had, then you went prepared to match?
[William Stewart, Philadelphia Police] To match or better than.
[Reverend Paul Washington] Or to have superior?
[William Stewart, Philadelphia Police] That’s correct, sir.
***
[Dennis Woltering, Pro-Police Reporter] We interrupt regular programming for this special report. I’m Dennis Woltering with Harvey Clarke at 62nd and Vine, where authorities continue preparations for an apparent confrontation with the radical group, MOVE. Let me tell you what’s happened so far this morning. About two hours ago, about 3:30 a.m., utility crews moved into the area, shut off gas and electricity. SWAT teams have been converging on the area. You can see a fire truck behind me with a deluge gun pointed back that way. It’s aimed, apparently, at the MOVE house. It looks like the scene is set.
[POLICE COMMISSIONER SAMBOR HAD PREPARED AN ANNOUNCEMENT FOR THE PEOPLE INSIDE THE HOUSE. IT BEGAN, “ATTENTION, MOVE, THIS IS AMERICA.”]
***
[Police Commissioner Gregore Sambor] I got on my stomach, and with the bullhorn, I read the message. And to be quite frank, I was sweating it out.
***
[William H. Brown, III] What did Commissioner Sambor say, do you know?
[Michael Moses Ward] He was telling them to come out.
[William H. Brown, III] Did you hear him saying that?
[Michael Moses Ward] [Nods his head yes.]
***
[MOVE woman over loudspeaker] You’ve been persecuting this family for seventeen goddamn years. You’ve been locking us up when you know we ain’t guilty. Let our people go. Y’all gonna let our people go.
***
[Black Man] What was the response of the MOVE organization when you read the arrest warrant that they vacate the premises?
[Police Commissioner Gregore Sambor] That they would not surrender.
[Black Man] Can you tell us what else they said?
[Police Commissioner Gregore Sambor] That they would kill us all.
[Black Man] And what else did they say?
[Police Commissioner Gregore Sambor] Uh, they said that, uh – that all of our wives would be widows.
[Black Man] And what else did they say about your wives?
[Police Commissioner Gregore Sambor] They said that our wives would be sleeping with other men before the end of the day.
[Black Man] Did they describe what other kind of men?
[Police Commissioner Gregore Sambor] Yes, sir.
[Black Man] Would you tell us?
[Police Commissioner Gregore Sambor] They said that our wives would be sleeping with black men before the end of the day.
[Loudon] You're lying.
[Nikki] How do you know?
[Loudon] Your lips are moving.
-- Who's That Girl?, directed by James Foley, starring Madonna
[Black Man] Do you recall what your reaction was to those statements?
[Police Commissioner Gregore Sambor] I accepted it, sir, as some of their rhetoric and attempts to incite the police and myself to precipitous action.
***
[Harvey Clarke, Reporter] The police went in about five minutes to 6:00. Just four minutes ago, they pumped tear gas in which is in the area. The police began a deluge, which you can see here. That water’s actually being pumped in about, probably, 50 yards into the MOVE compound.
[Female Reporter] As you can see up the street, Tom, if you just pan up there, it’s a very surreal kind of scene. Very calm men standing around as the cloud of tear gas, the haze, kind of begins to lift.
Here comes some more tear gas down Addison Street. This apparently has expanded to include the entire square block. Perhaps when the cloud clears, we’ll know a little bit more.
***
[Commission Counsel William B. Lytton, Esq.] What was the plan for May 13, 1985?
[Sgt. Albert Revel, Philadelphia Police] The tactical plan, as I understood it, was to remove the MOVE people – all the people – from the house safely. That was the objective. It was to be done by causing a diversion on the roof, inserting the insertion teams on either side of the properties, and by then inducing an amount of C.S. gas in a sufficient concentration to make those people come out of the house.
Rifts developed in the department. Some supported Sambor; some did not. There were those who believed the department had been made a scapegoat, and those who resented the public praise given by MOVE commission members to Berghaier and Sgt. Albert Revel, who testified despite pressure from his peers. Fellow officers were heard calling Revel "Sgt. Reveal." Berghaier has been ostracized.
-- Post-Siege Mentality: How MOVE Changed Us, by Debbie M. Price
***
[Harvey Clarke, Reporter] The police presence here is not like it was the last time. This is being handled almost entirely by the stakeout unit.
[Gunshot]
[Harvey Clarke, Reporter] There may have just been a gunshot. The gunshots are starting right now.
[Gunfire]
[Harvey Clarke, Reporter] It sounds like automatic fire, Steve. There’s quite a bit of it. We can’t tell, Steve, at this point, exactly where the gunfire is coming from.
[Men Chattering]
[Harvey Clarke, Reporter] Okay, Steve, at this point we’re being forced to leave our position. We’ll get back to you as soon as we can.
[Male Black Reporter] Let’s go.
[Steve, Reporter] The police are now moving Harvey Clarke.
***
[Commission Counsel William B. Lytton, Esq.] Who shot first?
[Police Commissioner Gregore Sambor] They did.
[Commission Counsel William B. Lytton, Esq.] How do you know?
[Police Commissioner Gregore Sambor] Because I was there.
[Commission Counsel William B. Lytton, Esq.] I understand that. Did you see muzzle fire? I’m just trying to determine how you have that knowledge.
[Police Commissioner Gregore Sambor] No, sir, I did not. But one of the other teams reported that they were receiving hostile fire.
[Commission Counsel William B. Lytton, Esq.] Did it sound like automatic fire to you?
[Police Commissioner Gregore Sambor] It did. Yes, sir.
[Commission Counsel William B. Lytton, Esq.] And I take it you’re familiar with the sound of automatic weapons fire.
[Police Commissioner Gregore Sambor] I’ve heard automatic – Yes, sir.
[Black Reporter] Pat, as you can see, we have reestablished our live signal. Tremendous bursts of gunfire have rang out in the area of the 6200 block of Osage Avenue. Walt Hunter has joined me. And, Walter, what have you learned?
[Walt Hunter, Reporter] We have heard several popping sounds here, indicating that gunfire is getting much, much closer. But we don’t know if the guns you’re hearing are police guns, MOVE guns or other guns. About the only thing we can confirm for you at this point is that clearly, based on the nature of the shoot-out we’re seeing here this morning, MOVE did have some weaponry either in the house or nearby.
***
[POLICE LATER RECOVERED FOUR GUNS FROM THE DEBRIS OF THE MOVE HOUSE. NONE WERE CAPABLE OF AUTOMATIC FIRE.]
[Commission Counsel William B. Lytton, Esq.] As you know, Commissioner, there were no automatic weapons found in the MOVE house. Do you know whether or not the automatic weapons fire you heard was in fact from police officers?
[Police Commissioner Gregore Sambor] The firing, as initiated by MOVE, uh, was, apparently automatic fire, and I cannot explain it. But I do not believe for one minute that it was the police that were firing at that time.
[Ed Rendell, Philadelphia District Attorney] Once the MOVE members started firing, their status changed radically in the eyes of the law. They at that point became forcible felons, and there’s a whole different set of laws as to the apprehension and the amount of force that can be used in the apprehension of and the prevention of the escape of forcible felons.
[Commission Chairman William H. Brown, III] Including the children?
[Ed Rendell, Philadelphia District Attorney] No. That’s as to the adults.
***
[Michael Moses Ward] We went downstairs.
[William H. Brown, III] Did the adults tell you to go downstairs?
[Michael Moses Ward] [Nods his head yes.]
[Michael Moses Ward] And where did you go when you went downstairs?
[Michael Moses Ward] The garage.
[William H. Brown, III] Into the garage? [Nods his head yes.]
[William H. Brown, III] But where were the men?
[Michael Moses Ward] They were upstairs.
[William H. Brown, III] Do you know what they were doing?
[Michael Moses Ward] [Nods his head no.]
[THREE WOMEN, FOUR MEN, AND SIX CHILDREN WERE IN THE HOUSE DURING THE RAID.]
***
[Black Woman with Pearls] Now, we know that the children wasn’t doing any shooting. Did you feel that their rights –
[Police Commissioner Gregore Sambor] [Interrupting her] I did not know that the children were not shooting
[Black Woman with Pearls] What – Would you say that if we had children in there four, five, six years old that they would have been using any type of weapons?
[Police Commissioner Gregore Sambor] To my knowledge, there was only one that young.
***
[Walt Hunter, Reporter] We would like to tell you that the shoot-out is over. We cannot say that definitively. We can say there’s been at least a 15- or 20-minute break in the gunfights. Here comes a police car racing in right now at this moment. This is a highway patrol car racing into the scene. We don’t know what this signifies. We’d like to tell you it’s over. We really can’t right now. There has been a pause. There are indications that what has been a tremendous gunfight is over.
Looking in the trunk of this car right here –
[Gunfire]
[Walt Hunter, Reporter] There’s more gunfire right now. We’re gonna crouch down.
[Black Reporter] As you were about to say, the police are unloading as you can see right now. The police are unloading Winchester cartridge shells from the back of a highway patrol car.
***
[Commission Counsel William B. Lytton, Esq.] Do you know how many rounds were fired that day?
[Police Commissioner Gregore Sambor] No, sir. But I will say that, uh – uh, we ran out. Uh, we did not anticipate, uh, the extent of the confrontation, uh, and ran out. Uh, I don’t know what time it was, but it was some time in the morning.
***
[Black Woman] What’s happening is, it’s a shoot-out. Oh, man, and those kids and all that –
[Gunshots]
[Black Male Reporter] The gunfire is as close as it’s been since the shoot-out happened this morning. Let’s – let’s come closer. Let’s come closer and use – and crouch down behind the Eyewitness News truck.
[Woman] Oh, my God!
[Man] Get down, lady. Get down. Yeah.
[Gunfire Continues]
[POLICE USED TEN THOUSAND ROUNDS OF AMMUNITION ON MAY 13.]
[Man] Stay in the house. Stay inside.
[Black Girl] I heard shots being fired, and cops was in the alleyway. They was like, “Get in the house. Don’t come out.” I was very, very frightened.
[Black Man] You supposed to nip something in the bud. If you see something’s coming, you’re supposed to sit down and try to iron it out before something like this comes to this stage.
[Black Woman] It’s war. This is war. I’ve never seen it, but I’ve lived through it today.
[Harvey Clarke, Reporter] This woman [Louise James] – We can’t determine whether she is a relative of one of the MOVE members or not. It appeared that things had gotten calm. And then as you heard, about a minute and a half ago, another burst of gunfire.
[Walt Hunter, Reporter] This woman [Louise James] is now being taken into police custody. You’re watching it live. They are restraining her. She is hysterical and is clearly upset about what’s going on in there. Just trying to get her out of the danger area where we are on the fringes right now.
***
[Commission Counsel William B. Lytton, Esq.] Did you have a concern that the people inside of that house might be in physical danger or that their lives might be in danger?
[Louise James, Former MOVE member] Concern? We knew it.
[Commission Counsel William B. Lytton, Esq.] Miss –
[Louise James, Former MOVE member] We – Excuse me. We had – You had 200 boot-kicking, Gestapo-oriented cops out there that day. You had, that day, a police officer by the name of Mulvihill who was in the 1978, uh, tragedy, who was, in fact, one of the officers who stomped and kicked and beat and bludgeoned and shot and helmeted and kicked some more my brother, Delbert Africa.
[Commission Counsel William B. Lytton, Esq.] So as I understand your testimony, you were concerned that there may be physical harm to the people inside that house, is that correct?
[Louise James, Former MOVE member] Would you turn up your hearing aid, please?
[Commission Counsel William B. Lytton, Esq.] I can hear you fine, Mrs. James. My question is –
[Louise James, Former MOVE member] Well, then if you can hear me fine, if you don’t have a hearing aid, I suggest you get one.
[Commission Counsel William B. Lytton, Esq.] Well, because –
[Louise James, Former MOVE member] Excuse me!
[Commission Counsel William B. Lytton, Esq.] Yes, ma'am.
[Louise James, Former MOVE member] To ask me “were we concerned” is complete insanity!
[Police Commissioner Gregore Sambor] By virtue of the fact that MOVE had construction on the roof that was commonly referred to as the bunker, that gave them complete command of the Osage Avenue, access over the roofs – they were in an enviable tactical position.
***
[Male Reporter] The water cannon used during the MOVE standoff today shoots an estimated 1,000 gallons of water a minute. Sources say the purpose of the water is threefold – First, to disorient the people inside the house. Secondly, the water increases humidity which makes tear gas more effective. Thirdly, the powerful water pressure could cause the house to collapse.
***
[Fire Commissioner William Richmond] If that plan relied solely on the ability of our equipment to knock the bunker off, they knew very clearly up front that we could not guarantee that, sir.
***
[Vernon Odom, 6 Live Action Cam] [4:06 P.M.] Chris, I saw Police Commissioner Gregore Sambor about 45 minutes ago, and he described his men as, quote, “taking a break now.” They’re obviously somewhat startled by the way that MOVE’s building at 62 and Osage was fortified and able to take the water barrage and the bullets that flew in there this morning. Thousands of rounds spun off.
[Harvey Clarke, Reporter] Larry, for the first time, it’s been quiet for several hours here. The police helicopter did go back up, and I guess they wanted to take a look at the top of the bunker. We had reports – [WCAU Remote Camera] What you see in front there, the yellow tarp is the front of that building, and we were told that that bunker was destroyed. But it appears that it’s still there.
[Larry, Reporter] Okay, Harvey. They stopped the snorkel gun now. There’s no water on that roof.
[Harvey Clarke, Reporter] For some time the water has been turned off.
[Male Reporter] At City Hall this afternoon, Mayor Goode appeared publicly for the first time since the siege began. Goode said he’s committed to removing MOVE from the structure.
[Mayor Wilson Goode] We intend to evict from the house. We intend to evacuate from the house, and we intend to seize control of the house.
[Female Reporter] How will do you that?
[Mayor Wilson Goode] We will do it by any means necessary.
***
[Chris Wagner, 6 Live] Something is starting to happen. There is a big – The fire engine has fired up again. Its engine is on for the first time all afternoon. We just saw some police officers behind us have their hands over their ears. We don’t know why. We can’t hear anything at this point. I must say that this tiny little flurry of activity is really the first bit of activity that there’s been here all afternoon. It’s been very quiet. Police say that they have a plan. They say it will be implemented shortly. We will tell you what it is when it happens. Reporting live from 62nd and Delancey, this is Chris Wagner, Channel 6 Action News.
[AT ABOUT 5 P.M., A MEMBER OF THE POLICE BOMB SQUAD SUGGESTED USING THE HELICOPTER TO DROP AN EXPLOSIVE ONTO MOVE’S ROOF.]
***
[Black Woman with Pearls] This device that was used – You’re calling it a device. I’m calling it a bomb. But did it ever occur to you that this might have been a dangerous device to use in a residential neighborhood?
[Police Commissioner Gregore Sambor] Yes, ma’am.
[Black Woman with Pearls] It did occur to you?
[Police Commissioner Gregore Sambor] Yes, ma’am.
[Commission Counsel William B. Lytton, Esq.] By not vetoing it, did you approve the plan to use an explosive on the roof?
[Mayor Wilson Goode] I think that I was fully aware that it would, in fact, be used, and it is my view that you can regard that as an approval of using the explosive on the roof, yes.
[Trooper Richard Reed, Helicopter Pilot] I came in at an angle about like this, and I put the helicopter right there in a 10-15 foot hover above the roof. And I was right on the left-hand side of the helicopter right here. Onto this corner is where I finally came to a stop.
[POLICE LOADED A SATCHEL WITH FOUR POUNDS OF TOVEX AND C-4 PLASTIC EXPLOSIVE ON A FORTY-FIVE SECOND FUSE.]
***
[William H. Brown, III] You were down in the garage, is that right?
[Michael Moses Ward] We was down there for a while, and then everybody came down.
[William H. Brown, III] All the men came down?
[Michael Moses Ward] That’s when the big bomb went off. It shook the whole house up.
***
[EXPLOSION]
[Chris Wagner, 6 Live] [5:27 P.M.] Police say there has just been a huge explosion here. We don’t know what it means, but it just shook the whole place. Debris flew all over the place. I don’t know what that explosion was. All I can tell you is that it was a huge blast.
[Harvey Clarke, Reporter] Get a shot with me. Get a sh –
[Larry, Reporter] Harvey, can you hear us?
[Harvey Clarke, Reporter] At this point, I really can’t tell you very much. There was about a 15-second delay, then an explosion.
[Walt Hunter, Reporter] Perhaps the most frightening thing here is that police do say that six to eight children are believed to be inside the MOVE house.
[Chris Wagner, 6 Live] As soon as we find out what the explosion is, we will try to tell you. At this point, I simply do not know.
***
[Commission Counsel William B. Lytton, Esq.] After the explosion, you saw that the bunker was still there.
[Police Commissioner Gregore Sambor] Yes, sir.
[Commission Counsel William B. Lytton, Esq.] Did you observe any smoke or fire on the roof?
[Police Commissioner Gregore Sambor] I did not.
[Commission Counsel William B. Lytton, Esq.] And –
[Police Commissioner Gregore Sambor] I did hear over the radio that there was none.
***
[TWO MINUTES AFTER THE BOMB]
***
5. “There was a decision to let the fire burn.” – Mayor Wilson Goode
[Fire Commissioner William Richmond] It’s easy to equate explosions and explosive materials with fire. But that’s not necessarily so. ‘Cause I think we’ve all seen buildings demolished, and it’s used all the time in mining. So I don’t think you can just logically conclude if you’re going to have an explosion, you’re going to have a fire.
***
[Harvey Clarke, Reporter] There’s no more smoke. And at this point, looking over my shoulder, the water barrage appears to have ended again.
[FIVE MINUTES AFTER THE BOMB]
[FIFTEEN MINUTES AFTER THE BOMB]
[Larry, Reporter] Okay, there is a new development at the MOVE building, 62nd and Osage. We’ll go live right away to Harvey Clarke at the scene. What’s going on, Harvey?
[Harvey Clarke, Reporter] Larry, behind me you can probably see right now – We’ll push and try to get a little tighter shot of it – that the satchel charge, or whatever – the explosive or bomb that was dropped on the MOVE compound just a few minutes ago, has apparently started a serious fire. But the two deluge guns or sprinklers that they’ve been pumping water in from Pine Street are not active now.
***
[Police Commissioner Gregore Sambor] I wanted to get the bunker. I wanted to be able to somehow have tactical superiority without sacrificing any lives, if it were at all possible.
[Fire Commissioner William Richmond] Commissioner Sambor said to me – He said, “Let’s let the bunker burn to eliminate that high ground advantage and the tactical advantage of the bunker.” And I said, “Yeah, okay.”
[Police Commissioner Gregore Sambor] It was not an order. In essence, in communication – I communicated to him that I would like to let the fire burn.
***
[25 MINUTES AFTER THE BOMB]
[Dennis Woltering, Pro-Police Reporter] Larry, this is becoming a very emotional scene. With me is Janice Walker. She lives at 6217 Osage, just two doors from the MOVE house.
[Janice Walker] Yes.
[Dennis Woltering, Pro-Police Reporter] And you’re afraid that your house may be on fire.
[Janice Walker] I’m sure it’s just destroyed, and it’s just not fair. We’ve been there over 20 years, and we didn’t have to have to go through this.
[Black Man] We only left with a few odds and ends, you know, for the night. We had no idea it was gonna be this devastating.
[Black Man] You’ve got innocent people that live around there on Osage Avenue, and they just, you know – Their properties have just gone up in smoke.
[Clarisse] [Laughs] Tell me, that number you all wear, what's it mean?
[Montag] Oh, Fahrenheit 451.
[Clarisse] Why 451 rather than 813 or 121?
[Montag] Fahrenheit 451 is the temperature at which book paper catches fire and starts to burn.
[Clarisse] I'd like to ask you something else, only I don't really dare.
[Montag] Go ahead.
[Clarisse] Is it true that a long time ago firemen used to put out fires and not burn books?
[Montag] [Laughs] Really, your uncle is right. You are light in the head. "Put fires out"? Who told you that?
[Clarisse] Oh, I don't know. Someone. But is it true?
[Montag] Oh, what a strange idea. Houses have always been fireproof.
[Clarisse] Ours isn't.
[Montag] Well, then, it should be condemned one of these days. It has to be destroyed, and you will have to move to a house that is fireproof.
-- Fahrenheit 451, directed by Francois Truffaut
***
[MAYOR GOODE WAS WATCHING ON TV FROM HIS OFFICE IN CITY HALL.]
[Mayor Wilson Goode] I saw initially a small fire on the roof. I saw what appeared to be some water coming in. I determined later that that was not water at all, but was basically the kind of snow on my television screen. And after about five minutes of watching that, I gave what was my first order of the day which was “put the fire out.”
Where Mayor Goode Got His Television Set
[Miss Marlowe] I said vintage champagne. Did you hear me? Vintage champagne. Now, go get some.
[Nurse] Yes, Miss Marlowe.
[Jerome Littlefield] Oh, you shouldn't be drinking on the job. I know everyone has bad habits. Try licorice. It's better for you.
[Nurse] You better get in there and fix her TV before she explodes.
[Jerome Littlefield] Yes, I certainly will. Watch out ...
Door.
Did you want me to fix your set?
[Miss Marlowe] It's about time. Look at that TV set.
[Jerome Littlefield] Oh. Well, there's nothing really terribly wrong. It's ...
[Miss Marlowe] I'm here for a rest.
To cure my exposed nerves ...
[Jerome Littlefield] This is a minor adjustment.
[Miss Marlowe] To forget about my fifth husband.
[Jerome Littlefield] Yes.
[Miss Marlowe] To prepare for my sixth elopement.
[Jerome Littlefield] It's gonna be a nice trip.
[Miss Marlowe] But inasmuch as I only pay $75 a day ...
[Jerome Littlefield] Its expensive.
[Miss Marlowe] for this room ...
[Jerome Littlefield] And no green stamps.
[Miss Marlowe] I guess I can't expect the TV set in this only $75-a-day room ...
[Jerome Littlefield] This TV set is a minor ...
[Miss Marlowe] to be in working condition!!!
[Jerome Littlefield] Well, I don't really think it's a problem.
I just have to make a minor adjustment and ...
[Miss Marlowe] Well, fix it!
[Jerome Littlefield] Yes, I was on ... When you yelled.
It's just a very, very minor detail, and adjusting the back will fix the snow.
You'll see. The snow is terrible. It'll be just ... I'm gonna get in the set and fix the snow. Because it ...
That's all. It's just a small, minor adjustment. I mean, I'm gonna open and adjust. So ... Because the snow ... That doesn't help you get a ...
It never snows in California, but ...
it's cold.
[Miss Marlowe] [screaming and screaming]
[Jerome Littlefield] I can't stop it. Where's the button?
How do you ...? The plug. I can't stop it. Where's the plug? I can't stop it! Where's the plug?
It's snowing. I'll pull the plug.
[Miss Marlowe] What are you doing? [Screaming and screaming] What are you doing? [Screaming and screaming] What are you doing?
[Nurse Higgins] Get out here!
[Jerome Littlefield] Nurse Higgins!
[Nurse Higgins] You are an absolute nincompoop!
Shut that off!
[Miss Marlowe] [Screaming and screaming]
-- Jerry Lewis as The Disorderly Orderly, directed by Frank Tashlin