Off-duty KSC SWAT member shoots man in mask

[Lucky45]

Published December 9, 2007 1:08 am
Police hold robbery suspect in custody

JEFF SCHWEERS
FLORIDA TODAY

An off-duty Kennedy Space Center SWAT member is being hailed as a hero today for shooting a shotgun-wielding man in the chest as he was running from a Titusville Winn-Dixie.
Police began receiving calls from local businesses about 9:22 p.m. Saturday that a man was standing in the Winn-Dixie parking lot, 1535 Singleton Ave., wearing a mask and holding a shotgun.
Within seconds, police said, customers from inside the store began calling police on their cell phones to report that a robbery was in progress.
The masked man fired a shot at the office door to get inside and grab the money, police said, then fled to the back of the store and left through an emergency exit.
The KSC SWAT member walked in on the robbery, ran out to his vehicle and got his firearm, police reported. He went around the outside of the building to the back of the store, where he ran into the masked man with the shotgun and shot him in the upper chest. The masked man was airlifted to a local hospital in good condition.
Barry Allen Noetzel, 33, has been charged with armed robbery, aggravated assault, possession of a short-barreled shotgun, use of a firearm in commission of a felony, wearing body armor and mask while committing a felony and shooting within 1,000 feet of other people.
Noetzel has a prior criminal history and is on early release for a 1994 armed robbery conviction, Titusville police said.
After being treated at a local hospital, Noetzel was to be taken to the Brevard County jail and held without bond.

Just a few questions. Do you carry all time and where is your gun when you really need it? Also, how in the world was the suspect wearing body armor and he got shot in the chest? I know the answer, just being rheotorical. But just a reminder to practice the "failure drill." If the suspect is still standing then he is not superman; he is just wearing body armor, I guess.

[TEX]

Wow. Good job, but I wonder why the SWAT officer had to go to his vehicle to get his gun, unless he was already armed with a pistol and went to retreive a rifle or shotgun. The goblin was wearing body armor, so I guess the cop hit him high up, was using a rifle, or the goblin has poor body armor. I see it took place in Florida and was wondering if it is against the law to wear armor or a mask, or just an added charge if worn in the comission of a crime? I see also that shooting within 1,000 feet of another person is also a crime. Hope that doesn't apply to IDPA events or eveyone is in violation : )

TEX

[KC5AV]

It seems like they pile the charges on in any way they can.

Barry Allen Noetzel, 33, has been charged with armed robbery, aggravated assault, possession of a short-barreled shotgun, use of a firearm in commission of a felony, wearing body armor and mask while committing a felony and shooting within 1,000 feet of other people.

[frankie_the_yankee]

Nice job by the cop.

I carry whenever and wherever it's legal.

Should I need it, my gun is at 3 o'clock.

[txinvestigator]

Since the BG was shot in the chest, was wearing armor but put down, I bet the officer obtained his rifle from the car.

Sounds smart to me.

[bpet]

Calls started arriving at 9:22. Wonder what time it was when help arrived. I assume SWAT guy had situation under control when backup arrived but I can imagine the pucker factor was pretty high while he was waiting especially after seeing the body armor.

It must have been a little spooky knowing that had that first shot not made it past the body armor, return from a sawed-off shotgun would surely be forthcoming. Mighty lucky guy and a lesson for anyone thinking it might be a good idea to try to stop the BG from escaping even after the threat is over. IMO, that job is best left to the pros.

[ELB]

+1 on what actually happened is the KSC SWAT guy already had a pistol, but went to his car to get a RIFLE, and the reporter missed this or didn't know enough to ask about it.

But I had no idea NASA had SWAT cops.

elb

[seamusTX]

But I had no idea NASA had SWAT cops.

Kennedy Space Center seems as likely a terrorist target as anything.

- Jim

[frankie_the_yankee]

+1 on what actually happened is the KSC SWAT guy already had a pistol, but went to his car to get a RIFLE, and the reporter missed this or didn't know enough to ask about it.

elb

Is this a reported fact or just deductive reasoning on your part? The coverage I've seen so far is pretty sketchy. I admit that I could have easily missed this detail.

[Stupid]

Shouldn't this guy be treated same as Joe Horn?

1. he's no cop as he's off-duty
2. he's not in any immediate danger
3. he pursued the guy and critically wounded him

Under what justification could he do all these?

[Lucky45]

Shouldn't this guy be treated same as Joe Horn?

1. he's no cop as he's off-duty
2. he's not in any immediate danger
3. he pursued the guy and critically wounded him

Under what justification could he do all these?

No, because his justification is that he is a "federal agent" and a felony is being committed in his presence.

[Keith B]

Shouldn't this guy be treated same as Joe Horn?

1. he's no cop as he's off-duty
2. he's not in any immediate danger
3. he pursued the guy and critically wounded him

Under what justification could he do all these?

1. KSC contracts their security services from Space Gateway Support I am sure these teams carry a commision from state at least, if not a federal officer title. Here is a link to info on their SWAT team http://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/abo ... ature.html

2. If he met the guy heading at him with a gun, he was in fear for his life as the perp was a threat.

3. He went around to the back of the store, he did not persue the guy. He 'ran into him' as he went to the back.

[ELB]

But I had no idea NASA had SWAT cops.

Kennedy Space Center seems as likely a terrorist target as anything.

- Jim

Shopping malls and schools seem even liklier targets, but don't have SWAT teams. Yet. What I was really getting at is how many Fed Gov agencies have their own individual police forces. Having their own SWAT teams is even more interesting.

+1 on what actually happened is the KSC SWAT guy already had a pistol, but went to his car to get a RIFLE, and the reporter missed this or didn't know enough to ask about it.

elb

Is this a reported fact or just deductive reasoning on your part? The coverage I've seen so far is pretty sketchy. I admit that I could have easily missed this detail.

Just speculation on my part. The "+1" was meant to refer to previous posters who had come to the same conclusion.

Shouldn't this guy be treated same as Joe Horn?

1. he's no cop as he's off-duty
2. he's not in any immediate danger
3. he pursued the guy and critically wounded him

Under what justification could he do all these?

If in fact he is a cop, then he is always a cop, on duty or not. There may be some tactical considerations (e.g. is he really geared up for this, should he have some back up, etc), but his basic duties and powers are the same on or off duty.

Now if he is a contractor, not a full time, gummint-paid LEO... I do not know how that affects his off duty status. I haven't followed Keith B's link yet to see. (And Keith, I do think running around to the back of the store constitutes "pursuing" the bad guy. Not that that is a bad thing...)

Overall, I think the incident was resolved satisfactorily, and congrats to the SWAT guy, cop or contractor, or whatever.

elb

[Stupid]

Should he simply drive away, this tragedy would have never happened. He went back to get his gun and confronted the injured person just like Joe Horn did - well, not in his own yard of course.

I don't see any difference and cannot understand why this guy is called hero, but Joe is not.

Under what justification could he do all these?

1. KSC contracts their security services from Space Gateway Support I am sure these teams carry a commision from state at least, if not a federal officer title. Here is a link to info on their SWAT team http://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/abo ... ature.html

2. If he met the guy heading at him with a gun, he was in fear for his life as the perp was a threat.

3. He went around to the back of the store, he did not persue the guy. He 'ran into him' as he went to the back.[/quote]

[Keith B]

.... I do think running around to the back of the store constitutes "pursuing" the bad guy. Not that that is a bad thing...)....

I guess it really depends on if he headed around the back after the guy ran through the emergency exit, or just ran around back to try to get a good entrance into the store at a different angle to stop the guy. Either way, I guess he was working to engage the robber and did a good job. I am sure his LEO/SWAT training took over in his actions, but there is one less BG on the street because of it.