Blackwater Aids Local Sheriff in Manhunt

In search of a suspect who shot a man, a North Carolina county sheriff called Blackwater for help.

When a Camden County, NC, deputy found a 45 year-old man bleeding from a gunshot wound, he called authorities in two other jurisdictions for assistance. Then the sheriff's office called Blackwater, whose training headquarters is nearby, and asked for the company to fly in a helicopter.

Blackwater immediately sent up a copter to aid in the manhunt. The area is largely rural farm, wood and swampland. A local TV station carries the report. The story is unfolding as I write this post.

Notably a regional newspaper that serves Blackwater's readership area - and has been noted for its sharp editorial opposition to the company - did not mention the company's involvement in the online edition of its news reporting.

If things went according to how I understand the company, Blackwater probably flew the mission as a public service, at its own expense, and under the guidance of the local authorities.

(The photo is of a Bell 412 helicopter that is similar to the one likely used by Blackwater to help the local police.)

Blackwater Goes Green

The Virginian-Pilot reports that the most powerful wind-turbine in the state of North Carolina - a 120 ft, three bladed 50-kilowatt unit - belongs to Blackwater, the private security contractor.

The turbine, erected last month at a cost of $180,000, powers the company's 70,000-square-foot Grizzly plant and is expected to produce 110,000 kilowatt hours in the next year.

The project has caught the eye of folks outside the world of security contracting. Brent Summerville, outreach and training programs manager for the North Carolina Small Wind Initiative at Appalachian State University says, "Everything that is installed is going to get scrutiny; projects like this will help."

The Virginian-Pilot explains that "winds off Cape Hatteras average 17 mph at 120 feet off the ground and are rated as some of the most potentially productive in the state, according to a wind map online at the U.S. Department of Energy," making the region a fertile area for developing wind power.