Pubdate: Fri, 07 Sep 2001
Source: Dowagiac Daily News (MI)
Copyright: 2001 Dowagiac Daily News
Contact:  http://www.dowagiacnews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1554
Author: John Eby
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis)
http://www.mapinc.org/af.htm (Asset Forfeiture)
http://www.mapinc.org/find?200 (Rainbow Farm Shooting)

NO BOOBY TRAPS FOUND

VANDALIA - "We have found nothing at this point" to suggest Rainbow Farm 
campground had been salted with booby traps, Michigan State Police Capt. 
Richard Dragomer said Wednesday afternoon.

Dragomer, former commander of the Niles state police post who is now the 
Paw Paw-based Fifth District leader, joined FBI Special Agent in Charge 
John E. Bell Jr. and Cass County Sheriff Joseph M. Underwood Jr. in leading 
a camera convoy to ground zero of the five-day standoff which ended Tuesday 
with two men dead.

"There was a lot said about" the potential for booby traps, as well as the 
possibility that fires had been set to lure law enforcement officers into 
an ambush. "Safety of our people and the community was our concern," 
Dragomer said.

Michigan State Police rotated about 35 officers, plus about 10 lab 
personnel Wednesday, to the Newberg Township standoff which drew national 
attention as it intensified.

The Daily News by Wednesday morning had received letters to the editor from 
as far away as California, Colorado and New York condemning America's drug 
war as the news raced through the cannabis community that lobbies for 
marijuana legalization.

Dragomer said cadaver dogs were there to insure there were no other bodies 
concealed in the rubble of burned buildings. Scorch marks and blackened 
heaps of ash stood out in the otherwise hilly green landscape.

"There was never anybody out here other than our emergency support team and 
the FBI SWAT team, and they worked different shifts," Dragomer said. "We 
didn't have a lot of people out here. They were primarily observers, to see 
what was going on. This area was never flooded with law enforcement 
officers everywhere. Obviously, we were prepared that there was going to be 
the potential for deadly force, so the more officers we put out here, the 
greater risk to our own people," Dragomer said.

"Especially in this type of area. If you surround a building, you have the 
potential of hitting your own officers."

If owner Tom Crosslin and his roommate, Rolland Rohm, looked out their 
windows, "They probably did not see most of our people," Dragomer said, 
although "they knew we were out here when they saw a light armored vehicle."

Dragomer said he could not provide a total of guns recovered "because 
they're still working on that. I don't know that they have a total."

He also could not say how many times Rohm was shot.

"I can't tell you the exact distance, but it would be some length."

Two Michigan State Police officers with the emergency support team 
discharged their weapons, according to Dragomer.

Contrary to the FBI, "Both our officers are currently on administrative 
leave. That's routine" during such an investigation.

"I don't know what was here" in terms of weapons and bomb-making materials, 
Dragomer said, so "I can't respond to that, but it certainly would be 
unusual to me if they had that kind of equipment and material here."
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MAP posted-by: Terry Liittschwager