>>> WE ARE FOLLOWING BREAKING NEWS STORY OUT OF TEXAS. SEVERAL PEOPLE HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED AFTER A STOLEN 18 WHEELER CRASHED INTO A DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY BUILDING. THAT HAPPENED IN A TOWN 75 MILES WEST OF HOUSTON. THE TRUCK CRASHED INTO THE BUILDING AFTER THE DRIVER WAS BEING PURSUED BY POLICE OFFICERS . THAT DRIVER HAS BEEN TAKEN INTO CUSTODY.
THERE IS NO WORD YET ABOUT WHY POLICE OFFICERS WERE CHASING THE TRUCK. FORMER FBI AGENT TIM GALLAGHER JOINS US NOW. THANKS SO MUCH FOR BEING WITH US, TIM. I KNOW IT’S THE EARLY STAGES STILL. WHAT IS TYPICAL FOR AN INITIAL INVESTIGATION LIKE THIS?
>> AS YOU’RE SAYING, IF IT’S STILL EARLY, DETAILS ARE COMING IN AS WE SPEAK, BUT THE FBI IS GOING TO WORK HAND-IN-HAND WITH LOCAL POLICE AND STATE LAW ENFORCEMENT AUTHORITIES ON SITE , TREATING THIS, TREATING THIS AS AN ACT OF TERRORISM UNTIL YOU CAN PROVE IT IS NOT YET OBVIOUSLY, IT’S A CRIMINAL ACT, BUT WHAT WAS THE INTENTION BEHIND THE BAD ACTOR WHO DROVE THIS TRUCK INTO THE FACILITY OR RUNNING DOWN ANY KNOWN ASSOCIATIONS HE MAY HAVE, DETAILS BEHIND HOW THIS TRUCK WAS STOLEN AND THAT SORT OF THING.
I’M LOOKING AT THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY WEBSITE FOR TEXAS, AND IT DESCRIBES THE VARIOUS KINDS OF THREATS TO THE PUBLIC THAT IT HELPS TO PROTECT AGAINST. AT THE TOP OF THE LIST, I WILL JUST READ, TRANSNATIONAL AND STATEWIDE GANGS, MEXICAN CRIME CARTEL, INTERNATIONAL TERRORIST ORGANIZATION, DOMESTIC TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS. TIM, I’M WONDERING BASED ON THAT PORTFOLIO FOR THE BUILDING, THIS BEING A DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY BUILDING, WE HAVE A LOT OF DETAILS STILL UNKNOWN RIGHT NOW, BUT GIVEN THAT KIND OF PORTFOLIO FOR THAT AGENCY, WHAT ARE THE KINDS OF QUESTIONS YOU WOULD HAVE? WHAT WOULD YOU BE LOOKING FOR?
>> ALL KINDS OF CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS SUCH AS THIS.
CLEARLY, THE INTENT HERE WAS TO HIT A BUILDING . WHETHER THEY TARGETED THAT , THIS DPF BUILDING FOR ANY PARTICULAR REASON, TOO EARLY TO TELL AT THIS POINT. ONCE YOU FIND WHO THIS INDIVIDUAL IS, WHO HIS BACKUP IS, WHO HE MAY BE ASSOCIATED WITH, THEN YOU START BUILDING YOUR CASE UP THERE TO SEE WAS THIS SOMEONE LOOKING TO INFLICT PAIN UPON THE TEXAS DPS FOR PARTICULAR REASON, HAS AN AXE TO GRIND ABOUT LAW-ENFORCEMENT GENERAL OR THAT PARTICULAR CASE, WHICH MAY BE BEING INVESTIGATED FROM THESE BARRACKS. >> ACCORDING TO A LOCAL STATE OFFICIAL, THIS TRUCK WAS ACTUALLY STOLEN, TIM.
DOES THAT SIGNAL ANYTHING TO YOU? YOU DON’T OFTEN HEAR OF SEMITRUCKS LIKE THAT BEING STOLEN EVERY DAY. >> WELL, BACK TO AROUND 9/11, WE WERE LOOKING AT TRUCKS AS WEAPONS.
EVEN BEFORE THAT, GOING BACK TO OKLAHOMA CITY WHERE WE HAD A RENTAL TRUCK . IN THE FIRST WORLD TRADE CENTER ATTACK, A RENTAL TRUCK TO HAVE IT STOLEN AND USED AS A WEAPON TO KILL INDIVIDUALS.
THAT IS NOT THAT COMMON. YOU’RE LOOKING TO SEE, WERE THEY LOOKING FOR A PARTICULAR PAYLOAD ON THAT TRUCK , SOMETHING THAT WAS HEAVY THAT WOULD INFLICT MAXIMUM DAMAGE AND POTENTIALLY BE COMBUSTIBLE. BUT YOU ARE RIGHT. THIS IS NOT SOMETHING YOU WOULD SEE IN YOUR NORMAL VEHICULAR ASSAULT CASE. >> AND AGAIN, FOR OUR VIEWERS WHO MAY BE JUST JOINING US, A LOT OF UNANSWERED QUESTIONS RIGHT NOW AS WE CONTINUE TO LOOK AT FOOTAGE THERE OUT OF TEXAS, WHERE A TRUCK BELIEVED TO BE STOLEN CRASHED INTO A BUILDING WHERE THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY, AT LEAST, HAD SOME STAFF.
WE DON’T KNOW MUCH MORE BEYOND THOSE INITIAL DETAILS RIGHT NOW , BUT WE HAVE BEEN TALKING TO FORMER FBI AGENT TIM GALLAGHER ABOUT WHAT THE NEXT STEPS ARE, TIM. GIVE US A SENSE, FRANTICALLY, WHAT TAKES PLACE NOW IN A SITUATION LIKE THIS IN TERMS OF GATHERING EVIDENCE, COLLECTING EVIDENCE, TRYING TO FIND OUT TO GET TO THE BOTTOM OF WHAT TOOK PLACE.
>> YOU’RE LOOKING TO ELIMINATE THE THREAT TO PUBLIC SAFETY, THE IMMEDIATE THREAT TO PUBLIC SAFETY. THAT IS ONE OF THE POINTS. AT YOU’RE ABLE TO IDENTIFY THIS INDIVIDUAL AND START BUILDING UP WHAT HIS MOTIVATIONS MAY HAVE BEEN, YOU WANT TO START NAILING DOWN COULD THERE BE ANYONE ELSE ASSOCIATED WITH THEM THAT NEEDS TO BE DISRUPTED, AT THIS POINT, BEING BROUGHT IN FOR QUESTION OR POTENTIALLY ARRESTED IF THERE IS EVIDENCE THIS INDIVIDUAL WAS ACTING IN CONCERT WITH OTHER CONSPIRATORS.
>> A LOT OF OPEN QUESTIONS RIGHT NOW, .
