Marksmanship when it counts (when it's real)

TheeBadOne · September 7, 2004, 11:40 AM

Sharpshooter Ends Hostage Drama, Takes Out Gunman With Single Shot to The Head

Onlookers Watch Incident Unfold Outside Canada's Busiest Train Station

TORONTO (CP) -- In a city full of movie sets, morning commuters were witness to a real-life hostage-taking Wednesday as a police marksman fired a single shot through a gunman's head to end the brief drama outside the country's busiest downtown train station.

It was a stunning end to a terrifying sequence of events which began when Sugston Anthony Brookes reportedly confronted his estranged wife at a food court in the bottom of a nearby skyscraper, firing his gun as patrons ducked for cover.

After emerging from the building, he was halted by a police officer at Union Station where he grabbed an unfortunate passerby and an ominous silence fell over what is normally a bustling tangle of pedestrians and taxis at the height of rush hour.

Investigators are now focusing on what might have been going through Brookes' mind when he held a sawed off shotgun to the head of Nicole Regis, 20, for more than 40 minutes Wednesday.

"In this case, it's not so much a whodunit, but more, why it happened, how it occurred, and what all the circumstances were surrounding the officer's shooting of this man," said Rose Bliss, a spokeswoman for the Special Investigations Unit, which probes all cases of civilian deaths involving police.

Reports of a violent home life emerged late Wednesday, with the Toronto Star reporting the 45-year-old man was in the midst of divorce proceedings and had been ordered to stay away from his family after being jailed for assault, assault with a weapon and uttering threats against his wife.

Brookes, a large, heavy-set man towering over six-feet in height, appeared calm and largely silent as he maintained a one-armed grip across the chest of his nervous hostage.

Throngs of horrified commuters could only watch in stunned silence from behind yellow police tape while others spied into the scene from overlooking office and hotel windows.

Television cameras captured the heightening sequence of events but the moment the fatal shot struck the hostage-taker's head was not broadcast.

"I was dumbfounded," said Susan Cormier, who works in a stockbrokers' office.

"I didn't believe it. It's what you see on television. It doesn't happen in real life."

Regis, who was reportedly on her way to the last day of a job internship when she was snatched, was left shaken but unharmed.

Earlier, Brookes fired several shots at Marlene Brookes as she made her way to her job as a shirt presser at Preeners Custom Fabricare in the concourse of the TD Centre, one of the large bank towers that crowd the city's financial district.

The shots missed the woman and sent terrified food-court patrons scuttling for cover.

She tripped during her flight from Brookes, and he caught her in front of a restaurant, police told the Hamilton Spectator. He beat her, opening a bloody gash in her forehead.

"There was a lot of blood; it was all gushing. We told her to just lie down," said Eli Shimonov, 42, one of several bystanders who staunched the flow with towels and an apron.

"She kept asking for a pillow over and over again and nothing else. A few minutes later, first aid came from the building," he told the Toronto Sun.

She received a few stitches to the head and was being kept in hospital for observation, police said.

Minutes after the gunfire was reported to police, an officer spotted the wanted man walking from the scene.

"He confronted the individual and immediately upon doing that, the suspect ran," said Police Chief Julian Fantino.

Brookes then grabbed a woman at random on the sidewalk just outside Toronto's Union Station.

"I just froze," said Heidi Laverick, an account manager for HSBC Bank who saw Brookes take the woman.

"I wasn't sure what was going on. There I was with my briefcase in my hands and my sunglasses on and I couldn't believe what I was seeing," she told the Toronto Star.

"I just think to myself, he could have turned around and shot anybody. He could have taken that gun and pointed it anywhere."

Heavily armed tactical police officers surrounded the scene and spent about 40 minutes trying to negotiate with Brookes, from Ajax just east of the city.

They were unsuccessful.

Police said the marksman grew concerned the situation would escalate and others could be hurt. He fired a single shot.

"Literally, you could see his brain fly all over the place," said one man who watched the sniper's bullet find its mark.

"Like you see (such things) in a movie and you're all cool. It's not cool. It's not cool at all."

Police cleared out the area, leaving the commuter junction almost deserted at a time when thousands of workers make their way to their offices. The area was still nearly empty when the body was removed three hours later.

Fantino called the outcome "regrettable and unfortunate," but added there was no question in his mind that the officer had to take out the armed suspect.

"We had a situation that is very, very volatile, extremely dangerous. There was no choice," Fantino said.

"(Police) eliminated a very serious threat to citizens and themselves."

Marlene Brookes' family described the violent turn of events as disturbing.

"We came close to losing a family member," they said in a statement. "We are asking that you respect our privacy at this time. Our main concern is for our family member to get the appropriate care."

CFTO-TV reported that Marlene Brookes and their two children -- a 19-year-old girl and a 16-year-old boy -- left the man March 13 after 18 years of marriage.

The day they left, Brookes was charged with throwing Marlene down a flight of stairs, holding a knife to her throat and threatening to kill her.

In the past, he also gave his daughter a black eye and stormed around town with a fireplace poker looking for his son, the CTV Toronto affiliate reported.

Brookes was convicted in May on the assault charges and served 30 days in jail and 46 days in pretrial custody. He was released under a number of conditions, including one that said he wasn't allowed to possess weapons. He was also put under a restraining order that he not come within 100 metres of any member of his family.

Marlene Brookes filed for divorce July 29.

The Ontario government took the opportunity to suggest that emergency procedures around the station -- the central point for all rail traffic in the region -- should be reviewed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Looking at that photo it's hard to imagine a tougher scenario. Gawkers standing around, mobile target, unknown backstop problems.... YIKES!
Anyone from that area that knows anything more about this? I'm guessing a frag type round was used that didn't exit (.223 round or 7.62 frag round).
No room for error, good shooting for sure.

mete · September 7, 2004, 11:56 AM

"body was removed 3 hours later" nothing like getting things back to normal quickly !!.......and he wasn't allowed to possess weapons or go near his family.So much for conditions of discharge and restraining orders.

Christopher II · September 7, 2004, 04:36 PM

Quite a shot.

- Chris

Edward429451 · September 7, 2004, 05:32 PM

Good job and a prime example of one very rare instance when it's ok to think outside the box and forgo one of the 4 rules (#4 in this case).

There'll be no chance at this slug re-offending, heh heh.

Preacherman · September 7, 2004, 05:59 PM

A good shot and an appropriate response - but 1 will get you 10 that the blissninny second-guessers who are so dominant in the media up there will be wringing their hands and wailing about "if only he'd waited, perhaps this could have been settled through negotiation"...

pdmoderator · September 8, 2004, 05:29 AM

Quote:

"(Police) eliminated a very serious threat to citizens and themselves."

Indeed.

- pdmoderator

halromberg · September 8, 2004, 06:18 AM

People holding guns to the heads of others don't (or shouldn't) merit much in the way of efforts to save them. The effort needs to be all in favor of the hostage. Time worked against her, so I hope the shooter took the first good shot he could get.

cls12vg30 · September 8, 2004, 09:10 AM

I don't understand! With the "sensible gun laws" they have in Canada, how could something like this happen????

Dark Avenger · September 8, 2004, 12:27 PM

The people interviewed sounded like morons.

Quartus · September 8, 2004, 05:16 PM

Good police work. But Dark, you are being too kind...

Quote:

"I wasn't sure what was going on. There I was with my briefcase in my hands and my sunglasses on and I couldn't believe what I was seeing," she told the Toronto Star.

This almost reads like the stupid joke about the yuppie who gets his arm torn off and all he can think about is his Rolex!

Quote:

"I just think to myself, he could have turned around and shot anybody. He could have taken that gun and pointed it anywhere."

I guess she was overwhelmed with concern for the hostage....

**JohnKSa** · September 8, 2004, 07:47 PM

Quote:

Marlene Brookes filed for divorce July 29

Think the lawyer will refund her money?

RED-DOG 40 · September 8, 2004, 08:57 PM

One Shot-One Kill.....
The way it is. Good job!!

September 7, 2004, 11:40 AM	#1
TheeBadOne Senior Member Join Date: January 12, 2002 Location: USA Posts: 1,200	Marksmanship when it counts (when it's real) Sharpshooter Ends Hostage Drama, Takes Out Gunman With Single Shot to The Head Onlookers Watch Incident Unfold Outside Canada's Busiest Train Station TORONTO (CP) -- In a city full of movie sets, morning commuters were witness to a real-life hostage-taking Wednesday as a police marksman fired a single shot through a gunman's head to end the brief drama outside the country's busiest downtown train station. It was a stunning end to a terrifying sequence of events which began when Sugston Anthony Brookes reportedly confronted his estranged wife at a food court in the bottom of a nearby skyscraper, firing his gun as patrons ducked for cover. After emerging from the building, he was halted by a police officer at Union Station where he grabbed an unfortunate passerby and an ominous silence fell over what is normally a bustling tangle of pedestrians and taxis at the height of rush hour. Investigators are now focusing on what might have been going through Brookes' mind when he held a sawed off shotgun to the head of Nicole Regis, 20, for more than 40 minutes Wednesday. "In this case, it's not so much a whodunit, but more, why it happened, how it occurred, and what all the circumstances were surrounding the officer's shooting of this man," said Rose Bliss, a spokeswoman for the Special Investigations Unit, which probes all cases of civilian deaths involving police. Reports of a violent home life emerged late Wednesday, with the Toronto Star reporting the 45-year-old man was in the midst of divorce proceedings and had been ordered to stay away from his family after being jailed for assault, assault with a weapon and uttering threats against his wife. Brookes, a large, heavy-set man towering over six-feet in height, appeared calm and largely silent as he maintained a one-armed grip across the chest of his nervous hostage. Throngs of horrified commuters could only watch in stunned silence from behind yellow police tape while others spied into the scene from overlooking office and hotel windows. Television cameras captured the heightening sequence of events but the moment the fatal shot struck the hostage-taker's head was not broadcast. "I was dumbfounded," said Susan Cormier, who works in a stockbrokers' office. "I didn't believe it. It's what you see on television. It doesn't happen in real life." Regis, who was reportedly on her way to the last day of a job internship when she was snatched, was left shaken but unharmed. Earlier, Brookes fired several shots at Marlene Brookes as she made her way to her job as a shirt presser at Preeners Custom Fabricare in the concourse of the TD Centre, one of the large bank towers that crowd the city's financial district. The shots missed the woman and sent terrified food-court patrons scuttling for cover. She tripped during her flight from Brookes, and he caught her in front of a restaurant, police told the Hamilton Spectator. He beat her, opening a bloody gash in her forehead. "There was a lot of blood; it was all gushing. We told her to just lie down," said Eli Shimonov, 42, one of several bystanders who staunched the flow with towels and an apron. "She kept asking for a pillow over and over again and nothing else. A few minutes later, first aid came from the building," he told the Toronto Sun. She received a few stitches to the head and was being kept in hospital for observation, police said. Minutes after the gunfire was reported to police, an officer spotted the wanted man walking from the scene. "He confronted the individual and immediately upon doing that, the suspect ran," said Police Chief Julian Fantino. Brookes then grabbed a woman at random on the sidewalk just outside Toronto's Union Station. "I just froze," said Heidi Laverick, an account manager for HSBC Bank who saw Brookes take the woman. "I wasn't sure what was going on. There I was with my briefcase in my hands and my sunglasses on and I couldn't believe what I was seeing," she told the Toronto Star. "I just think to myself, he could have turned around and shot anybody. He could have taken that gun and pointed it anywhere." Heavily armed tactical police officers surrounded the scene and spent about 40 minutes trying to negotiate with Brookes, from Ajax just east of the city. They were unsuccessful. Police said the marksman grew concerned the situation would escalate and others could be hurt. He fired a single shot. "Literally, you could see his brain fly all over the place," said one man who watched the sniper's bullet find its mark. "Like you see (such things) in a movie and you're all cool. It's not cool. It's not cool at all." Police cleared out the area, leaving the commuter junction almost deserted at a time when thousands of workers make their way to their offices. The area was still nearly empty when the body was removed three hours later. Fantino called the outcome "regrettable and unfortunate," but added there was no question in his mind that the officer had to take out the armed suspect. "We had a situation that is very, very volatile, extremely dangerous. There was no choice," Fantino said. "(Police) eliminated a very serious threat to citizens and themselves." Marlene Brookes' family described the violent turn of events as disturbing. "We came close to losing a family member," they said in a statement. "We are asking that you respect our privacy at this time. Our main concern is for our family member to get the appropriate care." CFTO-TV reported that Marlene Brookes and their two children -- a 19-year-old girl and a 16-year-old boy -- left the man March 13 after 18 years of marriage. The day they left, Brookes was charged with throwing Marlene down a flight of stairs, holding a knife to her throat and threatening to kill her. In the past, he also gave his daughter a black eye and stormed around town with a fireplace poker looking for his son, the CTV Toronto affiliate reported. Brookes was convicted in May on the assault charges and served 30 days in jail and 46 days in pretrial custody. He was released under a number of conditions, including one that said he wasn't allowed to possess weapons. He was also put under a restraining order that he not come within 100 metres of any member of his family. Marlene Brookes filed for divorce July 29. The Ontario government took the opportunity to suggest that emergency procedures around the station -- the central point for all rail traffic in the region -- should be reviewed. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Looking at that photo it's hard to imagine a tougher scenario. Gawkers standing around, mobile target, unknown backstop problems.... YIKES! Anyone from that area that knows anything more about this? I'm guessing a frag type round was used that didn't exit (.223 round or 7.62 frag round). No room for error, good shooting for sure.

September 7, 2004, 04:36 PM	#3
Christopher II Senior Member Join Date: November 22, 1999 Location: Germantown, MD Posts: 2,353	Quite a shot. - Chris __________________ "There is no worse tyranny than to force a man to pay for what he does not want merely because you think it would be good for him." – Robert Heinlein "Contrary to popular belief, your vote does not matter, and you cannot make a difference." - Bob Murphy, "Picking Neither of Two Evils" My PGP Public Key

September 7, 2004, 05:59 PM	#5
Preacherman Senior Member Join Date: July 9, 2002 Posts: 795	A good shot and an appropriate response - but 1 will get you 10 that the blissninny second-guessers who are so dominant in the media up there will be wringing their hands and wailing about "if only he'd waited, perhaps this could have been settled through negotiation"... __________________ Let's put the fun back in dysfunctional!

September 8, 2004, 06:18 AM	#7
halromberg Junior Member Join Date: September 7, 2004 Posts: 6	People holding guns to the heads of others don't (or shouldn't) merit much in the way of efforts to save them. The effort needs to be all in favor of the hostage. Time worked against her, so I hope the shooter took the first good shot he could get. __________________ Hal Romberg Originally known as T-Rex. Sailing fanatic and Evil Defense Contractor (EDC)

September 8, 2004, 09:10 AM	#8
cls12vg30 Member Join Date: August 19, 2004 Location: Raleigh, North Carolina Posts: 95	I don't understand! With the "sensible gun laws" they have in Canada, how could something like this happen???? __________________ Christopher "Have fun storming the castle!" -Miracle Max

September 7, 2004, 11:56 AM	#2
mete Senior Member Join Date: June 14, 2004 Location: NY State Posts: 2,597	"body was removed 3 hours later" nothing like getting things back to normal quickly !!.......and he wasn't allowed to possess weapons or go near his family.So much for conditions of discharge and restraining orders.

September 7, 2004, 05:32 PM	#4
Edward429451 Senior Member Join Date: November 12, 2000 Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado Posts: 5,981	Good job and a prime example of one very rare instance when it's ok to think outside the box and forgo one of the 4 rules (#4 in this case). There'll be no chance at this slug re-offending, heh heh. __________________ "Always place your clothes and weapons where you can find them in the dark" Lazarus Long "Understand that the enemy is not the enemy in his own eyes ;this may offer you an opportunity to make him your friend. If not, you can kill him without hate, and quickly." Lazarus Long

September 8, 2004, 12:27 PM	#9
Dark Avenger Senior Member Join Date: March 1, 1999 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 176	The people interviewed sounded like morons. __________________ "If ye love wealth greater than liberty, the tranquility of servitude greater than the animating contest for freedom, go home from us in peace. We seek not your counsel, nor your arms. Crouch down and lick the hand that feeds you; and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen." - Samuel Adams

September 8, 2004, 08:57 PM	#12
RED-DOG 40 Member Join Date: May 19, 2004 Location: Cedar City-Utah Posts: 21	One Shot-One Kill..... The way it is. Good job!!