FORT MONROE, Virginia - March 19, 2009 - The U.S. Army has launched an inquiry into how and why active duty troops from Fort Rucker, Alabama came to be placed on the streets of Samson, Alabama during last week's murder spree in that tiny South Alabama community. The use of the troops was a violation of federal law.

“On March 10, after a report of an apparent mass murder in Samson, Alabama, 22 military police soldiers from Fort Rucker, Alabama, along with the provost marshal, were sent to the city of Samson,” Harvey Perritt, spokesman for the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) at Fort Monroe, Virginia, told CNSNews.com on Monday.

“The purpose for sending the military police, the authority for doing so, and what duties they performed is the subject of an ongoing commander’s inquiry - directed by the commanding general of U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command, General Martin Dempsey.”

TRADOC is the headquarters command for Fort Rucker.

“In addition to determining the facts, this inquiry will also determine whether law, regulation and policy were followed,” Perritt added. “Until those facts are determined, it would be inappropriate to speculate or comment further.”

Jim Stromenger, a dispatcher at the Samson Police Department, confirmed the MP’s presence in the town, telling CNSNews.com that the troops “came in to help with traffic control and to secure the crime scene” - and the department was glad for the help.

“We’ve been getting a lot of calls,” Stromenger said. “They weren’t here to police, let me make that clear. They were here to help with traffic and to control the crime scene - so people wouldn’t trample all over (it).”

Stromenger said the town needed help - calls had gone out to all police departments in the area.

“We only have a five-man police department,” he told CNSNews.com. “We had officers from all surrounding areas helping out. There were a lot of streets to be blocked off and there had to be someone physically there to block them off. That’s what these MPs were doing. I don’t think they were even armed. The troops helped keep nosy people away.”

Ed. Note: Not armed?  More lies!  I saw a picture of them and they were very well armed.