The term Killdozer was coined for a bulldozer used by Marvin John Heemeyer. His Killdozer didn’t kill anybody but he destroyed Town Hall and a judge’s house using his machine.
Heemeyer used his Killdozer on June4, 2004 and ever since the term is used for any incident resulting in great damage. The full Killdozer story is as interesting as the term itself is. Heemeyer was an auto mechanic and vehicle mufflers were his specialty. He owned a workshop where he used to repair vehicles. His problem started as he bought some 2 acres of land adjacent to his shop. As he tried to sell the land, his initial asking was $250,000. However later he raised the price and asked for $375,000, even this price tag was altered later on. Town folks regarded Heemeyer as quite an agreeable fellow. On the other there were other people who called him a loner. As a cement factory was planned near his workshop he resisted the decision as it would hamper the access to his shop. In the litigation he was fined for using the adjacent land for dumping the junk from his shop.
All his efforts went in vain and cement factory was built. He complained that cement factory posed a significant problem in the smooth functioning of the shop but his complains did not result in any action.
At this point he sold his shop and started building a Killdozer. A Komatsu bulldozer’s body and driver cabin was covered with a thick steel sheet. The area between the sheet and actual body of the bulldozer was filled with concrete. Killdozer was ready. As he went on his rampage, police fired many bullets and crackers but the Killdozer was unaffected. The machine stopped automatically as some debris choked its working parts. Heemeyer committed suicide at the spot.
Killdozer
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