THIS is the horrific moment a “Killdozer” attack destroyed a small American town and caused more than $5 million in damage to residents’ homes and businesses.
Marvin Heemeyer became an “unstoppable” force as he charged through the streets of Granby, Colorado, in his 85-ton armored machine of destruction 20 years ago.
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Equipped with improvised armor covering the cabin, engine and parts of the tracks, the ‘Killdozer’ toppled 13 buildings and destroyed people’s livelihoods on that terrible day of June 4, 2004.
Shocking footage captured the horrors unfolding as the modified excavator left a trail of destruction in its wake.
Desperate police forces did their best to stop him, but three external explosions and more than 200 rounds of ammunition had no effect on the bombing machine.
Inside sat Heemeyer himself – a fairly ordinary man who lived a normal life as the owner of an automobile muffler repair shop.
But disputes with municipal authorities, local press, several citizens and even neighbors ended up leading him to commit the heinous crime.
In fact, he was so furious that he even equipped his bulldozer with three ports for a .50 caliber rifle, a .308 caliber semiautomatic rifle, and a .22 caliber rifle.
All three guns were equipped with half an inch of steel plating.
His game also took a craftsmanship approach, with Heemeyer installing several video cameras for visibility, linked to two monitors mounted on the vehicle’s dashboard.
They were also protected externally by 3-inch shields of clear bulletproof Lexan glass, meaning officers were unable to break through and damage any vision.
Compressed air nozzles were also included to blow dust from the video cameras, ensuring that nothing could block Heemeyer’s view at any time.
As the video shows the Killdozer speeding through homes, buildings and businesses, a cloud of smoke soon begins to emanate from the futuristic-looking vehicle.
The Killdozer’s radiator began to burn – and there was nothing Heemeyer could do about it.
To make matters worse, and almost put an end to his master plan, one of the treds got stuck while he was crossing the last building – paralyzing the machine.
With nowhere to go, police managed to surround the vehicle – only for Heemeyer to shoot himself before they could enter.
In fact, it took twelve hours of cutting with an oxyacetylene torch and a pull of a crane to open the armored hatch.
The entire city was turned into a crime scene, but among all the rubble, one thing remained.
Inside the warehouse where the Killdozer was built, Heemeyer’s last words were written on a crumpled note.
“I have always been willing to be reasonable until I am irrational,” he said. “Sometimes reasonable men must do unreasonable things.”
The town of Granby, Colorado, has never forgotten that terrible day of June 4, 2004, when they were thrust into the national spotlight after one man’s crazy actions.
Having already held a grudge against Granby city officials, the local press, and several other Granby citizens, his boiling point had been growing for several years.
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From losing property disputes with neighbors to being fined for not having a septic tank, Heemeyer constantly felt like the city was against him.
Patrick Brower, the newspaper’s editor in Granby, in June 2004 said that Heemeyer “vowed to get revenge on the people he felt had somehow wronged him.”
He said Denver7 that this made the crazy garage owner “basically unstoppable”.
Heemeyer’s story was made into a full-length documentary called “Tread.”
The film’s writer and director Paul Solet said in a 2020 interview that Heemeyer was an “implied character”, with several interviews filmed over several years included in the project.
Many criticized the documentary for glorifying Heemeyer’s crimes, including former SWAT commander Grant Whitus, who led the SWAT team that responded to Granby that day.
“To glamorize what he did and the way he did it for the reason he did it, I think it’s horrible,” he said in a phone interview. Denver7 report.
Solet, however, also said the film was for those “who loved Heemeyer most and continue to support him.”
In the years since and up to the present day, many groups have sympathized with Heemeyer, while others have labeled him a “hero.”
Brower, who also wrote a book about the riot titled “Killdozer,” said, “They think of Mark as the little guy who fought the government that got in the way.”
How Heemeyer inspired American ‘preppers’
By Tom Malley
Marvin Heemeyer’s destruction of a small Colorado town in 2004 helped inspire some of America’s most right-wing “doomsday preppers.”
Using his improvised armor to protect the tank and storing resources to last more than a week, he influenced the way preppers build their bunkers today.
Installing cameras on the outside of his ‘Killdozer’ was also a smart move, while creating gaps large enough to point a gun at ensured his chances of survival remained high.
Heemeyer even surrounded himself with enough weapons and supplies to last a week, creating the ideal setup for the end of the world.
Welding himself together, he clearly never intended to leave his own bunker – nor to let anyone else in.
This was only reinforced by the fact that he covered the top of the vehicle with oil, making it impossible for anyone to climb in.
As he sat inside, the gray-haired workshop owner was determined to destroy the lives of those he believed had destroyed his.
Afterwards, a note was found in the warehouse where the Killdozer was built, which said: “I have always been willing to be reasonable until I am irrational.
“Sometimes reasonable men must do unreasonable things.”
A prep pushed to the limit, Heemeyer clearly felt he had nothing to lose.
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This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
