The Austin Phantom Manhunt was an event that took place on Wednesday, November 7, 2007 in downtown Austin, Texas. Around 8:30 a.m. Central Standard Time, a 911 emergency call was placed by a person that claimed to have seen a mysterious man inside a parking garage carrying a rifle and wearing either a black trenchcoat or black military fatigues. The local authorities then began an extensive and elusive search for this would-be person of interest. Several helicopters were deployed and state employees were told to close their curtains and to remain north of 17th street. Later in the morning additional reports had the subject on top of a parking garage near 14th Street and Guadalupe Street. This too proved fruitless. Subsequently, the Austin news media sprung into full alert and began broadcasting live reports from the area. The frantic KXAN NBC television station responded by dispatching their local traffic reporter to the scene.

Like the infamous and ubiquitous D.B. Cooper, more reports continued to come in that placed the subject in various points around the downtown. He was spotted at the Cloakroom Bar near the Texas State Capitol Building and later further south near the intersection of Lavaca and 5th Streets. Nothing was found at either location.

Later in the day three Army AH-64 Apache attack helicopters and one Blackhawk helicopter began to make repeated runs over the downtown region. Many locals were alarmed and began to believe that the formation was tied to the search for the Phantom. Local authorities eventually claimed that the helicopters were practicing a ceremonial flyover for an upcoming University of Texas football game and were not related to the manhunt.

To date no photos or further descriptions of the would-be subject have been released.

Alleged conspiracy

Conspiracist radio talkshow host Alex Jones stated on his Friday, November 9, 2007 broadcast that, "the whole situation (the manhunt) was a CIA mission to scare people and lead the way to the ultimate declaration of martial law. It's like how the Emperor took control of the Galatic Senate. Where are our Jedi Knights?! I know that a CIA covert agent had a mission to create fear and confusion among the people. I've done the research! During that sham manhunt the mind control antennas also began to broadcast at a much higher and sustained frequency on the neutronic (sic) plane. Put it together. This is real! Wake up people!"

Gun Shop stand off

On Tuesday, November 13, 2007 the Austin Police Department was dispatched to an early morning alarm at the MacBride's Gun Store at 2915 San Gabriel Street in Austin, Texas. A stand off soon developed as the authorities were uncertain whether or not the intruder was still inside the building. Police quickly closed the nearby busy north-south arterial roadway, Lamar Blvd., from 29th street to 31st Street, set up a command post, and called for the S.W.A.T. team. Many local pundits have noted the similarity between this event and the earlier elusive Phantom Manhunt of the previous week. The police have not commented on whether or not the two events are related.

Sources

KXAN-TV report on the original Phantom Manhunt [2005]

Austin American-Statesman on the Phantom Manhunt [2006]

Austin American-Statesman on the Army helicopters [2007]

Austin American-Statesman on the Phantom Gun Shop stand off

[2008]

KVUE-TV report on gun shop stand off [2009]