Latest news with #Vickers
American Military News
2 days ago
- American Military News
Video: Fmr. Delta Force operator shares dangerous hostage rescue story
Larry Vickers, a U.S. Army veteran and a former Delta Force operator, shared an account on Thursday of the Delta Force's Operation Acid Gambit hostage rescue of Kurt Muse from a prison in Panama in December of 1989. During a Thursday interview with podcaster Shawn Ryan, Vickers explained that Muse's rescue as part of Operation Acid Gambit was a dangerous hostage rescue attempt due to a prison guard threatening to kill the hostage if the United States attempted to rescue him from Panama's La Comandancia prison. According to The Army's website, Muse was imprisoned in Panama for leading opposition against Manuel Noriega, the former dictator of Panama. 'There was a guard that had told Kurt if there was a rescue attempt, he was going to kill him,' Vickers said. 'Because Kurt, I think, asked him, 'Hey, if there's a rescue attempt for me, what are you going to do?' And he goes, 'I'll kill you.'' 'This guy was in the room right across from Kurt,' Vickers added. 'So the priority was to get down to Kurt as soon as possible to beat this guy. You know, before this guy gets a situational awareness, figures out what's going on, goes over to Kurt's cell, and kills him.' READ MORE: Video/Pic: Last living American hostage released by Hamas During Thursday's podcast interview, Vickers shared details about how he was almost killed by his team's own 'C6 charge,' how the Delta Force Team entered the building after snipers disabled the prison's power, and how the team encountered one of the prison guards before reaching Muse's location. 'He was in a room across, and the G team went in and killed him. Yep, he's armed with a pistol,' Vickers told Ryan. 'I think the guy, I think he was in a shower, if memory serves me correct. G team found him in the shower. I think the guy went for his pistol, already had a pistol in his hand. They killed him.' 'Yep, they got Muse out. They brought in a little, you know, kit, aviator kit bag, and had body armor and a helmet, you know, a body armor and a Kevlar helmet. Peeled him out. I remember seeing him go up the stairs,' Vickers added. 'Couple things. We get up. We tell him, 'Hey, you know, PC secure to get the extraction birds out.' The reason the book's called 'Six Minutes To Freedom' was because from when we touched down to when we called, you know, PC secure, called for EXO was six minutes.'
Powys County Times
5 days ago
- Powys County Times
Welshpool man who contacted school girl avoids jail
A POWYS man has been spared prison after breaching the terms of a crown court order he received for engaging in sexual communication with a child. Shane Vickers, 31, was made the subject of a three-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) in October 2022 at Mold Crown Court, after he asked a primary school-aged girl to be his girlfriend and later asked a young teenage girl to send him nude pictures on an online dating site. Vickers, described as an 'extremely' vulnerable individual who lives in a home for adults with complex health disorders in Welshpool, previously admitted breaching the order on two occasions this year. He downloaded the Snapchat app on Christmas Day last year without notifying police, and another app that allowed him to watch pornography, both of which he is prevented from doing by the crown court order. Welshpool Magistrates' Court committed Vickers' case to the higher court in March after his guilty pleas. At Mold Crown Court on Wednesday, May 28, Dylan Wagg, prosecuting, said the offences came to light on January 22 this year, after staff at the premises where Vickers lives informed police. 'The police were informed he had Snapchat on his phone,' said Mr Wagg. 'His email address was in the log in details and he admitted he'd done it around Christmas time. 'While looking at his phone, officers found he had the Blue Proxy app. He said he used it to watch pornography as his internet provider blocks him from watching it. 'He said he had been using it for about a year. The app allows users to browse privately, which is a breach of the order.' Mr Wagg said Vickers received a three-year community order at Mold in 2022 for the original offences. Acting for Vickers Simon Rogers said his client's best mitigation was his early guilty pleas. 'Police were able to see the messages he was sending and receiving, and there was no evidence to suggest he'd sought to make contact with young children,' said Mr Rogers. 'His level of functioning is extremely low. 'He would be extremely vulnerable within a prison setting. A suspended sentence would be best for both him and society at large.' Judge Rhys Rowlands told Vickers: 'Despite what you say, it was quite calculated behaviour. You were hiding your activity over a period of time. 'I draw back from immediate custody, but not without misgivings. I am persuaded that there are realistic prospects of rehabilitation." Judge Rowlands handed down a 12-month jail sentence suspended for two years. In addition, Vickers will complete 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days, as well as up to 12 sessions of a mental health treatment requirement.
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Staiths progress slow but steady, chiefs say
A partnership aimed at protecting a historical timber structure on the River Tyne is making progress despite frustrations over securing long-term funding, chiefs say. The Tyne & Wear Building Preservation Trust (TWBPT), which has responsibility for Grade II listed Dunston Staiths in Gateshead, teamed up with the National Trust (NT) in 2020. The structure is more than 130 years old and was previously used to load coal on to ships during north-east England's industrial heyday. It is hoped a soon-to-be submitted £4.5m bid for Heritage Lottery funding by Gateshead Council could help cover the cost of repairs to some sections. A public open day earlier this month had to be cancelled when damage was found to the decking, although a follow-up event went ahead after a "safe route" was identified for public access. TWBPT's deputy manager, Kari Vickers, said several steps forward had been taken since the tie up with NT. including the structure's inclusion in the Tyne Derwent Way nine-mile (14km) trail connecting historic sites along the river. A community hub has also been opened nearby and a car park for visitors is currently being constructed. "The major repairs we did to the west end of the staiths are now 10 years old," Ms Vickers said. "We've done minor repairs since then, but we'd not had any subsequent big pots of money and so that's why we set up the partnership with the National Trust and Gateshead Council to help look at a strategy. "Giving context to the staiths through the Tyne Derwent Way has massively changed things for the better, but then of course the funding that comes into that project is widely spread. "You're delivering while thinking about that next pot of money that you're having to chase. That's probably one of the things that's frustrating, but we're not unique. A lot of organisations are in that position. "We're all realistic about what we're tackling. We know this is a long-term thing. We know this is going to be decades rather than weeks." At more than 500m (1,650ft) in length, the staiths is reputedly the largest timber structure in Europe. It has survived repeated arson attacks, but a large section was torn away by a blaze in 2003. A £3 visitors' fee was introduced last year to help pay for its maintenance, although people with an NE8 or NE11 postcode are given free entry. Further suggestions for ways to generate income have included glamping pods and river tours. However, repairs to the structure need to be funded and finished before any of those suggestions can be brought in, Ms Vickers says. NT senior urban programme manager Helen Moir said the five years of the partnership have brought a new way of approaching "the stewardship" of the staiths and places like it. "Previously heritage restoration projects were very much 'done to' places. Moving forward, it's about how to we work with the people who live and work next to it. "We're at the beginning of the journey. We're all chomping at the bit to see more happen, but I do think we've learned together and developed together. "Now it's about how do we take it further. Whether it's heritage or nature, we know we can't do it alone." For its part, Gateshead Council is confident the structure is in safe hands. Councillor John McElroy said: "Dunston Staiths is a real symbol of Tyneside and of its links with the coal industry and even the National Garden Festival in 1990 [staged on adjacent land]. "It also provides a real centrepiece for that part of the Tyne Derwent Way and hopefully the bid for £4.5m will see further progress. "A lot has been done, but there's still more to do". Ms Vickers, meanwhile, remains determined: "We won't give up" "Our core business is doing up old buildings, but when something is built for a specific purpose like the staiths, having a re-use that creates an income is difficult. "Covid knocked us back, even with things like attracting volunteers. "Last year we replaced 12 decking planks at the lower entrance. It cost £20,000. "There's never enough money, but that's why you've got to be canny with what you do get." Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram. 'Safe route' allows reopening of damaged structure Podcast brings River Tyne trail's history to life A symbol of the past fighting for its future Tyne & Wear Building Preservation Trust National Trust Gateshead Council
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Yahoo
West Springfield police seek help identifying shoplifting suspects
WEST SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – The West Springfield Police Department is seeking the public's help in identifying two shoplifting suspects. West Springfield Middle School trail reopens following coyote sighting The two suspects were seen shoplifting at Stop & Shop in the Riverdale Shopping Plaza on May 3rd. They are suspected of being involved in multiple shoplifting incidents throughout West Springfield. If you have any information regarding the identities of the suspects, contact Detective Vickers at 413-263-3210, extension 245. WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
North Wales Chronicle
15-05-2025
- North Wales Chronicle
Father who murdered daughter in play-fight could have sentence increased
Simon Vickers was jailed for life with a minimum term of 15 years in February after being found guilty of the murder of his daughter, Scarlett, with sentencing judge Mr Justice Cotter claiming the killing happened in a 'momentary but devastating act of anger'. During his trial at Teesside Crown Court, Vickers, 50, had given different accounts of what happened in the seconds before he stabbed a kitchen knife 11cm into Scarlett's lung and heart at their home in Darlington on July 5 last year. The Solicitor General has referred his sentence to the Court of Appeal under the Unduly Lenient Sentence Scheme, with the case set to be heard by three senior judges in London on Thursday. Vickers' trial heard how Scarlett's mother, Sarah Hall, was making spaghetti bolognese on the evening of July 5 2024, and she and her daughter threw grapes at each other for fun. Ms Hall grabbed some tongs and snipped at her partner of 27 years, and when he complained he had been hurt, Scarlett implied her father was being 'wimpy'. Ms Hall told jurors that during the play-fighting, she turned away to serve the family's evening meal and then heard Scarlett say 'ow'. She said she immediately saw that their only child was pouring with blood, with Scarlett bleeding to death at the scene. Ms Hall made a 999 call and told the operator they had been 'messing about' and that her partner had thrown something at their daughter, and he 'didn't realise'. Vickers told a paramedic that his daughter had lunged towards him during a bout of play-fighting, the court heard, but a jury convicted him of murder by a majority of 10-2 in January. Sentencing him, Mr Justice Cotter said the version of events that the defendant told the jury – that he had accidentally swiped the knife across the work surface and into his daughter's chest without realising – was 'unconvincing and wholly implausible'. Vickers had drunk wine and smoked cannabis that night, but the judge was not sure that alcohol had contributed to the offence, which he was convinced was caused by 'a flash of anger'. Mr Justice Cotter said: 'It stole one young, precious life, ruined your life, your wife's life and Scarlett's relatives and friends.' He continued: 'You have never accepted exactly what happened, although you have accepted it was your actions that caused her death. 'Your beloved daughter deserved that you told the truth. You have not done so.' The hearing before Lord Justice Stuart-Smith, Mr Justice Goose and Mrs Justice Eady is set to begin at 10.30am on Thursday at the Royal Courts of Justice.
