Braincase
05-23-2012, 08:30 PM
Link (http://www.wibw.com/breaking/home/Knife-wielding_Man_Breaks_Into_WIBW_153100545.html)
TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) -- Two employees injured when a disgruntled man broke into WIBW-TV, 631 SW Commerce Place, at 9:20 a.m. Wednesday were out of the hospital Wednesday night.
In surveillance video, the man, identified as Ray Miles, is seen punching two employees. Those workers and two others tackle him. They appear to have him subdued when sales manager Roger Brokke starts to sit up and other workers join the pile - that's the moment Brokke feels himself being stabbed and sees the man has somehow taken out a knife.
Before the violent outburst, the man was allowed into the front lobby and receptionist Lynda Janes called News Director Jon Janes to talk with him. The man, identified as Ray Miles, told Janes he was upset by the way the VA was handling his case. Janes explained to the man that he needs to discuss the issue with the VA and that WIBW couldn't help him at this time.
Miles left the building, but returned about 10 minutes later and became agitated when Lynda Janes and Rob Peppers refused to let him in. When he saw Peppers pick up the phone to call police, the man pushed aside a sofa in the entryway, unplugged a lamp and smashed the glass front doors with it. He then reached through to open the door.
Lynda and Rob ran ahead of him toward the newsroom to warn other employees. Rob stopped in the master control area with the intent of issuing a page, while Lynda alerted newsroom employees, who evacuated to the rear garage area.
"He told me to hit him," said Dylan Schoonover, an employee who saw the man coming down a hallway near the newsroom edit bays. Schoonover slid out a side door unharmed and convened with other staff outside.
Master Control Operator Joe Garrett saw the man walk down a hallway after Lynda ran by alerting everyone to the situation.
"As I turned and came back into master control to call the 911 operator, I saw an African-American male, roughly 5'8", walk by master control with a black and green backpack slung over his shoulder," Garrett said.
A few moments later, Garrett watched on the security camera -still on the phone with 911- as several employees tackled the man near an east exit of the building.
Miles had made it to the newsroom, then turned around and started back toward the front of the building, encountering news director Jon Janes along the way. Miles shoved Janes into a wall, knocking him down. Brokke witnessed what happened and tried to stop Miles, but Miles punched him in the head. Chief Engineer Cary Lahnum and sales associate Greg Palmer then attempted to tackle Miles, with Brokke and Janes joining in.
The man was heard yelling, "I'm going to f**kin' kill you all!" during the struggle. The foursome appeared to have Miles subdued when Brokke, who had already been bitten three times in the back, felt a pain in his hip. He says he looked down to see a knife going into his leg and alerted his coworkers. Four other employees who had arrived in the hallway then joined in holding Miles down and trying to kick the knife out of his hand.
Brokke and Palmer both suffered cuts and were taken by ambulance to Topeka hospitals. Lahnum suffered a black eye and Janes also had bruises, but they did not seek medical treatment.
The employees held the suspect down until police arrived. Miles was taken to the hospital for treatment and booked in the Shawnee County Jail Wednesday afternoon. He's being held on charges of aggravated assault, simple assault, aggravated criminal threat resulting in terror or evacuation, aggravated burglary, criminal damage and aggravated battery.
Jon Janes says he has spoken with Miles once before, on March 22, when he came to the station to see about having a story done on the VA mistreating him. Janes also sent him away at that time and Miles became angry and left.
Miles is described as a homeless veteran. He was convicted in 2007 of obstruction and received a suspended jail sentence in 2010 for assault on a law enforcement officer.
TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) -- Two employees injured when a disgruntled man broke into WIBW-TV, 631 SW Commerce Place, at 9:20 a.m. Wednesday were out of the hospital Wednesday night.
In surveillance video, the man, identified as Ray Miles, is seen punching two employees. Those workers and two others tackle him. They appear to have him subdued when sales manager Roger Brokke starts to sit up and other workers join the pile - that's the moment Brokke feels himself being stabbed and sees the man has somehow taken out a knife.
Before the violent outburst, the man was allowed into the front lobby and receptionist Lynda Janes called News Director Jon Janes to talk with him. The man, identified as Ray Miles, told Janes he was upset by the way the VA was handling his case. Janes explained to the man that he needs to discuss the issue with the VA and that WIBW couldn't help him at this time.
Miles left the building, but returned about 10 minutes later and became agitated when Lynda Janes and Rob Peppers refused to let him in. When he saw Peppers pick up the phone to call police, the man pushed aside a sofa in the entryway, unplugged a lamp and smashed the glass front doors with it. He then reached through to open the door.
Lynda and Rob ran ahead of him toward the newsroom to warn other employees. Rob stopped in the master control area with the intent of issuing a page, while Lynda alerted newsroom employees, who evacuated to the rear garage area.
"He told me to hit him," said Dylan Schoonover, an employee who saw the man coming down a hallway near the newsroom edit bays. Schoonover slid out a side door unharmed and convened with other staff outside.
Master Control Operator Joe Garrett saw the man walk down a hallway after Lynda ran by alerting everyone to the situation.
"As I turned and came back into master control to call the 911 operator, I saw an African-American male, roughly 5'8", walk by master control with a black and green backpack slung over his shoulder," Garrett said.
A few moments later, Garrett watched on the security camera -still on the phone with 911- as several employees tackled the man near an east exit of the building.
Miles had made it to the newsroom, then turned around and started back toward the front of the building, encountering news director Jon Janes along the way. Miles shoved Janes into a wall, knocking him down. Brokke witnessed what happened and tried to stop Miles, but Miles punched him in the head. Chief Engineer Cary Lahnum and sales associate Greg Palmer then attempted to tackle Miles, with Brokke and Janes joining in.
The man was heard yelling, "I'm going to f**kin' kill you all!" during the struggle. The foursome appeared to have Miles subdued when Brokke, who had already been bitten three times in the back, felt a pain in his hip. He says he looked down to see a knife going into his leg and alerted his coworkers. Four other employees who had arrived in the hallway then joined in holding Miles down and trying to kick the knife out of his hand.
Brokke and Palmer both suffered cuts and were taken by ambulance to Topeka hospitals. Lahnum suffered a black eye and Janes also had bruises, but they did not seek medical treatment.
The employees held the suspect down until police arrived. Miles was taken to the hospital for treatment and booked in the Shawnee County Jail Wednesday afternoon. He's being held on charges of aggravated assault, simple assault, aggravated criminal threat resulting in terror or evacuation, aggravated burglary, criminal damage and aggravated battery.
Jon Janes says he has spoken with Miles once before, on March 22, when he came to the station to see about having a story done on the VA mistreating him. Janes also sent him away at that time and Miles became angry and left.
Miles is described as a homeless veteran. He was convicted in 2007 of obstruction and received a suspended jail sentence in 2010 for assault on a law enforcement officer.