My strange morning + a question about the ATF

[mr beauxjangles]

So first let me tell about how my morning started, and then I'll get to my questions.

My fiance and I live in a condo in Peachtree St. in Midtown Atlanta. Say what you will about crime in Atlanta, but this is not a bad part of town. I walk out of the front door of our building at 8:00 this morning for my usual two-block walk to work. As soon as I open the door and step out onto the sidewalk, I hear two "thuds" to my left. I look over and there's a guy getting up off the ground and running across Peachtree St. There are two maintenance guys outside that look at me dumbfounded and say "he just jumped!" and pointed to a third story window. Sure enough, the window's open and the awning for a retailer on the first level is damaged - he bounced right off a supportive metal bar in the awning on the way down.

So here I am, watching this guy that just jumped out of the window, bolt across Peachtree St and through behind another condo building. I'm concerned somebody's just been assaulted or something in our building and this guy is trying to leave as quick as possible. So I run down to our management office hoping our property manager is there already and start to call the police. Property manager isn't there yet, so I go back outside, and look up at the window as I'm talking to the dispatch. Three ATF agents in full gear (bullet proof vests, all kinds of tactical crap) appear and shout "which way did he go?" I point dutifully and they proceed to run downstairs to street level and take off in different directions. I waited for fifteen minutes or so, talking to neighbors, and then left for work not knowing what the hell had just happened.

My office is two blocks away. As I'm walking up to the building, I see one of the agents walking back on the other side of the street out of breath. I kind of shrugged my shoulders and said "what just happened, man?" No lie, he makes the universally-known jerking off motion with his hand and says "you win, you lose some."

WTF

So that brings me to my two questions:

1) Why would three ATF agents be raiding someone's condo at 8:00am?

2) Since they didn't catch the guy, what steps should our building management take?

[The_Light_Brigade]

So it begins...

[Bronn]

I'd call your local law enforcement and property manager and demand answers.

If the guy lived there, I'd consider moving pretty soon.

As to your questions:

1. They'll do their business whenever it will have the least amount of public observance and the most potential for success.

2. If the guy lives there, they need to drop in on his place (assuming ATF and LLE aren't already doing this) and check it out. If he doesn't live there, I'd demand answers or threaten to seek out of your lease/whatever agreements you have and are contractually bound to.

[mr beauxjangles]

1. They'll do their business whenever it will have the least amount of public observance and the most potential for success.

Thanks for the response. I guess I should have rephrased my first question. I'm more interested in why they might be there in the first place as opposed to why they were there at 8:00am. I have a general idea of what ATF covers, but just not sure what the plausible explanations are...

[Panthro]

He is obviously a rouge tobacco farmer

[Bronn]

Could be anything really.

So ATF appeared in the window, or were they already on the ground when you first saw them?

[mr beauxjangles]

I saw the guy that jumped get up and run across the street. No one else was in the window at that time. It was totally quiet. No agents screaming or banging around. About one minute later, when I returned from looking for our property manager, the three agents came to the window. When i pointed where the guy ran, they cam running downstairs and bolted in different directions.

[mr beauxjangles]

I guess it's possible that only one or two of the guys were ATF and the other guy(s) were from some other agency...

[thefuzz]

If I had to guess, bomb making.

That or owning some bad ass weapons that you aren't supposed to have.

[Hawk]

Atlanta!!

next question

[pstall]

ATF usually sends more than 3 and they seemed sloppy. sure you don't expect a guy to jump 3 stories but that kind of desperation tells me alot about the crimes the guy has committed.

[MagPie]

Those Automatic Transmission Fluids are hell especially in full gear!

[Davidson Deac II]

He is obviously a rouge tobacco farmer

What is a rouge tobacco farmer? I thought tobacco was green. Or is rouge his lipstick?

[Panthro]

Well played