"While You Were Sleeping..." Newburgh, NY 10•Feb.•11

6:20AM. An FBI agent walks along Bayview Terrace in the City of Newburgh, NY, on Thursday, February 10, 2011. Multiple law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, Orange County Sheriff's Office, NY State Police, and Newburgh Police made arrests of suspected Latin King gang members in coordinated pre-dawn raids. CHET GORDON/Times Herald-Record

Today's workday is part of a continuation of my street crime coverage here in Newburgh, NY, particularly last May during city wide arrests made on known gang members. Back then 78 individuals were taken into custody on various charges, but mostly on drug offenses of different counts. Some of today's "targets" as they're known by law enforcement personnel were wanted in connection with several unsolved murders here in the city as well. Earlier today, as the dawn was just breaking, the FBI again coordinated raids involving multiple law enforcement agencies at residences of know Latin Kings gang members. Thanks to good sourcing and organizational work by our Newburgh beat reporter here at the paper (at left in photo), we were able to have another good street reporter (center) and staff photographer (right) join us just after 5AM to begin our own coordination around the city's East End. Upon learning of the type of individuals we might get a glimpse of during these raids, my heart beat faster, and my breathing grew short and determined. I was getting nervous in the reporter's car, parked a few doors away from an address that we knew beforehand was going to be raided. It is almost an indescribable feeling, "a rush" if you will. I mean not knowing if the individuals being sought are considered armed and dangerous, may flee, or even the strong possibility of gunfire that might ensue. Certainly the officers were well armed, including a team of agents with a battering ram, and full body shield. Yea, all these thoughts raced through my mind in the final moments before we exited the reporter's car. It was about 7˚F outside, just before 6AM. My first frames were made moments later, mostly as a test under available light with the older Canon 1-D. Nothing usable there. It wasn't like the FBI agents and other officers didn't know who we were. They were still arriving on the scene in undercover cars, SUV's, and marked radio cars, and parking at all kinds of angles in the street, intentionally clogging up the nearby t-intersection. I always make it a point in these situations to purposely dangle my press credentials around my neck, particularly when I'm cautiously walking upon a scene, and at this time, still in the morning's shrinking shadows. I also give a short and to the point low angle wave to the officers that see and acknowledge me, making sure they all get a good look at me and my colleague. One FBI agent even jokingly commented to me that I needed the newest Nikon D-3 or D-3s like his as he retrieved his equipment from a vehicle, so I could shoot at high ISO's like 12,800. Boy that was a brief moment of acceptance, and it was then that I realized I was "in" and would possibly have a good opportunity of making a few images of a "target" when they brought him out of the house in the next few minutes. My main images would still have to be shot with flash though, as available light exposures were still only 1/20th. sec. at f/2.8, ISO 4000. That wasn't going to cut it. I had to quickly change AA's in the flash again atop the Canon 5D - Mark II, as the only flash image I'd made as a test (of the reporters above) was more than a half hour ago. I guessed the extreme cold drained those batteries quickly. Fortunately, I'd thrown a set of AA's in my coat pocket, and was able to drop those into the flash only a minute or two before the murder suspect was led from his residence (below). 6:30AM. Suspected gang member Luis Tambito (center) is taken into custody from his home at 45 Bayview Terrace in the City of Newburgh, NY, on Thursday, February 10, 2011. Multiple law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, Orange County Sheriff's Office, NY State Police, and Newburgh Police made arrests of suspected Latin King gang members in coordinated pre-dawn raids. Tambito was charged with two other men in the murder of Jerome “Rude Boy” Scarlett in the area of Farrington and Lander streets on May 11, 2010. CHET GORDON/Times Herald-Record

I was lucky this morning. Real lucky. Something told me to change those batteries in the flash at the last moment, as well as creeping up to the bumper of the unmarked car in the street after I'd gotten the unofficial OK from an agent. I'd even asked another agent if I was "OK here" when the suspect was quietly led down the stairs by a few FBI agents without incident. Looking back, I didn't even realize he was cuffed, as the walk to the car only took about 5 seconds. In my mind's eye witnessing this scene seemed liked 20 minutes passed as I managed only about 5 or 6 frames, especially with my auto-focus going nuts in the dark. *(note to self - switch to manual focus at future perp walks, especially with flash under these conditions...)
When that scene was over, I managed a few "B-roll" images of agents, vehicles, etc. and we drove to another known address and just barely missed another "target" being led out his apartment. More backup images made there of agents entering the ground floor apartment with their evidence boxes and bags. And oh yea, remember to wave to the NY State Police helicopter overhead, who were no doubt filming all the active arrest scenes... ~cg.

Click HERE to read our story in today's paper and HERE for last May's story below:

"Knock - Knock...!!!"

An FBI agent (left) and a Hudson Valley Safe Streets Task Force officer serve a search warrant at 113 Lander Street in the City of Newburgh, NY on Thursday morning, May 13, 2010. Upwards of 600 officers from multiple law enforcement agencies raided gang hideouts and made arrests of Bloods and Latin Kings street gang members as part of Operation Blood Drive and Operation Black Crown at various locations throughout the City of Newburgh. CHET GORDON/Times Herald-Record

FBI agents gather outside the former National Guard Armory in the City of Newburgh, NY on Thursday morning, May 13, 2010. Upwards of 600 officers from multiple law enforcement agencies raided gang hideouts and made arrests of Bloods and Latin Kings street gang members as part of Operation Blood Drive and Operation Black Crown at various locations throughout the City of Newburgh. CHET GORDON/Times Herald-Record