Did the Indianapolis Police Set-Up a Sniper Nest at Super Bowl 46?

A series of photos circulating the Internet this morning appear to show a snipers nest set up by the Indianapolis Police at Super Bowl 46 this past weekend.

In the background of the photos the layout of the field (a Giants painted endzone), as well as the giant roman numerals that can be seen over the windows of Lucas Oil Stadium indicate that the photos were taken at some point during Super Bowl week.

The photos seem to be taken by officers either as a training aid or perhaps as keepsakes of their very unique vantage point on the biggest game of the year.

The photos first surfaced on 4chan an image sharing Web site and one of the most visited non corporate websites in the world with about 700,000 visitors per day.

While the photos show a stadium full of empty seats it is a safe bet to assume that the post was manned and ready to go throughout the game.

This isn't exactly a new phenomenon at major outdoor events like the Super Bowl; in fact Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones told CNN that, We've got a lot of places for snipers in here, for a report they did on security at the Super Bowl last year.

The question is why? With all the security that is present outside the game and the numerous searches and screenings that fans must go through before getting into the building, it seems like the definition of redundant to have teams of sharpshooters posted throughout the building.

It also seems rather unnecessary and dangerous to have a police officer pointing a loaded weapon at a peaceful crowd without their knowledge for the better part of three hours. The recent actions of police like Lt. John Pike of the UC Davis police department have shown that even police are prone to over-reaction and can become a danger in the wrong circumstances.

What do you think? Is this over the top, or a legitimate security procedure? Tell us in the comments section below.