The Groom Lake Desert Rat #7 posted here with the permission of the author   
Glenn Campbell. Posted here by Michael Curta Colorado MUFON

THE GROOM LAKE DESERT RAT.   An On-Line Newsletter.
Issue #7.  April 10, 1994.
Rachel, Nevada.

!!!!!!!!!!! NEWS FLASH !!!!!!!!!!!

- --- ABC NEWS LOSES CAMERA EQUIPMENT -----

Acting at the request of
 the anonymous Groom Lake security force,
the Lincoln County Sheriff's Department on Friday afternoon
confiscated the equipment and videotape of an ABC News film crew
after the crew was seen with a video camera at the Freedom Ridge
viewpoint.

While the unacknowledged Groom Lake air base has become a popular
subject for many news photographers, the ABC crew claims they took
no such pictures.  They say that, on the advice of the network's
legal counsel, they never pointed their camera in the direction of
the secret base.  The news report was to focus on the ironies of
military secrecy, including the logical inconsistencies of the
photography restriction.  Crew members also say they filmed only
on public land and never crossed the nearby military boundary.

After driving down from the ridge in two four-wheel-drive
vehicles, the four-man crew and their two escorts were stopped and
detained by two deputies of the Lincoln County Sheriff's
Department.  Also present were two men wearing camouflage fatigues
with no name tags or insignia.  These men, presumably members of
the perimeter security force, declined to identify themselves, but
the vehicles they were driving bore U.S. Government plates.

Members of the film crew told the deputies they took no footage of
the base, but apparently their word was not believed.  Based on
the statements of an unnamed security guard who claimed to have
seen the ABC camera pointed at the base, the deputies obtained a
search-and-seizure warrant by radio, then confiscated all
equipment and tapes of the crew and their escorts.  Equipment
seized included a professional video camera, sound mixing
equipment, tape recorders, microphones, batteries, cables, a
tripod, scanner radios, walkie-talkies and video and audio tapes.
The total value of the equipment was estimated to exceed $65,000.

According to local activists, this is the first time that a search
warrant has been served on visitors to the Groom Lake perimeter.

Immediately following the seizure, the equipment was taken inside
the base perimeter and turned over to the anonymous private
security force.  The film crew was not informed of the equipment's
final destination or if they would get it back.  It is not clear
why the tapes and equipment were turned over to the security
personnel and not retained by the Sheriff's Department or the
local justice court that issued the warrant.  On public land, it
is assumed that only the Sheriff's Department has jurisdiction,
not the security personnel.

The ABC crew consisted of correspondent James Walker, producer
Robert Haberl, cameraman Robert Jennings and sound technician Mel
Barr.  All are employed by ABC News and were on assignment for
"World News Tonight with Peter Jennings."  Accompanying the crew
was government oversight activist Glenn Campbell, from whom radio
equipment was seized.  A sixth member of the party, aerospace
historian Peter Merlin, was detained with the others but did not
lose any equipment.

Members of the party were individually searched, as were their
vehicles.  After the equipment was seized, the six were allowed to
leave the area.  No one was arrested, and the group was detained
for approximately two hours total.

The ABC crew and Mr. Campbell say they will fight the seizure.

- --- TRIAL DATE CORRECTION -----

In DR #4, the rescheduled trial date for four of seven accused
trespassers was incorrectly reported.  The rescheduled date is
Apr. 13 (not Apr. 18).  Even this date may be subject to revision
owing to delays in obtaining subpoenas.

On Jan. 2, the seven Las Vegas residents were arrested at a guard
house about one-half mile inside the military boundary, about 13
miles northeast of the secret Groom Lake base and about a mile
northwest of the public Freedom Ridge viewpoint.  [See DR #1.]
Members of the group claim they crossed the border by accident
while trying to find a well-publicized hiking trail to Freedom
Ridge.

The group passed the border while driving on a maintained access
road serving the Groom Lake base.  The border point is marked by
signs on either side of the road but no fence or gate.  This
stretch of unpaved road has been dubbed "Sucker's Alley" by
experienced visitors because of the growing number of first-time
tourists who have driven beyond the signs here and been arrested
at the guard house just beyond.  The border and signs are located
where the road passes through a narrow ravine where there is
limited warning time and no convenient place to turn around.
Visitors who drive up to the guard house to ask for information
are usually arrested immediately with no opportunity for excuse or
explanation.

The group also claims that they passed a security patrol
immediately after crossing the border and that the patrol made no
attempt to stop them.  They say an occupant of the vehicle waved
to them in an apparently friendly manner, a gesture taken as an
implied consent to proceed.

While three of the seven chose to plead "No Contest" at their
arraignment and accept a fine, the four remaining defendants have
maintained their innocence and rejected plea bargain offers by the
District Attorney.  The four say that although they did cross the
line, the circumstances were confusing and they did not do so
intentionally.

In the course of the arrest, cameras, telescopes and binoculars
belonging to members of the group were seized by the anonymous
security guards.  Receipts were given for some of this equipment,
but they were not signed.  The equipment has not yet been
returned.

- --- CAMPBELL SEEKS CONFISCATED FILM -----

Rachel resident Glenn Campbell is continuing to seek the return of
four rolls of photographic film taken from him on June 16, 1993.
Like the ABC crew in the more recent incident, Campbell was seen
with a camera on public land near the military border but claims
he took no pictures of restricted installations.  Campbell says
that he was near the border north of Groom Lake where the base
itself was not visible.

Campbell says his film includes shots of a military helicopter
deliberately buzzing him and a companion at a height of 25-30 feet
about the ground.  He says that under Air Force regulations,
aircraft are supposed to maintain an altitude of 500 feet above
any person, building or vehicle.  Campbell characterizes the
encounter as a deliberate assault in which the helicopter downwash
was used to bombard the pair with flying debris.  Campbell says
that the film contains proof of both the action and the intent.

Although Campbell voluntarily gave his film to a Sheriff's deputy
when asked to so, he says that it was with the explicit
understanding that the film would be developed and returned to
him.  Campbell says that, despite numerous demands and inquiries,
the film has not been returned.  He says he has not been given any
notice that the film is being forfeited either, and he has not be
charged with any crime.  Campbell contends that his property has
been confiscated without due process.

"I did not photograph any installation," Campbell says.  "You
couldn't even see anything from that area, so I figured it was
safe to let the Sheriff examine my film.  I know now that I was
foolish, but I thought I would get it back, especially when the
pictures contained clear evidence of Air Force wrongdoing.  I
thought the Sheriff would retain control of the film and the
federal authorities wouldn't be so dumb as to try to cover up
their own crimes.  I was wrong."

In a letter to Mr. Campbell, the District Attorney confirmed that
the film was turned over to the Air Force but gave no further
specifics.  Mr. Campbell's lawyer, Steve Hofer, has formerly
requested information from the District Attorney on where this
film is being held and to which party a suit should be directed.
Campbell says he will pursue the matter in court if no progress is
made.

In an unrelated case, no word has been received on the status of
the two rolls of film taken from a photographer working for the
New York Times Magazine after he was seen on Freedom Ridge with a
camera on March 23.  [See DR#6.]  It remains unclear at the
writing whether the rolls relinquished actually contained any
pictures or whether the photographer or his employer will choose
to pursue the case.

===== SUBSCRIPTION INFO =====

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