1 00:00:08,480 --> 00:00:14,480 Speaker 1: Y'all welcomed a Zone seven. Tonight is the first episode 2 00:00:14,600 --> 00:00:19,000 Speaker 1: in a series on the Olympic Park bombing. This is 3 00:00:19,040 --> 00:00:22,680 Speaker 1: a sentimental journey for me. I'm going to tell stories 4 00:00:22,720 --> 00:00:26,720 Speaker 1: in this series that I've never told before. Most people 5 00:00:26,800 --> 00:00:30,040 Speaker 1: don't know, but I was in charge of the Olympic 6 00:00:30,080 --> 00:00:35,639 Speaker 1: Crisis Response Team. Nobody would know that except we had 7 00:00:35,640 --> 00:00:41,360 Speaker 1: a bomb. So this particular evening, I had just gotten 8 00:00:41,479 --> 00:00:46,320 Speaker 1: home from a twelve hour ship, plus some social events, 9 00:00:46,840 --> 00:00:49,160 Speaker 1: so we would work all day and honey, we would 10 00:00:49,200 --> 00:00:53,680 Speaker 1: party till after midnight. We were having so much fun 11 00:00:53,840 --> 00:00:58,440 Speaker 1: in Atlanta. I can't even tell you. I was just 12 00:00:58,480 --> 00:01:01,279 Speaker 1: getting home. It was about twelve, four forty five, and 13 00:01:01,400 --> 00:01:03,480 Speaker 1: I did not have to be back on duty till 14 00:01:03,520 --> 00:01:07,559 Speaker 1: eleven o'clock the next morning. So I was just sitting 15 00:01:07,600 --> 00:01:10,720 Speaker 1: there and I was thinking, Man, you know, we've got 16 00:01:10,840 --> 00:01:16,160 Speaker 1: July nineteenth through August fourth, and we've got two hundred 17 00:01:16,640 --> 00:01:22,920 Speaker 1: and seventy one events across twenty six forts. We had 18 00:01:22,959 --> 00:01:28,119 Speaker 1: over ten thousand athletes from one hundred and ninety seven countries, 19 00:01:29,040 --> 00:01:33,280 Speaker 1: and the opening ceremonies had already knocked me out because 20 00:01:33,840 --> 00:01:37,640 Speaker 1: Muhammad Ali, I mean, are you kidding me? And Atlanta. 21 00:01:38,480 --> 00:01:41,080 Speaker 1: We were just showing off. I mean, that's all there 22 00:01:41,160 --> 00:01:46,119 Speaker 1: was to it. I was having the best experience. There 23 00:01:46,120 --> 00:01:49,840 Speaker 1: were famous people, there were athletes, there were parties, there 24 00:01:49,880 --> 00:01:56,320 Speaker 1: were events. Everywhere you looked. You could not go anywhere 25 00:01:56,360 --> 00:02:00,600 Speaker 1: in Atlanta that there was not a function dedicated to 26 00:02:00,640 --> 00:02:04,080 Speaker 1: the Olympics going on almost twenty four hours a day. 27 00:02:05,480 --> 00:02:09,079 Speaker 1: So I had just poured myself a glass of wine, 28 00:02:09,200 --> 00:02:11,160 Speaker 1: and I was going to sit down and just kind 29 00:02:11,160 --> 00:02:15,239 Speaker 1: of relax a minute, and I was thinking about all 30 00:02:15,280 --> 00:02:21,239 Speaker 1: of these experiences that I'd had, and suddenly both pagers 31 00:02:21,280 --> 00:02:26,000 Speaker 1: went off. My big old bag cell phone started ringing, 32 00:02:26,840 --> 00:02:32,360 Speaker 1: and my landline was ringing. I knew it was something catastrophic. 33 00:02:33,160 --> 00:02:37,400 Speaker 1: I knew this was not a drill. It was July 34 00:02:37,520 --> 00:02:42,480 Speaker 1: twenty seventh, nineteen ninety six, when a call came into 35 00:02:42,560 --> 00:02:47,720 Speaker 1: nine one one with just eleven words. The caller said, 36 00:02:48,520 --> 00:02:54,359 Speaker 1: there's a bomb in Centennial Park. You have thirty minutes. Now. 37 00:02:54,360 --> 00:02:57,240 Speaker 1: Those eleven words came from a payphone down the street. 38 00:02:58,760 --> 00:03:03,120 Speaker 1: We didn't have thirty minutes. We only had twenty two minutes. 39 00:03:04,560 --> 00:03:07,880 Speaker 1: It was the largest pipe bomb in North America and 40 00:03:07,919 --> 00:03:10,639 Speaker 1: it had gone off in the middle of Centennial Olympic 41 00:03:10,720 --> 00:03:16,320 Speaker 1: Park during a concert. It was approximately one twenty am. 42 00:03:17,280 --> 00:03:23,320 Speaker 1: By forty five am, I was on site running the crisis. 43 00:03:23,320 --> 00:03:26,600 Speaker 1: You saw seen from the command center. We had one 44 00:03:26,680 --> 00:03:31,800 Speaker 1: hundred and eleven victims, two fatalities, and we had one 45 00:03:31,880 --> 00:03:39,760 Speaker 1: hundred and fourteen of us to assist. Alice Hawthorne died 46 00:03:39,840 --> 00:03:43,560 Speaker 1: from the blast, forty four years old. From all Benny, 47 00:03:43,640 --> 00:03:50,240 Speaker 1: Georgia and her daughter Fallon suffered great injuries. Y'all, tonight, 48 00:03:51,320 --> 00:03:58,800 Speaker 1: I could not be more honored to have IRV Brandt now. 49 00:03:58,800 --> 00:04:03,000 Speaker 1: IRV was a police officer with the Atlanta Police Department 50 00:04:03,080 --> 00:04:06,480 Speaker 1: during the time of the Olympics, but before that he 51 00:04:06,560 --> 00:04:10,840 Speaker 1: was in the US Navy. He's an author. He's offered 52 00:04:11,160 --> 00:04:15,800 Speaker 1: several books on Jack Solo. They're a mystery series of novels. 53 00:04:17,120 --> 00:04:21,359 Speaker 1: But when he was with Atlanta Baby, he was in 54 00:04:21,520 --> 00:04:26,520 Speaker 1: Zone three. He worked under cover. He worked in narcotics. 55 00:04:27,000 --> 00:04:30,080 Speaker 1: He later went to the Marshall Service. He worked in 56 00:04:30,160 --> 00:04:33,600 Speaker 1: DC in Superior Court. He was part of the Fugitive 57 00:04:33,720 --> 00:04:39,360 Speaker 1: Strike Team. He's worked for Interpol, the Department of Justice. 58 00:04:40,120 --> 00:04:45,520 Speaker 1: He was the United States Marshall Service attache for the 59 00:04:45,640 --> 00:04:51,200 Speaker 1: US Embassy in Jamaica. Y'all, he has investigated cases in 60 00:04:51,279 --> 00:04:58,240 Speaker 1: over fifty countries own six continents. So when I tell you, 61 00:04:58,320 --> 00:05:02,040 Speaker 1: this man knows investigation, this man knows how to track 62 00:05:02,120 --> 00:05:07,040 Speaker 1: people down. He don't flinch, He ain't scared of nothing. 63 00:05:07,120 --> 00:05:08,680 Speaker 1: And we're gonna get into that in a minute too. 64 00:05:10,160 --> 00:05:16,640 Speaker 1: He's received numerous citations, one the US Attorney General's Distinguished 65 00:05:16,640 --> 00:05:21,280 Speaker 1: Service Award. He's been featured on America's Most Wanted Breakout, 66 00:05:21,560 --> 00:05:25,839 Speaker 1: Escape to Vegas, and Crime Stories with Nancy Grace. Now 67 00:05:26,440 --> 00:05:31,600 Speaker 1: IRV and I work together in the day in Zone three. 68 00:05:31,800 --> 00:05:34,919 Speaker 1: We both worked the Olympic Park bombing as well, and 69 00:05:34,960 --> 00:05:38,640 Speaker 1: then we were reunited on crime stories with Nancy Grace 70 00:05:38,760 --> 00:05:42,160 Speaker 1: and Nancy, as y'all know, was my prosecutor when I 71 00:05:42,200 --> 00:05:44,679 Speaker 1: was assigned to Operation Weed and Seed in the Major 72 00:05:44,760 --> 00:05:49,800 Speaker 1: Case Division with the Crime Commission. So tonight it is 73 00:05:49,880 --> 00:05:54,080 Speaker 1: my pleasure to bring into Zone seven one of the 74 00:05:54,400 --> 00:06:02,239 Speaker 1: original just bad ass police men from Atlanta. IRV Brandt, IRV. 75 00:06:02,440 --> 00:06:04,080 Speaker 1: Welcome to Zone seven. 76 00:06:04,160 --> 00:06:08,520 Speaker 2: Cheryl Mac. It's a pleasure to be with you. I 77 00:06:08,640 --> 00:06:11,880 Speaker 2: look forward to talking about the old days and I'm 78 00:06:11,920 --> 00:06:13,400 Speaker 2: with you living with seven. 79 00:06:16,520 --> 00:06:21,760 Speaker 1: You know, y'all, he's starting already. So back in Zone three. 80 00:06:22,480 --> 00:06:25,039 Speaker 1: They used to call me living with seven all the 81 00:06:25,080 --> 00:06:29,200 Speaker 1: gang members. I was the only Caucasian female assigned to 82 00:06:29,240 --> 00:06:32,599 Speaker 1: that task force. I did not even know what living 83 00:06:32,640 --> 00:06:36,200 Speaker 1: with seven meant, and then quickly it just got reduced 84 00:06:36,200 --> 00:06:39,760 Speaker 1: to seven. But absolutely, like IRV said, they were calling 85 00:06:39,760 --> 00:06:43,000 Speaker 1: me snow white. But let me tell you about yourself, sir, 86 00:06:44,520 --> 00:06:49,839 Speaker 1: I have met few people with the ability to not 87 00:06:50,000 --> 00:06:55,080 Speaker 1: be afraid, to not be concerned with their own safety 88 00:06:55,120 --> 00:06:57,960 Speaker 1: at any given time. You would stay in the cut, 89 00:06:58,480 --> 00:07:01,440 Speaker 1: you would stay in the bluff, you would swing through 90 00:07:01,520 --> 00:07:04,040 Speaker 1: and you know, make sure you got you know, your 91 00:07:04,080 --> 00:07:07,040 Speaker 1: cigarettes with Sam and A's while you were you know, 92 00:07:07,680 --> 00:07:11,360 Speaker 1: working b sector in the umbrella car tell us about 93 00:07:11,360 --> 00:07:13,160 Speaker 1: those early days, Well. 94 00:07:14,040 --> 00:07:17,000 Speaker 2: Charl Mac, I got to say the things that we 95 00:07:17,080 --> 00:07:20,800 Speaker 2: did when we were young and we didn't know the 96 00:07:20,920 --> 00:07:24,760 Speaker 2: danger that we were in. Atlanta back in the early 97 00:07:24,920 --> 00:07:30,240 Speaker 2: nineties was one of the most violent cities in the nation. 98 00:07:31,760 --> 00:07:36,960 Speaker 2: I remember that we led the nation and shootings and 99 00:07:37,040 --> 00:07:43,320 Speaker 2: homicides and most of them occurred in Zone three. And 100 00:07:43,400 --> 00:07:47,120 Speaker 2: working as a you know, working patrol, Working in Zone 101 00:07:47,240 --> 00:07:52,280 Speaker 2: three as a police officer was probably one of the 102 00:07:52,280 --> 00:07:56,960 Speaker 2: most dangerous places in the nation. But we didn't realize it. 103 00:07:57,120 --> 00:08:00,240 Speaker 2: We didn't know because we thought we were invincible. We 104 00:08:00,240 --> 00:08:04,080 Speaker 2: were young and didn't believe anything could happen to us. 105 00:08:04,560 --> 00:08:07,640 Speaker 2: And when I graduated from the Atlanta Police Academy, I 106 00:08:07,720 --> 00:08:12,280 Speaker 2: had graduated towards the top of my class and I 107 00:08:12,320 --> 00:08:16,920 Speaker 2: got the pick of the assignments and they have you 108 00:08:17,000 --> 00:08:21,120 Speaker 2: put down three choices, you know, which precincts, and they 109 00:08:21,360 --> 00:08:25,520 Speaker 2: and they want you to list the three precincts you know, 110 00:08:25,640 --> 00:08:27,920 Speaker 2: in order that you want to go to. And I 111 00:08:27,960 --> 00:08:34,360 Speaker 2: put down Zone three, Zone three, Zone three, and they said, well, 112 00:08:34,679 --> 00:08:39,040 Speaker 2: Officer Brent, you're going to Zone three. And like you, 113 00:08:41,440 --> 00:08:47,520 Speaker 2: being one of the few Caucasian officers in there, the 114 00:08:47,559 --> 00:08:54,520 Speaker 2: field investigation team immediately put me into undercover work because 115 00:08:54,559 --> 00:08:58,720 Speaker 2: they had so few white officers and I wasn't known 116 00:08:59,320 --> 00:09:01,960 Speaker 2: in the pre so I hadn't been out of the 117 00:09:02,040 --> 00:09:07,280 Speaker 2: academy a week when I was working undercover vice and 118 00:09:07,400 --> 00:09:14,679 Speaker 2: narcotics operations. Like I said, just a brand new rookie 119 00:09:15,320 --> 00:09:20,520 Speaker 2: and never thought once of the danger that I was in. 120 00:09:20,800 --> 00:09:24,679 Speaker 2: But that just comes with part of the job, That 121 00:09:25,360 --> 00:09:30,160 Speaker 2: just comes with working that part of Atlanta, as you 122 00:09:30,240 --> 00:09:39,600 Speaker 2: well know, working Henry Thomas, you know, working Englewood, and 123 00:09:39,800 --> 00:09:45,000 Speaker 2: you know Capital homes and Carver homes and you know 124 00:09:45,120 --> 00:09:50,160 Speaker 2: all of them, and you know we those were wild, 125 00:09:50,600 --> 00:09:51,760 Speaker 2: wild times. 126 00:09:52,320 --> 00:09:55,280 Speaker 1: And you know you and I have talked. You remember 127 00:09:56,080 --> 00:09:58,840 Speaker 1: when the most violent person in Zone three, he went 128 00:09:58,880 --> 00:10:04,120 Speaker 1: by the code named Geronimo, his mama's house got destroyed 129 00:10:04,400 --> 00:10:07,480 Speaker 1: in a burglary, and I thought, you know what, this 130 00:10:07,640 --> 00:10:11,520 Speaker 1: is my chance again to your point, being young, not 131 00:10:11,559 --> 00:10:14,640 Speaker 1: knowing any better, I thought, I will do her a favor. 132 00:10:14,760 --> 00:10:17,439 Speaker 1: I will get the windows boarded up, and I'll replace 133 00:10:17,480 --> 00:10:21,080 Speaker 1: some of the Christmas gifts and then we'll be straight. Well, 134 00:10:21,120 --> 00:10:25,920 Speaker 1: sure enough, Geronimo put the word out, don't touch seven, 135 00:10:26,520 --> 00:10:31,040 Speaker 1: leave her alone. I never had the first issue anywhere 136 00:10:31,080 --> 00:10:34,199 Speaker 1: in Zone three ever for eight years. 137 00:10:34,600 --> 00:10:38,360 Speaker 2: You're so much smarter than me, Cheryl Mack. The first 138 00:10:38,360 --> 00:10:41,160 Speaker 2: thing that I did after I came out from undercover 139 00:10:42,040 --> 00:10:45,360 Speaker 2: and they put me in a patrol car was I 140 00:10:45,440 --> 00:10:50,160 Speaker 2: went straight to Stuart in Cleveland and started messing with 141 00:10:50,200 --> 00:10:57,400 Speaker 2: the McKissick twins, who you know ran that area. You know, 142 00:10:57,800 --> 00:11:01,760 Speaker 2: they ran all the drug operations. And when homicide put 143 00:11:01,800 --> 00:11:05,520 Speaker 2: a warrant out for him, I walked into that burger 144 00:11:05,640 --> 00:11:09,160 Speaker 2: king at Stuart in Cleveland because Homicide had sent me 145 00:11:09,200 --> 00:11:13,200 Speaker 2: the warrant saying they wanted the Kissing brothers. And I 146 00:11:13,280 --> 00:11:18,120 Speaker 2: walked in and Twin and Anton were sitting in a 147 00:11:18,160 --> 00:11:24,120 Speaker 2: booth with eight of their crew members there, and I 148 00:11:24,200 --> 00:11:26,440 Speaker 2: walked in on him and pulled out my gun and 149 00:11:26,480 --> 00:11:29,440 Speaker 2: held him at gunpoint and put it out over the 150 00:11:29,520 --> 00:11:32,360 Speaker 2: radio that I had him at gunpoint, and the whole 151 00:11:32,440 --> 00:11:37,839 Speaker 2: city came and I arrested guarantee it. Yeah, I arrested him, 152 00:11:38,200 --> 00:11:42,520 Speaker 2: you know, on the murder charges, which of course they 153 00:11:42,600 --> 00:11:46,760 Speaker 2: beat and got back out on the street, then put 154 00:11:46,800 --> 00:11:49,520 Speaker 2: a hit out on me from then after, you know. 155 00:11:49,880 --> 00:11:54,200 Speaker 2: So I spent my time in Zone three running and 156 00:11:54,320 --> 00:11:58,880 Speaker 2: ducking for cover, while you were the smart one and 157 00:11:59,120 --> 00:12:01,480 Speaker 2: had protect. 158 00:12:03,320 --> 00:12:11,439 Speaker 1: I'll tell you what some of your stories. So let's 159 00:12:11,520 --> 00:12:15,720 Speaker 1: talk about the early morning of the bombing. Now your 160 00:12:15,760 --> 00:12:18,720 Speaker 1: own duty. You had been assigned to the Olympic part. 161 00:12:19,480 --> 00:12:22,040 Speaker 1: Tell us about your day to day leading up to 162 00:12:22,200 --> 00:12:22,760 Speaker 1: day nine. 163 00:12:23,400 --> 00:12:27,520 Speaker 2: Well, Cheryl mckett, you know, as we talked about before, 164 00:12:28,440 --> 00:12:32,120 Speaker 2: when you know, we all got our you know, special assignments, 165 00:12:32,360 --> 00:12:34,320 Speaker 2: you know, for the Olympics, and I was waiting for 166 00:12:34,480 --> 00:12:37,600 Speaker 2: mine and seeing which venue I was going to be 167 00:12:37,640 --> 00:12:42,560 Speaker 2: assigned to h and I got assigned to Centennial Park, 168 00:12:43,360 --> 00:12:46,040 Speaker 2: and I was telling everyone I was one of the 169 00:12:46,160 --> 00:12:50,600 Speaker 2: lucky ones, you know, because I wasn't, you know, at 170 00:12:50,640 --> 00:12:58,280 Speaker 2: a high profile venue. I was, you know, basically just 171 00:12:58,320 --> 00:13:02,040 Speaker 2: where everybody went to after words to blow off steam 172 00:13:02,120 --> 00:13:04,880 Speaker 2: and party and things like that and meet the athletes. 173 00:13:05,559 --> 00:13:09,160 Speaker 2: So I figured I had caught a great assignment. And 174 00:13:09,840 --> 00:13:13,680 Speaker 2: like you said, up until that day, it was a 175 00:13:13,720 --> 00:13:17,640 Speaker 2: great assignment. I you know, went to work at eight 176 00:13:17,679 --> 00:13:20,080 Speaker 2: in the evening and worked until eight in the morning. 177 00:13:21,120 --> 00:13:25,360 Speaker 2: And we had a few incidents. I mean everyone was 178 00:13:25,480 --> 00:13:28,280 Speaker 2: drinking and having a good time. There was a few fights, 179 00:13:28,280 --> 00:13:32,280 Speaker 2: but nothing nothing serious. You know, we had plenty of 180 00:13:33,160 --> 00:13:38,280 Speaker 2: law enforcement there with a big presence by the GBI 181 00:13:39,720 --> 00:13:44,319 Speaker 2: inside the park and my assignments, I worked the athletes 182 00:13:44,440 --> 00:13:50,600 Speaker 2: gate to the park and I would check the vans 183 00:13:50,679 --> 00:13:53,360 Speaker 2: bringing in the athletes, and you know, we had that 184 00:13:53,840 --> 00:13:57,840 Speaker 2: section of tech Wood we had like a corridor blocked 185 00:13:57,880 --> 00:14:00,680 Speaker 2: off for the vans to come up and I would 186 00:14:00,760 --> 00:14:04,560 Speaker 2: open the gate and they would follow me into the 187 00:14:04,600 --> 00:14:08,160 Speaker 2: park and I make sure that you know, athletes, you know, 188 00:14:08,240 --> 00:14:12,120 Speaker 2: got out safely and things like that, and like I said, 189 00:14:12,160 --> 00:14:14,960 Speaker 2: it was it was a great assignment. I got to 190 00:14:15,000 --> 00:14:17,880 Speaker 2: meet all of the Olympic athletes. It was. It was 191 00:14:17,880 --> 00:14:22,720 Speaker 2: a very thrilling time right up until that moment that 192 00:14:22,840 --> 00:14:27,720 Speaker 2: bomb went off and just completely rocked my world. I 193 00:14:27,840 --> 00:14:33,960 Speaker 2: was actually probably i'd say, maybe fifty feet from that 194 00:14:34,080 --> 00:14:37,800 Speaker 2: sound tower, you know, from that bench where the bomb was, 195 00:14:39,120 --> 00:14:43,360 Speaker 2: and I had my back to it, and when the 196 00:14:43,400 --> 00:14:48,440 Speaker 2: bomb went off and you know, just rattled my teeth. 197 00:14:48,480 --> 00:14:52,800 Speaker 2: In my head, I had thought the building across on 198 00:14:52,880 --> 00:14:57,440 Speaker 2: Techwood had exploded because the sound had echoed off that 199 00:14:57,520 --> 00:15:00,800 Speaker 2: building and kind of like bounced back. So I was 200 00:15:00,800 --> 00:15:04,600 Speaker 2: sitting there looking at the building, you know, looking for 201 00:15:04,680 --> 00:15:08,080 Speaker 2: smoke and things like that, when I heard the screams 202 00:15:08,120 --> 00:15:12,800 Speaker 2: behind me, and I turned around and just about everyone 203 00:15:13,000 --> 00:15:16,400 Speaker 2: was flat on their backs, you know, from the explosion, 204 00:15:17,280 --> 00:15:20,800 Speaker 2: including all the GBI agents who were easy to spot. 205 00:15:20,840 --> 00:15:26,800 Speaker 2: They were wearing khaki pants and black polo shirts and 206 00:15:26,880 --> 00:15:29,240 Speaker 2: you know, it said GBI on the back, and all 207 00:15:29,280 --> 00:15:32,680 Speaker 2: of them were on their back, and I thought they 208 00:15:32,720 --> 00:15:36,720 Speaker 2: were all dead. Then everyone began to sit up and 209 00:15:36,800 --> 00:15:39,800 Speaker 2: things like that, and I could see they were covered 210 00:15:39,840 --> 00:15:46,440 Speaker 2: in blood. So I started, you know, dragon GBI agents, 211 00:15:47,080 --> 00:15:51,000 Speaker 2: you know, away from the scene because as you know, 212 00:15:51,480 --> 00:15:54,640 Speaker 2: you're always concerned about a secondary. 213 00:15:54,720 --> 00:15:58,760 Speaker 1: Device, a secondary device, absolutely. 214 00:15:58,640 --> 00:16:02,360 Speaker 2: Yeah, you don't know there's another, you know, explosion coming. 215 00:16:02,480 --> 00:16:07,720 Speaker 2: So I was dragging him out of the park. And 216 00:16:08,200 --> 00:16:12,480 Speaker 2: once we got the you know, park basically cleared, and 217 00:16:12,600 --> 00:16:15,520 Speaker 2: you know, the people moved out, the woman, miss Hawthorne, 218 00:16:15,560 --> 00:16:18,480 Speaker 2: that had died, you know, I was I wasn't that 219 00:16:18,600 --> 00:16:22,480 Speaker 2: far from her, and you know, she was one of 220 00:16:22,560 --> 00:16:24,800 Speaker 2: the first people that we checked on. But there was 221 00:16:24,880 --> 00:16:28,640 Speaker 2: nothing that could be done, and but we got all 222 00:16:28,720 --> 00:16:32,200 Speaker 2: the injured people out, and you know, we got everybody out, 223 00:16:33,120 --> 00:16:39,000 Speaker 2: and this was kind of the bizarre part. Cheryl mack. I. 224 00:16:39,720 --> 00:16:43,800 Speaker 2: You know, I was the only Atlanta Police officer inside 225 00:16:43,880 --> 00:16:48,800 Speaker 2: the park. There were plenty outside the park, and inside 226 00:16:48,840 --> 00:16:52,880 Speaker 2: the park were the GBI agents, who almost all of 227 00:16:52,960 --> 00:16:55,200 Speaker 2: them were injured. So we got them out of there. 228 00:16:55,920 --> 00:17:00,160 Speaker 2: So after we finally cleared it all out, I was 229 00:17:00,200 --> 00:17:05,359 Speaker 2: alone in the park, which was completely eerie, you know 230 00:17:05,480 --> 00:17:09,400 Speaker 2: and bizarre, and I was getting ready to leave and 231 00:17:09,440 --> 00:17:13,240 Speaker 2: as I started walking out, I found a very large 232 00:17:13,440 --> 00:17:18,760 Speaker 2: part of the pipe bomb. I could see the threads 233 00:17:18,800 --> 00:17:23,520 Speaker 2: of the pipe and stuff like that, and I radioed 234 00:17:24,560 --> 00:17:27,119 Speaker 2: my supervisor and I told him I said, look, I 235 00:17:27,240 --> 00:17:31,119 Speaker 2: got a piece of the bomb. I don't want to 236 00:17:31,240 --> 00:17:34,600 Speaker 2: leave this unattended. I don't want it to be accidentally moved. 237 00:17:34,840 --> 00:17:37,520 Speaker 2: I don't want someone to step on it. I said, 238 00:17:37,800 --> 00:17:41,040 Speaker 2: I'm going to stand on, you know, by until the 239 00:17:41,080 --> 00:17:46,000 Speaker 2: evidence texts get here. And the supervisor said okay. So 240 00:17:46,200 --> 00:17:50,760 Speaker 2: I was alone in the park for hours, just you know, 241 00:17:50,840 --> 00:17:54,840 Speaker 2: standing there really in the events in my head. And 242 00:17:56,080 --> 00:17:58,920 Speaker 2: I started to hear some sounds coming from Techwood and 243 00:17:58,920 --> 00:18:03,919 Speaker 2: I peeked over the fence and the ATF and the 244 00:18:04,160 --> 00:18:09,480 Speaker 2: FBI and the lantipede evidence texts. We're going up Techwood, 245 00:18:09,640 --> 00:18:14,159 Speaker 2: putting out their little orange flags, you know, over the 246 00:18:14,200 --> 00:18:18,040 Speaker 2: shrapnel and things like that. And as they work their 247 00:18:18,080 --> 00:18:21,919 Speaker 2: way up tech Wood, one of the texts saw me, 248 00:18:22,800 --> 00:18:26,520 Speaker 2: you know, peeking over the fenence and he asked me. 249 00:18:27,240 --> 00:18:29,200 Speaker 2: He's like, what are you doing in there? And I 250 00:18:29,320 --> 00:18:33,159 Speaker 2: told him, I said, look, I'm standing guard over an 251 00:18:33,240 --> 00:18:35,040 Speaker 2: actual piece of the bomb and I don't want it 252 00:18:35,080 --> 00:18:38,359 Speaker 2: to be disturbed. And he said, we'll work our way 253 00:18:38,400 --> 00:18:41,600 Speaker 2: to you. And I'm like great. And he's like, do 254 00:18:41,640 --> 00:18:45,600 Speaker 2: you need anything, and do you need water? Do you 255 00:18:45,680 --> 00:18:48,760 Speaker 2: need food? Anything like that? And I was like, now 256 00:18:49,440 --> 00:18:51,800 Speaker 2: I just picked the worst time in the world to 257 00:18:51,880 --> 00:18:52,720 Speaker 2: quit smoking. 258 00:18:53,760 --> 00:18:58,920 Speaker 3: And he's like, I got you covered, and he gave 259 00:18:58,960 --> 00:19:04,040 Speaker 3: me a packet of cigarett He said, just you know, 260 00:19:04,200 --> 00:19:09,880 Speaker 3: hang tight. And so it was when they it took 261 00:19:09,920 --> 00:19:12,359 Speaker 3: them hours, but they finally they made it to me. 262 00:19:12,480 --> 00:19:16,520 Speaker 3: So when I finally left the park, the sun was up. 263 00:19:17,680 --> 00:19:21,560 Speaker 2: When when I left the park and Cheryl Mack, I 264 00:19:21,640 --> 00:19:24,560 Speaker 2: gotta tell you, I you know, I looked at that 265 00:19:24,800 --> 00:19:31,040 Speaker 2: sea of orange flags. You know, they were everywhere, and 266 00:19:31,160 --> 00:19:34,560 Speaker 2: I was standing right in the middle of them. But 267 00:19:34,800 --> 00:19:39,960 Speaker 2: somehow I didn't get hit with any shrapnel. You know, 268 00:19:40,280 --> 00:19:45,000 Speaker 2: I wasn't bleeding, you know, my uniform wasn't torn up 269 00:19:45,119 --> 00:19:49,160 Speaker 2: or any I don't know how that happened. I truly 270 00:19:49,240 --> 00:19:52,000 Speaker 2: to this day. I've been thinking about it for nearly 271 00:19:52,040 --> 00:19:56,720 Speaker 2: almost thirty years, and I don't know how I could 272 00:19:56,720 --> 00:20:00,760 Speaker 2: have been in that spot I was and not get hit. 273 00:20:01,280 --> 00:20:03,480 Speaker 2: But here I am. 274 00:20:04,160 --> 00:20:07,600 Speaker 1: And you know, it's so important for me to point 275 00:20:07,600 --> 00:20:13,080 Speaker 1: out for folks that I've seen people nearly jump out 276 00:20:13,080 --> 00:20:15,840 Speaker 1: of their skin when a balloon is popped near them 277 00:20:15,880 --> 00:20:20,639 Speaker 1: and they're not ready for it. What you are conveying 278 00:20:20,720 --> 00:20:24,199 Speaker 1: to us. This thing was so loud you thought it 279 00:20:24,240 --> 00:20:27,800 Speaker 1: was the building across the street. It was so powerful 280 00:20:27,920 --> 00:20:34,760 Speaker 1: it knocked people down like you see in movies. And 281 00:20:34,800 --> 00:20:40,240 Speaker 1: for you to immediately jump into action, for you immediately 282 00:20:40,359 --> 00:20:44,119 Speaker 1: to say I'm going to stay right here, you still 283 00:20:44,119 --> 00:20:46,960 Speaker 1: didn't know if there was a secondary device. You still 284 00:20:47,000 --> 00:20:49,760 Speaker 1: didn't know where these people were or where the bomber was. 285 00:20:50,520 --> 00:20:57,280 Speaker 1: You didn't know anything, and you stayed all alone. And 286 00:20:57,320 --> 00:21:02,520 Speaker 1: there's bravery, IRV. And then there's just I will sacrifice. 287 00:21:03,440 --> 00:21:04,760 Speaker 2: Is that the word you're looking for? 288 00:21:06,760 --> 00:21:10,400 Speaker 1: No, But I mean, honestly, there's bravery, and then there's 289 00:21:10,440 --> 00:21:15,520 Speaker 1: people that say I will gladly sacrifice myself for the 290 00:21:15,520 --> 00:21:18,600 Speaker 1: betterment of other people that I don't know, and you're 291 00:21:18,640 --> 00:21:20,760 Speaker 1: one of those people. So I just wanted to say 292 00:21:20,800 --> 00:21:23,560 Speaker 1: it out loud. But I also want to point out 293 00:21:23,840 --> 00:21:26,200 Speaker 1: I want to go back just a little because you're 294 00:21:26,320 --> 00:21:30,000 Speaker 1: old school and you don't really fool with and talk 295 00:21:30,040 --> 00:21:34,879 Speaker 1: to private investigators or bondsmen or security guards. But you 296 00:21:34,960 --> 00:21:38,679 Speaker 1: made a concession when you worn't day to day with 297 00:21:38,800 --> 00:21:41,960 Speaker 1: one particular security guard. Can you talk about that a 298 00:21:41,960 --> 00:21:42,360 Speaker 1: little bit? 299 00:21:43,040 --> 00:21:48,440 Speaker 2: Yeah, Cheryl Mac, I was, you know, all the way, 300 00:21:48,560 --> 00:21:52,159 Speaker 2: you know, leading up, I was, you know, talking to 301 00:21:52,200 --> 00:21:56,040 Speaker 2: the GBI agents in the park, and we're all real friendly, 302 00:21:56,440 --> 00:21:59,160 Speaker 2: you know how it is. It's truly, you know, a 303 00:21:59,200 --> 00:22:04,040 Speaker 2: family when you're talking about law enforcement. But there was 304 00:22:04,080 --> 00:22:06,960 Speaker 2: also a lot of private security in the park, and 305 00:22:08,240 --> 00:22:13,280 Speaker 2: like you said, I normally wouldn't talk to a security 306 00:22:13,320 --> 00:22:17,320 Speaker 2: guard or you know, you know, you know, a private 307 00:22:17,359 --> 00:22:21,640 Speaker 2: investigator or a bounty hunter because we don't in law 308 00:22:21,760 --> 00:22:24,879 Speaker 2: enforcement really consider him be part of the family. But 309 00:22:24,960 --> 00:22:29,000 Speaker 2: there was a security guard that I saw regularly and 310 00:22:29,200 --> 00:22:32,960 Speaker 2: he was a super nice guy and you knew him. 311 00:22:33,119 --> 00:22:37,480 Speaker 2: His name was Richard Jewele, and I talked to him 312 00:22:37,560 --> 00:22:42,679 Speaker 2: every day and you know, we you know, whenever I 313 00:22:42,800 --> 00:22:45,639 Speaker 2: came on, he would you know, come over to me 314 00:22:45,760 --> 00:22:49,360 Speaker 2: because he he liked to talk, and you know, he 315 00:22:49,440 --> 00:22:52,399 Speaker 2: was really interested in law enforcement, and he liked to 316 00:22:52,400 --> 00:22:54,960 Speaker 2: talk about how he was, you know, wanted to be 317 00:22:54,960 --> 00:22:57,639 Speaker 2: a police officer and he was testing for you know, 318 00:22:57,880 --> 00:23:01,160 Speaker 2: at different agencies and things like that. And I talked 319 00:23:01,160 --> 00:23:03,560 Speaker 2: to him because he seemed like a like a real 320 00:23:03,640 --> 00:23:13,080 Speaker 2: good guy. And after you know, the incident, after the 321 00:23:13,080 --> 00:23:18,280 Speaker 2: the explosion, and I came back to work and then 322 00:23:18,320 --> 00:23:21,800 Speaker 2: all the news reports started, you know coming out about 323 00:23:22,040 --> 00:23:25,600 Speaker 2: you know, everything, and the FBI was conducting their investigation, 324 00:23:26,359 --> 00:23:29,040 Speaker 2: which I got to say, I was very surprised at 325 00:23:29,160 --> 00:23:32,680 Speaker 2: all the people they interviewed. They didn't interview me. I 326 00:23:32,840 --> 00:23:37,399 Speaker 2: was the only one left inside the park, and you know, well, 327 00:23:37,440 --> 00:23:40,240 Speaker 2: like I said, I was standing over a significant portion 328 00:23:40,359 --> 00:23:45,560 Speaker 2: of that pipe bomb, and for some reason, they didn't 329 00:23:45,680 --> 00:23:48,160 Speaker 2: come and talk to me. And I didn't seek them 330 00:23:48,160 --> 00:23:51,960 Speaker 2: out either. I mean, I wasn't you know, I wasn't 331 00:23:52,000 --> 00:23:55,440 Speaker 2: a detective. I was a police officer, and I wasn't 332 00:23:55,520 --> 00:23:59,760 Speaker 2: part of the investigation. But you know, I started seeing 333 00:24:00,160 --> 00:24:04,359 Speaker 2: the news and things like that that Richard Jewel was 334 00:24:04,400 --> 00:24:07,800 Speaker 2: their main suspect, and I thought it was the most 335 00:24:07,960 --> 00:24:12,080 Speaker 2: ridiculous thing that, you know, I had ever heard. I'm like, 336 00:24:12,480 --> 00:24:16,280 Speaker 2: this guy didn't set this bomb off. And I told 337 00:24:16,320 --> 00:24:19,320 Speaker 2: my sergeant, and I told my lieutenant, and I actually 338 00:24:19,359 --> 00:24:23,680 Speaker 2: went to my captain and I told him, I said, look, 339 00:24:24,040 --> 00:24:27,720 Speaker 2: you know, I know, you know, this isn't our investigation, 340 00:24:28,560 --> 00:24:32,800 Speaker 2: but somebody needs to tell the bureau that I believe 341 00:24:32,840 --> 00:24:36,639 Speaker 2: they're on the wrong track, that that's not the guy. 342 00:24:37,359 --> 00:24:40,639 Speaker 2: And all of them agreed with me. My sergeant agreed 343 00:24:40,680 --> 00:24:43,600 Speaker 2: with me, my lieutenant agreed with me, My captain agreed 344 00:24:43,640 --> 00:24:47,119 Speaker 2: with me. But that's the way that investigation kept going. 345 00:24:47,920 --> 00:24:49,639 Speaker 1: And you know, for me, it was like a movie. 346 00:24:50,400 --> 00:24:53,520 Speaker 1: We had already determined where the command center would be 347 00:24:53,760 --> 00:24:56,560 Speaker 1: if something were to happen in Centennial Part. So we 348 00:24:56,680 --> 00:25:00,159 Speaker 1: comandeered the hotel and we did that because they had 349 00:25:00,160 --> 00:25:03,879 Speaker 1: a bank of phones, they had blankets, they had TVs 350 00:25:03,920 --> 00:25:07,320 Speaker 1: to get information in real time. They had private rooms, 351 00:25:07,359 --> 00:25:10,960 Speaker 1: they had bottled water, they had tons of restrooms. Like 352 00:25:11,000 --> 00:25:14,520 Speaker 1: it worked out perfect to interview all of these witnesses 353 00:25:14,560 --> 00:25:17,200 Speaker 1: and victims that didn't have to go immediately to the hospital. 354 00:25:18,280 --> 00:25:20,919 Speaker 1: And I don't remember how long we were there working, 355 00:25:20,960 --> 00:25:23,240 Speaker 1: but I mean we were working. We were interview and 356 00:25:23,280 --> 00:25:26,440 Speaker 1: we were taking people's shoes that had shrapnel. We were 357 00:25:26,960 --> 00:25:30,520 Speaker 1: taking cuts of clothing if it had anything on it 358 00:25:30,560 --> 00:25:33,600 Speaker 1: that we thought could help identify the bomb, just like you. 359 00:25:34,440 --> 00:25:37,440 Speaker 1: And that's important for people to understand that when they 360 00:25:37,480 --> 00:25:41,960 Speaker 1: see photographs of these agents on their hands and knees, 361 00:25:42,440 --> 00:25:47,320 Speaker 1: they're getting every single piece of that bomb to rebuild 362 00:25:47,359 --> 00:25:50,439 Speaker 1: it so that they know exactly what this thing was. 363 00:25:51,200 --> 00:25:54,800 Speaker 1: And so here we are in full swing and all 364 00:25:54,840 --> 00:25:57,479 Speaker 1: of a sudden, the doors open and it looked like 365 00:25:57,560 --> 00:26:00,680 Speaker 1: twenty agents walked in all in the same blue suit, 366 00:26:01,080 --> 00:26:03,960 Speaker 1: and whoever the lead guy was was clearly in charge. 367 00:26:04,400 --> 00:26:08,840 Speaker 1: He looks right at me and says, whose crime scene 368 00:26:08,960 --> 00:26:14,400 Speaker 1: was this was? Or And I'm like, well, I guess 369 00:26:14,400 --> 00:26:17,080 Speaker 1: the party's over for us, even though we've been working 370 00:26:17,119 --> 00:26:20,080 Speaker 1: this thing. And they came in and took over and 371 00:26:20,119 --> 00:26:23,639 Speaker 1: that was it. And I had met Richard for the 372 00:26:23,680 --> 00:26:26,520 Speaker 1: first time that day. We had even reached out to 373 00:26:26,600 --> 00:26:29,159 Speaker 1: him to see if he needed anything, you know, debriefing 374 00:26:29,280 --> 00:26:32,359 Speaker 1: or to talk or anything, because he was in the 375 00:26:32,359 --> 00:26:35,600 Speaker 1: middle of it too, you know, and like you, it 376 00:26:35,680 --> 00:26:39,359 Speaker 1: was a miracle he wasn't heard in some way. But 377 00:26:39,440 --> 00:26:43,280 Speaker 1: when word came out, we had the exact same reaction 378 00:26:43,440 --> 00:26:47,400 Speaker 1: you did. That guy like it didn't fit to us 379 00:26:47,520 --> 00:26:49,960 Speaker 1: at all. And I remember one of the first things 380 00:26:50,000 --> 00:26:53,639 Speaker 1: we talked about is who runs down the street and 381 00:26:53,680 --> 00:26:56,800 Speaker 1: makes a call on the phone and then runs back 382 00:26:57,200 --> 00:26:59,320 Speaker 1: and turns their back on what they know is. 383 00:26:59,320 --> 00:27:06,719 Speaker 2: A bomb, a suicide bomber. That's the only person that 384 00:27:06,760 --> 00:27:11,280 Speaker 2: would do that. But they would have the bomb on them, correct, 385 00:27:11,760 --> 00:27:14,320 Speaker 2: They wouldn't set it down because someone could move it. 386 00:27:14,880 --> 00:27:17,240 Speaker 2: Someone could have picked up that bag and walked out 387 00:27:17,240 --> 00:27:18,240 Speaker 2: of the park with. 388 00:27:18,119 --> 00:27:21,600 Speaker 1: It, and essentially they did move it. They changed that 389 00:27:21,680 --> 00:27:24,359 Speaker 1: thing from being a pipe bomb that was going to 390 00:27:24,400 --> 00:27:29,200 Speaker 1: destroy that tower to essentially a roaming candle because those 391 00:27:29,240 --> 00:27:34,720 Speaker 1: teenagers kicked it. I tell people, they rebuilt it, y'all. 392 00:27:34,760 --> 00:27:38,560 Speaker 1: They were able to tell us that the bomber had 393 00:27:38,680 --> 00:27:42,480 Speaker 1: used a six volt ever Ready battery hooked to a 394 00:27:42,560 --> 00:27:47,040 Speaker 1: model rocket engine igniter and was triggered by a west 395 00:27:47,119 --> 00:27:52,120 Speaker 1: clock alarm clock. They knew the six pounds of nails 396 00:27:52,119 --> 00:27:57,440 Speaker 1: were two point five inches surrounded by gunpowder. Like, they 397 00:27:57,560 --> 00:27:58,600 Speaker 1: rebuilt that thing. 398 00:27:59,480 --> 00:28:02,840 Speaker 2: Yeah, I know what they did, Cheryl Mac. They you know, 399 00:28:02,880 --> 00:28:06,040 Speaker 2: I watched them place every orange flag on there as 400 00:28:06,080 --> 00:28:09,400 Speaker 2: I smoked cigarette after cigarette after cigarette. 401 00:28:11,160 --> 00:28:15,359 Speaker 1: But you know that large piece that you found was significant. 402 00:28:15,880 --> 00:28:18,600 Speaker 1: You know. That's like when you're putting together any puzzle, 403 00:28:19,000 --> 00:28:21,000 Speaker 1: if all of a sudden somebody comes up and says, hey, 404 00:28:21,000 --> 00:28:24,399 Speaker 1: here's six pieces, it gives you such a vision of 405 00:28:24,400 --> 00:28:27,080 Speaker 1: what you're actually looking at, what the endgame is. 406 00:28:28,359 --> 00:28:32,440 Speaker 2: Cheryl Mac, you're the you're the I know, the expert 407 00:28:32,480 --> 00:28:35,800 Speaker 2: on it, but uh, you know, I've been when you 408 00:28:35,880 --> 00:28:39,800 Speaker 2: work and you know this more than anyone. When you 409 00:28:39,920 --> 00:28:45,040 Speaker 2: work a place like Zone three and you answer the 410 00:28:45,160 --> 00:28:48,680 Speaker 2: number of calls that you go to and the number 411 00:28:48,720 --> 00:28:57,320 Speaker 2: of crime scenes that you go to, shooting, stabbings, you know, robberies, burglaries, 412 00:28:57,440 --> 00:29:02,120 Speaker 2: all of them. And I may only had a few 413 00:29:02,200 --> 00:29:07,440 Speaker 2: years of experience, but the place that I worked, the 414 00:29:07,560 --> 00:29:10,960 Speaker 2: number of crime scenes that I had been to, especially 415 00:29:11,000 --> 00:29:17,320 Speaker 2: homicide scenes, and I had probably twenty years of experience 416 00:29:17,440 --> 00:29:20,760 Speaker 2: crammed into three years. You know, as opposed if you 417 00:29:20,800 --> 00:29:24,800 Speaker 2: would have been assigned to Buckhead, you know, you know 418 00:29:24,880 --> 00:29:30,360 Speaker 2: another precinct, or you know, you work maybe Gwenet County, 419 00:29:30,480 --> 00:29:35,000 Speaker 2: or you know, you know, or worked up in Smyrn Hours, 420 00:29:35,040 --> 00:29:38,600 Speaker 2: you know, someplace like that. When you worked Zone three, 421 00:29:38,840 --> 00:29:43,280 Speaker 2: you had a lifetime of experience in a very small, 422 00:29:44,240 --> 00:29:47,880 Speaker 2: you know, matter of time. And so I knew the 423 00:29:47,920 --> 00:29:54,240 Speaker 2: importance of protection of evidence. I knew it was critical. 424 00:29:54,560 --> 00:29:56,600 Speaker 2: Trust me. I wanted to get out of that park, 425 00:29:56,680 --> 00:30:00,000 Speaker 2: I did, you know. I wanted to leave with everybody else. 426 00:30:00,480 --> 00:30:02,960 Speaker 2: I did not want to stay there, and I especially 427 00:30:03,040 --> 00:30:07,840 Speaker 2: didn't want to stay there alone. But when when you've 428 00:30:07,880 --> 00:30:11,080 Speaker 2: been to that many crime scenes and you know, God, 429 00:30:11,120 --> 00:30:14,000 Speaker 2: if this thing gets kicked, if someone picks it up, 430 00:30:14,480 --> 00:30:18,320 Speaker 2: you know, if it gets moved, you know, this can 431 00:30:18,360 --> 00:30:24,560 Speaker 2: really hamper an investigation, and you realize on how important. 432 00:30:24,680 --> 00:30:27,440 Speaker 2: You know, it's like when you get to a shooting 433 00:30:27,480 --> 00:30:31,200 Speaker 2: crime scene and you start circling, you know, with chalk, 434 00:30:31,400 --> 00:30:35,080 Speaker 2: you know, shell casinges, and you're keeping everyone back so 435 00:30:35,200 --> 00:30:38,960 Speaker 2: no one kicks those shell casings around, you know, from 436 00:30:39,040 --> 00:30:42,400 Speaker 2: the original spot that they fell. You know, the same 437 00:30:42,480 --> 00:30:46,120 Speaker 2: principle when you're at a scene of a bombing, you 438 00:30:46,280 --> 00:30:52,680 Speaker 2: need everything left just as it was. You know, if 439 00:30:52,720 --> 00:30:55,360 Speaker 2: you're going to, like you said, you're going to put 440 00:30:55,360 --> 00:30:59,400 Speaker 2: that jigsaw back together, you know, if you want to 441 00:30:59,440 --> 00:31:04,000 Speaker 2: paint that picture of what really happened, then that's the 442 00:31:04,040 --> 00:31:10,520 Speaker 2: way it needs to be done. 443 00:31:10,680 --> 00:31:14,880 Speaker 1: And I know when the other side bombing happened, again, 444 00:31:15,480 --> 00:31:19,280 Speaker 1: I was not prepared, not just for that event at 445 00:31:19,280 --> 00:31:25,040 Speaker 1: that location, but now we had our secondary device, so 446 00:31:25,080 --> 00:31:28,080 Speaker 1: we knew this person wasn't playing and I think most 447 00:31:28,120 --> 00:31:30,680 Speaker 1: of us at that point knew we were the target 448 00:31:31,160 --> 00:31:31,960 Speaker 1: a fact. 449 00:31:32,760 --> 00:31:38,360 Speaker 2: You know, that was a fact. There was definitely an intent, 450 00:31:38,920 --> 00:31:45,480 Speaker 2: and that intent was towards law enforcement or first responders 451 00:31:45,720 --> 00:31:46,280 Speaker 2: in general. 452 00:31:47,200 --> 00:31:51,360 Speaker 1: And you know, you had a unique experience with all 453 00:31:51,400 --> 00:31:56,760 Speaker 1: of this because the first bombing made you a little famous. 454 00:31:57,280 --> 00:31:59,640 Speaker 1: And then I think as you went around town, people 455 00:31:59,640 --> 00:32:02,240 Speaker 1: are like, hey, are you the guy? And You're like, yeah, 456 00:32:02,240 --> 00:32:08,040 Speaker 1: I'm the guy. Because there's a very distinct moment where 457 00:32:08,080 --> 00:32:11,360 Speaker 1: you're captured on TV. Can you tell us about that. 458 00:32:11,960 --> 00:32:15,920 Speaker 2: I didn't realize it at the time when the bomb 459 00:32:16,080 --> 00:32:18,560 Speaker 2: first went off, and like I said, I you know, 460 00:32:18,840 --> 00:32:25,600 Speaker 2: was first going over to help people. If you watch, 461 00:32:26,000 --> 00:32:28,880 Speaker 2: like when there's an anniversary of the bombing and they 462 00:32:28,960 --> 00:32:34,200 Speaker 2: show it, they always have the scene where I think 463 00:32:34,240 --> 00:32:38,080 Speaker 2: it's German television is talking to one of the Olympic 464 00:32:38,120 --> 00:32:42,480 Speaker 2: swimmers and they're in the tower and the tower shakes, 465 00:32:43,840 --> 00:32:46,239 Speaker 2: you know, from the blast. Then they cut to the 466 00:32:46,280 --> 00:32:50,640 Speaker 2: park and you see a very chaotic scene. The camera 467 00:32:50,720 --> 00:32:55,960 Speaker 2: is shaking, going back and forth. And the first thing 468 00:32:56,000 --> 00:32:58,640 Speaker 2: that you see that when the camera comes into focus 469 00:32:59,720 --> 00:33:04,400 Speaker 2: is my back and I'm wearing a red vest over 470 00:33:04,440 --> 00:33:10,000 Speaker 2: my blue Atlanta police uniform. I'm wearing my traffic vest 471 00:33:10,080 --> 00:33:14,720 Speaker 2: that says Atlanta Police. So it's like the cameraman used 472 00:33:14,720 --> 00:33:18,640 Speaker 2: that as a focus point and brought the camera into 473 00:33:18,640 --> 00:33:23,240 Speaker 2: focus on Atlanta Police. And I remember I was helping 474 00:33:23,280 --> 00:33:25,640 Speaker 2: someone up off the ground and I turned and I 475 00:33:25,680 --> 00:33:29,600 Speaker 2: almost ran into the camera. So my face was maybe 476 00:33:29,720 --> 00:33:32,880 Speaker 2: just a foot away from the camera, and I had 477 00:33:32,880 --> 00:33:36,560 Speaker 2: to dodge around the cameraman. Then the cameraman started to 478 00:33:36,640 --> 00:33:40,880 Speaker 2: follow me. As I was picking up GBI agents off 479 00:33:41,000 --> 00:33:43,800 Speaker 2: the ground and dragging him out in the park, the 480 00:33:43,800 --> 00:33:46,840 Speaker 2: cameraman was following me. So that was kind of the 481 00:33:46,960 --> 00:33:51,280 Speaker 2: lead for all the cable networks, you know, off of 482 00:33:51,360 --> 00:33:54,640 Speaker 2: that one feed, all the agent, you know, all the 483 00:33:54,640 --> 00:33:58,239 Speaker 2: news channels was using that. And I didn't realize it, 484 00:33:58,440 --> 00:34:03,240 Speaker 2: you know, because I had gone home and when and 485 00:34:03,880 --> 00:34:07,040 Speaker 2: I finally got some rest in sleep at all. But 486 00:34:07,400 --> 00:34:11,960 Speaker 2: you know, this was back before, like you said, you 487 00:34:12,000 --> 00:34:15,560 Speaker 2: talked about your pager blue up. You know, this was 488 00:34:15,640 --> 00:34:18,319 Speaker 2: back before cell phones and you know, back before the 489 00:34:18,400 --> 00:34:23,239 Speaker 2: Internet and social media and things like that. And I 490 00:34:23,280 --> 00:34:26,280 Speaker 2: hadn't turned on the television. I wasn't watching the news. 491 00:34:27,160 --> 00:34:30,600 Speaker 2: And it wasn't until I checked my messages, you know, 492 00:34:30,680 --> 00:34:32,719 Speaker 2: because like I said, I didn't have a cell phone. 493 00:34:32,719 --> 00:34:35,160 Speaker 2: I had a landline, and you know, I had an 494 00:34:35,160 --> 00:34:38,239 Speaker 2: answering machine, and my answering machine was fault and it 495 00:34:38,320 --> 00:34:41,440 Speaker 2: was from people calling me, and one was from my 496 00:34:41,560 --> 00:34:44,680 Speaker 2: mother down in Florida said that she knew all was 497 00:34:44,719 --> 00:34:47,759 Speaker 2: all right because she saw me on the news. Then 498 00:34:47,920 --> 00:34:51,320 Speaker 2: my sister had called from Italy and said she knew 499 00:34:51,360 --> 00:34:54,400 Speaker 2: all was all right because she saw me on the news, 500 00:34:55,480 --> 00:34:58,759 Speaker 2: and I was, I was laughing. I'm like, I got 501 00:34:58,800 --> 00:35:02,040 Speaker 2: to turn on the news because everybody saying and so 502 00:35:02,200 --> 00:35:04,399 Speaker 2: I watched some of it before I was getting ready 503 00:35:04,400 --> 00:35:07,319 Speaker 2: to go back to work at the park, and sure enough, 504 00:35:07,520 --> 00:35:10,840 Speaker 2: you know, like I described, you know, the cameraman followed 505 00:35:10,840 --> 00:35:14,600 Speaker 2: me around. And so I was heading back to go 506 00:35:14,680 --> 00:35:17,839 Speaker 2: back to work at the park, and I stopped at 507 00:35:17,880 --> 00:35:21,280 Speaker 2: Stewart in Cleveland, like we talked about, at the gas 508 00:35:21,320 --> 00:35:27,080 Speaker 2: station where Sam and Ace ran the gas station, and 509 00:35:27,440 --> 00:35:30,719 Speaker 2: Ace was behind the counter and when I walked in, 510 00:35:30,840 --> 00:35:35,040 Speaker 2: he's like, oh my god, he goes. Sam called me 511 00:35:35,080 --> 00:35:38,640 Speaker 2: from Mumbai and said, I know Irv's all right because 512 00:35:38,680 --> 00:35:43,439 Speaker 2: I saw him on the news, and I'm like, yeah, 513 00:35:43,560 --> 00:35:48,040 Speaker 2: everybody has. And I actually just stopped in there to 514 00:35:48,080 --> 00:35:51,480 Speaker 2: get a pack of smokes because I was, you know, 515 00:35:51,680 --> 00:35:55,919 Speaker 2: back on that habit again. And then I went back 516 00:35:55,960 --> 00:35:59,040 Speaker 2: to work, and like, you know, it just wasn't the 517 00:35:59,080 --> 00:36:02,880 Speaker 2: same after that, you know, the park was closed, the 518 00:36:02,920 --> 00:36:10,000 Speaker 2: mood was terrible, and you know, the what was a 519 00:36:10,000 --> 00:36:13,440 Speaker 2: party wasn't a party any longer. 520 00:36:14,600 --> 00:36:18,040 Speaker 1: And you know, after the other three bombings, you know, 521 00:36:18,120 --> 00:36:23,720 Speaker 1: we had experiences and you know, an education. I guess 522 00:36:23,760 --> 00:36:27,000 Speaker 1: pretty quick on how to work mass events because we 523 00:36:27,080 --> 00:36:30,520 Speaker 1: did it over and over and over. And I can 524 00:36:30,600 --> 00:36:34,200 Speaker 1: only imagine when you went on to your other jobs 525 00:36:34,280 --> 00:36:39,319 Speaker 1: that some of that working with multiple agencies, working with 526 00:36:39,440 --> 00:36:45,520 Speaker 1: mass victims, working with media as a huge umbrella. You know, 527 00:36:46,160 --> 00:36:48,560 Speaker 1: how did that help you? How did that come into 528 00:36:48,600 --> 00:36:49,080 Speaker 1: play for you? 529 00:36:49,800 --> 00:36:53,960 Speaker 2: That experience, I mean, you know, set an imprint on 530 00:36:54,120 --> 00:36:58,360 Speaker 2: me that it's going to last the rest of my life. 531 00:36:58,840 --> 00:37:02,880 Speaker 2: You know, I approached things ever since then. I approach 532 00:37:02,960 --> 00:37:07,279 Speaker 2: things completely different. And as far as my law enforcement 533 00:37:07,360 --> 00:37:11,160 Speaker 2: career goes, you know, I've been to so many you know, 534 00:37:11,480 --> 00:37:15,920 Speaker 2: on so many protection details, and you know, working in Washington, 535 00:37:16,000 --> 00:37:20,520 Speaker 2: d C. With the Attorney General and members of Congress 536 00:37:20,600 --> 00:37:25,360 Speaker 2: and things like that, and it gives you a difference, 537 00:37:25,719 --> 00:37:29,319 Speaker 2: a different sense, I mean, the things that you look for. 538 00:37:30,160 --> 00:37:33,720 Speaker 2: You know, it's just different if you haven't been through 539 00:37:34,480 --> 00:37:37,040 Speaker 2: something like that before. And it even carries over to 540 00:37:37,120 --> 00:37:40,400 Speaker 2: your personal life. You know, if I go to a 541 00:37:40,560 --> 00:37:44,560 Speaker 2: baseball game of our go to any place that attracts 542 00:37:44,600 --> 00:37:49,280 Speaker 2: a big crowd, and I'm not even working I'm looking 543 00:37:49,320 --> 00:37:52,760 Speaker 2: at all the exits, I'm looking at people in the crowd, 544 00:37:52,840 --> 00:37:58,080 Speaker 2: I'm looking at bags that are unattended. You know, I'm 545 00:37:58,120 --> 00:38:03,000 Speaker 2: always look looking for these things now and that's gonna 546 00:38:03,600 --> 00:38:05,759 Speaker 2: that's going to be me for the rest of my 547 00:38:05,840 --> 00:38:09,799 Speaker 2: life now that I'm retired. I don't go to events, 548 00:38:10,120 --> 00:38:15,920 Speaker 2: Cheryl mac Honestly, I don't go to you know, sporting events. 549 00:38:16,600 --> 00:38:23,719 Speaker 2: I avoid any place that have large crowd, music festivals, 550 00:38:23,840 --> 00:38:29,320 Speaker 2: things like that that has the potential as being a target. 551 00:38:29,680 --> 00:38:35,920 Speaker 2: It's just really has affected me for the last thirty years, 552 00:38:36,800 --> 00:38:37,080 Speaker 2: and you. 553 00:38:37,040 --> 00:38:39,200 Speaker 1: Know, my career will never be the same either. And 554 00:38:39,320 --> 00:38:43,600 Speaker 1: one thing that I insist on is working with a team, 555 00:38:45,200 --> 00:38:47,279 Speaker 1: because that, to me is the only way we got 556 00:38:47,320 --> 00:38:50,880 Speaker 1: through what we got through. And one thing we were 557 00:38:50,920 --> 00:38:53,680 Speaker 1: all at manuals one night, and this is once the 558 00:38:53,760 --> 00:38:58,040 Speaker 1: FBI started searching for Eric Robert Rudolph. And we're watching 559 00:38:58,080 --> 00:39:01,279 Speaker 1: them and there's all these agents and they've got on 560 00:39:01,480 --> 00:39:04,839 Speaker 1: you know, of course they're jackets and everything, but they've 561 00:39:04,880 --> 00:39:10,799 Speaker 1: got bug spray, bottle water and ATVs and we were 562 00:39:10,840 --> 00:39:14,360 Speaker 1: all almost laughing, saying they're never going to catch him 563 00:39:14,719 --> 00:39:17,400 Speaker 1: because if they've got to have bug spray he doesn't. 564 00:39:17,880 --> 00:39:20,320 Speaker 1: If they've got to have bottle of water, he doesn't, 565 00:39:21,080 --> 00:39:24,799 Speaker 1: and they've got to have an ATV, he doesn't. So 566 00:39:24,960 --> 00:39:28,160 Speaker 1: one thing that taught me is you get the person 567 00:39:29,320 --> 00:39:32,479 Speaker 1: it's best at that job. Whatever that job is, whether 568 00:39:32,520 --> 00:39:39,799 Speaker 1: it's tracking somebody, locating, contacting, fighting, whatever it is, you 569 00:39:39,960 --> 00:39:44,319 Speaker 1: get the best person possible, not just a team of 570 00:39:44,360 --> 00:39:50,280 Speaker 1: whoever's available, correct or. And again that's not a slam accountants. 571 00:39:50,800 --> 00:39:53,800 Speaker 2: Yes, no, Mi, Cheryl Mackett's my job to slam the 572 00:39:54,600 --> 00:39:57,800 Speaker 2: dude in my books all the time, and I relish 573 00:39:57,920 --> 00:40:02,680 Speaker 2: in it, you know. But I'm not going to sit 574 00:40:02,719 --> 00:40:04,520 Speaker 2: here and talk bad about the FBI. But I'm going 575 00:40:04,560 --> 00:40:07,120 Speaker 2: to sit here and talk bad about the FBI. They're 576 00:40:07,400 --> 00:40:11,560 Speaker 2: really good at some things. There's no one better at fraud. 577 00:40:12,080 --> 00:40:15,560 Speaker 2: There's no one better at tracking money. There's no one 578 00:40:15,719 --> 00:40:20,760 Speaker 2: worse a fugitive investigations. Leave that to the United States 579 00:40:20,800 --> 00:40:22,759 Speaker 2: Marshall Service, RV. 580 00:40:22,800 --> 00:40:26,600 Speaker 1: Brand. I could talk to you all day and all 581 00:40:26,800 --> 00:40:29,120 Speaker 1: night and then call you back the next day. I 582 00:40:29,280 --> 00:40:33,480 Speaker 1: just adore you, I respect you, I appreciate you, and 583 00:40:33,719 --> 00:40:36,759 Speaker 1: we got to come back sometime and talk specifically about 584 00:40:36,920 --> 00:40:37,600 Speaker 1: Zone seven. 585 00:40:39,239 --> 00:40:43,520 Speaker 2: We will, Cheryl mac anytime all you've got to do 586 00:40:43,680 --> 00:40:44,200 Speaker 2: is call me. 587 00:40:44,719 --> 00:40:46,759 Speaker 1: I will do it. I will do it because me and. 588 00:40:46,800 --> 00:40:48,799 Speaker 2: To Grace does it all the time. You know I 589 00:40:48,840 --> 00:40:49,959 Speaker 2: always take her call. 590 00:40:50,560 --> 00:40:50,920 Speaker 1: You. 591 00:40:51,000 --> 00:40:52,360 Speaker 2: I'll take your call. 592 00:40:52,640 --> 00:40:56,160 Speaker 1: Absolutely, y'all. I'm going to end Zone seven the way 593 00:40:56,200 --> 00:41:00,239 Speaker 1: that I always do with a quote chief in fact, 594 00:41:00,400 --> 00:41:03,840 Speaker 1: so we've been expecting you. I look down at the 595 00:41:03,840 --> 00:41:07,360 Speaker 1: front of my coat, then back at her. Am I 596 00:41:07,400 --> 00:41:11,640 Speaker 1: wearing a name tag? She laughed and said, I recognize 597 00:41:11,680 --> 00:41:14,840 Speaker 1: you from the telly you've been all over the news. 598 00:41:15,800 --> 00:41:21,160 Speaker 1: Quoted from solo shot Curse of the Blue Stone by 599 00:41:21,239 --> 00:41:26,960 Speaker 1: IRV Brandt. I'm Cheryl McCollum and this is Zone seven.