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He was a hero who went through a trial by media that fucked him over and put him through hell. Richard Jewell’s attention to detail saved many lives during the Centennial Olympic Park bombing in 1996, but many were quick to imagine he was the one who planted the bomb in the first place.
--On This Day in History, Shit Went Down: October 26, 1996--
The bombing took place on July 27, 1996, during the Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta. The bomber was Eric Rudolph, a terrorist who would later bomb abortion clinics and a lesbian nightclub. Rudolph created a fragmentation pipe bomb, placed it inside a green backpack, and left it under a bench in the park where thousands were gathered for a concert.
Jewell saw the backpack and became suspicious. He contacted the police and worked with other security to clear the area so the bomb squad could investigate. Then it exploded. One person was killed and more than 100 others injured. Had it not been for Jewell, it would have been far worse.
At first Jewell was seen as a hero, but then public opinion quickly turned against him when the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported the FBI was treating him as a possible suspect. Then other media jumped on it and shoved an electron microscope up Jewell’s ass looking for any scandal they could spin into a story. They latched onto him being overweight and living with his mother and portrayed him as a loser: a failed law enforcement officer who planted the bomb in the first place in order to “find it” and become lauded as a hero. A federal agent gave him the nickname “Unabubba” and Jay Leno referred to him as “Una-doofus.”
But he really was a hero. He really did deserve to be lauded. He didn’t plant the fucking bomb. He saved a lot of lives that day.
He was never actually charged, but the FBI searched Jewell’s home, twice, and did a thorough investigation of him, questioning his colleagues and keeping him under 24-hour surveillance. On October 26, 1996, after putting him through three months of torment, the state attorney sent Jewell a letter saying he was no longer a suspect in the investigation. No apology was offered at the time, but the following July Attorney General Janet Reno expressed regret for the leak that led to the media shitfuckery, saying, “I think we owe him an apology.” No, really?
Afterward, Jewell filed several libel suits and received a number of settlements. He continued to work in law enforcement until his death in 2007 at the age of 44. The actual bomber, Eric Rudolph, is serving four consecutive life sentences.
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Our mob mentality is disgraceful. I watched the History Channel's Colosseum show over the summer. It seems since the beginning of time humans, as a sport, have demanded to be entertained by other's misery. Interesting that humans call this being at the top of existence with dominion over all. Pft.