Saw an AR downtown this morning

[Stegall Law Firm]

Not in a gun store.  Like, on the street.  I was on my usual morning commute to the office, about 7.30 this morning, and I was making my way up 2nd Street in downtown Memphis.  I saw traffic up at the next intersection start to get bunched up, then a large truck, might've been an 18 wheeler, turns right from the cross street in front of everybody then stops halfway through the turn and is taking up a couple lanes.  2nd St. is three lanes wide, one way going south. 

 

Then a white SUV comes through the intersection from the same direction as the large truck and stops right in the middle.  The driver gets out and he starts motioning for all the oncoming southbound traffic (me) to turn left.  We can't go straight, we all have to turn.  He's wearing a police/security looking uniform but I'm not sure if it was MPD.  He had on a lime green traffic vest.  The SUV was unmarked. 

 

And he got out carrying an AR15.  Whoa, I said.  I'm getting out of here.  I would be lying if I said the thought of a "Heat" style shootout about to happen didn't cross my mind.  Don't mean to sound like an anti-gun person, but an AR is just not something that you want, or at least expect to see openly in an American, urban, downtown setting.  This was just a couple blocks away from federal court and city hall.  I see these types of guns all the time when I go to Colombia (mostly Galils, actually) but here we enjoy a little more stability.

 

I made the turn, had to take a detour, and the last few blocks to the office I was half-expecting to see police cars whizzing by, maybe a news chopper, but nothing.  So I've been wondering all day what it could've been.  On that intersection sits the Memphis branch of the St. Louis federal reserve; maybe it had something to do with that.  Maybe a dignitary?  Who knows.  I just thought it was unusual for the guy directing traffic to have an AR.  Makes you wonder what was up ahead.  What do y'all think?  Is this standard op in certain situations? All in all it made an otherwise extremely mundane commute pretty interesting. 

 

 

 

 

[10-Ring]

My first guess would be that the semi was hauling a load that was, classified, dangerous, or otherwise special and had an armed escort.  That's just a guess, I lived in Oak Ridge for a while and someone was always talking about armed truck escorts around there.

[BrasilNuts]

My first guess would be that the semi was hauling a load that was, classified, dangerous, or otherwise special and had an armed escort.  That's just a guess, I lived in Oak Ridge for a while and someone was always talking about armed truck escorts around there.

Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.............

[Johnny Rotten]

DOE

[Erik88]

My first guess would be that the semi was hauling a load that was, classified, dangerous, or otherwise special and had an armed escort.  That's just a guess, I lived in Oak Ridge for a while and someone was always talking about armed truck escorts around there.

 

This is the only thing that would make sense for the situation that I can think of. Definitely not something you see often.

[maroonandwhite]

Pics or it didn't happen. haha. I can never get my iPhone to load up the camera quick enough to capture moments like these. I would imagine it would have to be something government related in order for that to be ok. Just a plain jane 18 wheeler?

[Guest 6.8 AR]

After all, it is Memphis. :D

 

Nah, I'd be a little surprised, too.

[wewoapsiak]

Sounds exactly like a DOE truck, the escorts are federal Marshals iirc. Those guys pack some serious heat. As long as they're able, they're not supposed to have unplanned stops. Even if they're in a traffic accident, if they can move then they keep on trucking; one of the escorts stop to help.

[2.ooohhh]

Pics or it didn't happen. haha. I can never get my iPhone to load up the camera quick enough to capture moments like these. I would imagine it would have to be something government related in order for that to be ok. Just a plain jane 18 wheeler?

 

The most secure shipments are often accompanied by a few heavily armed men in the most plane jane vehicles available accompanying trucks with few if any identifying marks. DOE certainly comes to mind as one of the most common.

Edited March 7, 2013 by 2.ooohhh

[Randall53]

Tractor trailer load of 9mm for homeland security......LOL

[BrasilNuts]

The Secure Transport trucks have specific routes, they don't make wrong turns and they don't get surprised by construction. They would have no reason to be in downtown Memphis so I find it very unlikely they would be. I would bet it had something to do with the Federal Reserve.

OST

http://nnsa.energy.gov/aboutus/ourprograms/defenseprograms/securetransportation

[Pain103]

Sounds like DOE transport agents initially but could be Fed Reserve.

[Guest AmericanWorkMule]

some of us ain't acronym junkies

 

what do you all mean by DOE?

 

U.S. Department of Energy

Tennessee Department of Education

Duke of Edinburgh

 

OH, MEMPHIS!?

DEAD OL ELVIS...  that mother humper ROCKS

 

[2.ooohhh]

some of us ain't acronym junkies

 

what do you all mean by DOE?

 

U.S. Department of Energy

Tennessee Department of Education

Duke of Edinburgh

 

OH, MEMPHIS!?

DEAD OL ELVIS...  that mother humper ROCKS

 First line of the body of the page linked 2 posts above yours. . . 

 

"The Office of Secure Transportation (OST) is managed by the National Nuclear Security Administration within the U. S. Department of Energy."  :wave: 

[red dirt]

It was full of Elvis quarters on the way to the Fed Reserve.

[Guest Pineapple Devil]

Sounds exactly like a DOE truck, the escorts are federal Marshals iirc. Those guys pack some serious heat. As long as they're able, they're not supposed to have unplanned stops. Even if they're in a traffic accident, if they can move then they keep on trucking; one of the escorts stop to help.

DOE as their own "curriers" to secure transports. I know b/c I've trained some of them medically.

[BigK]

I always carry an AR when I have to go downtown in Memphis. Edited March 9, 2013 by BigK

[Guest sL1k]

I work for a trucking company and we have some customers that hire their own private security firms to escort the load, anything from cell phones to tv's. Sometimes they dont even tell the driver (that makes for an interesting call "ive got a black suburban with 4 guys in it that has followed me for the last 400 miles even to fuel")
its pretty common though.

[tartanphantom]

I work for a trucking company and we have some customers that hire their own private security firms to escort the load, anything from cell phones to tv's. Sometimes they dont even tell the driver (that makes for an interesting call "ive got a black suburban with 4 guys in it that has followed me for the last 400 miles even to fuel")
its pretty common though.

 

Yup. They used to do that a lot with Beanie Baby shipments back in the '90's... today it would be a shipment of .22LR. :jester:

Edited March 9, 2013 by tartanphantom

[daddyo]

Well, this is what bothers me - you don't always know who the cops are anymore, or if those who look like cops really are.

[TMF]

Well, this is what bothers me - you don't always know who the cops are anymore, or if those who look like cops really are.

He said he had a reflective vest on.... that means he's a good guy.

[Spots]

He said he had a reflective vest on.... that means he's a good guy.

Yeah because bad guys aren't stupid enough to walk around looking like a day glo target. Knda like some bases in the sandbox requiring glow belts..... Idiots.

[TMF]

Yeah because bad guys aren't stupid enough to walk around looking like a day glo target. Knda like some bases in the sandbox requiring glow belts..... Idiots.

Haha, that's so we don't mistake the guys running illegal checkpoints who are dressed and armed exactly the same..... with the exception of a glow belt and a reflective vest thrown over a jersey barrier. The only way I was able to tell good from bad was whether or not I was being shot at.

I think they issued them glow belts so the SGM's of the military could prove that glow belts do in fact save lives.