By: Daiyu Tang, live and on scene
What seemingly began as a police raid on the Berthier St. Bakery, flagged to the Observer via an urgent text from a bystander has erupted into a chaotic and bloody encounter between what appear to be armed citizens or potential gang members and heavily armed HPD officers.
Our witness sent us this which has got me out of the office and into action for you dear readers.
“This is VERY amusing. Four HPD officers in full battle rattle SWAT gear at the Bakery, taking down some poor girl who works there”
Assault or Arrest?
And now, from my position across the street, I can see officers in riot gear forcing entry through the bakery’s front door, although as I missed the start it is not clear what exactly caused this to erupt! Shouting inside has now given way to the sharp crack of gunfire.
Within moments, a woman not yet identified, was on the floor clutching a bleeding arm, yelling accusations at police before being ordered to stay down. An officer with a riot shield moved in to cuff her, only for gunfire to rip through the storefront from another angle!
Citizens Arrive? Customers or Criminals?
The source of that new gunfire has become quickly clear! Three apparently armed individuals, one brandishing a large meat cleaver have entered the store and now there’s hate and fire flying in either direction.
Officer Billie Beamen, only today reported as someone involved in the shooting of an armed suspect elsewhere in the city appears to have collapsed with a leg wound after being struck in the melee.
One man with a pistol has exchanged shots with an Officer through the door, the rounds shattering more glass. Another suspect fired toward officers inside while the woman who appears responsible for Beamen’s injury via a cleaver has slashed at anyone in uniform who got in range.
The fight continues to rage on and more officers have arrived, including one armed with a shotgun who shouted commands for the attackers to surrender and is pictured in our header image. Those orders were met with more gunfire!
Inside? It’s Chaos.
I cannot see exactly who else is hurt, nor what is being said unless shouted, but we expect FDH paramedic support will be needed soon! This scene looks super-tense and dangerous but I’m just a bit too far to really get a clear shot, sorry for the grainy pictures!
The situation remains highly unstable. Emergency medical services have yet to reach the injured due to the ongoing exchange of gunfire. Bystanders are few and far between and as usual I expect the police to try and move this reporter on, but for now I am small and they have BIG problems!
1PM: Chaos Reaching Fever Pitch!
The chaos at the downtown bakery has reached fever pitch, with multiple armed confrontations now unfolding inside and outside the premises.
From my position, (The Observer newspaper dispenser acting as cover!) the muffled thunder of gunfire erupted once more, this time punctuated by the crash of furniture and shouts of officers. It’s not clear what they’re saying, but one officer was seen bracing herself against the door, some type of assault rifle pressed against her shoulder before shooting! She’s unleashed two sharp shots toward one of the attackers, it looks like Ash, a shape I’ve scene but rarely interacted with around town. I could be wrong, so we’ll have to wait for better angles or other witnesses to confirm, as I must admit I don’t even know some of the officers involved! I thought I heard her shout “Ash!” when this officer gave a command to lower weapons!
Inside, the situation was no less explosive. Rosannah, a figure I know better than her associate Ash appeared to be inside swinging metal for all was worth. Out of nowhere, Officer Beamen, visibly limping from a leg wound seemed to launch herself shield-first at the suspect in a move that could only be described as unorthodox even for the HPD (although with Landon Fyre having thrown suspects out of windows before… I guess… shades of gray in tactical terms).
The shotgun wielding officer, picture above is in the middle of a firefight as well. I have to tell you reader, things are scary here and there are bullets flying everywhere.
It feel that the interior of the bakery has become hell, an inferno of a tangle of bodies, broken furniture, and discharged shells, as officers and suspects clash in close quarters! From my vantage point, the scene is one of sheer pandemonium, a worthy word for hell, with each second threatening to tip the balance toward either resolution or disaster.
Police have yet to confirm casualties or arrests at this stage, but the standoff is still unfolding and shockingly, there appears to be no FDH support yet, despite clear signs of injuries!
1:45PM: Officers Down – Suspects Injured!
The chaos unfolding inside the Bakery (which is no longer a Sweet Treat, unless you like bodies) has reached a fever pitch, with multiple injuries on both sides and neither the suspects nor police showing signs of backing down!
Inside, Officer Beamen, already wounded in the leg appears to have made a desperate charge at suspected assailant Ros, pinning her against the counter in a clash that looked more like a wrestling match than a police takedown. I saw Beamen’s shield flash and Rosannah thrashing wildly and in the melee, it appeared the sharp blade being waved around hacked into Beamen’s arm, drawing a scream that cut through the gunfire. Moments later, the officer crumpled to the floor, leaving Ros still dangerously armed!
Another office, as yet not identified found himself in a brutal close-quarters encounter with Ash. We didn’t see who shot Ash, but the man stumbled into the officer with the moment devolving into a violent headbutt from the officer’s helmet straight to Ash’s face before an ultimatum was issued.
“Get on the ****ing ground or I will unload this mag in the next motherf***** I see!”
Gunfire continued between an officer and another suspect. Both to my eyes had already taken hits, but neither appeared willing to give ground and retreat or surrender.
“Shit at nail design, and you’re not much better at shooting either!” shouted the suspect, somehow finding the time to insult during life or death shooting!
With tempers boiling over and ammunition still in play, the outcome of this siege is far from certain!
An Ending… But With Loose Ends
The tense standoff inside the bakery spiralled into a brutal close this afternoon, as multiple suspects and at least one officer were left bleeding on the floor. I, from my vantage point at the gas station saw the melee culminate in a savage clash of both blade, bone and bullets. From my vantage point, I saw the an officer and a woman square off, guns snapping into alignment in a dangerous dance where any wrong move could have been their very last.
The Hathian Observer witnessed an increasing police cordon force bystanders, including this reporter, back from the perimeter probably in order for them to facilitate arrests, clean up the scene and of course ensure that the FDH paramedics could rush in.
The final moments remained unclear, sirens cut through the air, suspects were cuffed or unconscious, and outside gunfire still echoed in short bursts. As I left the scene I worried… fucking Hathian right? But what was the reason for this raid… I have some ideas, but for now I’ll wait for any official police statement, or other word from the street. With the final number of arrests, the condition of the wounded, and whether any suspects slipped away remaining unknown, the threads are still out there…
