In Cold Blood
Given the climate of fear generated by 9-11 it’s not surprising the marshalls used deadly force. I can remember years ago being told by airport staff that El Al flights always carried armed marshalls. El Al would be a prime target for hijack, yet apart from 1970 I can’t recall them having been hijacked and even on this attempted hijacking the Israeli crew foiled the attack.
I can’t really work up much sympathy for this fellow. The marshalls don’t have much time to react. Why wasn’t he taking the pills? No doubt the vultures (lawyers) are circling. It’s a bit like the shooting of the Brazilian on London’s underground. Mistakes were made, but in the current climate it’s hardly surprising. I would rather they get it wrong and take out one person than allow a terrorist to blow up a plane full of people.
I still think it was a righteous shooting.
The man’s wife was traveling with him. Why didn’t she make him take his meds? If there was a potential problem, why didn’t his wife alert the flight crew?
After 9/11 if some clown is screaming he has a bomb, then he’s opening himself to some serious hurt. Being stupid is a capital crime and the penalty is administered every day all over the world.
Posted by MAJ Mike
12/08/2005 at 08:06 AM
Sounds to me like the air marshals did what they are trained to do. Eliminate the threat and sort out the details later. They are also taught to shoot to kill, not wound.
No one but the “threat” and maybe the other screaming, panicked female knew for sure that this guy wasnt part of a PLOT to blow this airport to kingdom come! Hence the actions regarding the rest of the passengers.
Send the marshals on a two week Hawaiian vacation, with their families, on the taxpayers.
JOB WELL DONE.
I agree well done. And yes it is very valuable with regard to the terrorists hearing that the Air Marshalls shoot to kill.
Posted by Paul "No Fear" Weir
12/08/2005 at 09:20 AM
Apparently there was a heightened state of alert for shoebombers at the time.
Have a look at this article from ABC news.APB out for suspected NYC shoebomber
After 4 years the left hand is still not talking to the right hand.
Yup, shoot first ask questions later. Makes me feel all kinds of warm and fuzzy knowing that armed protection is there to save my butt. Crazy people should not fly, or at least take their meds!
Posted by MJS
12/08/2005 at 10:06 AM
I smell a lawsuit...and I pray the judge throws it out!
Too bad so sad.Scrappleface has the story:
December 8, 2005
Airport Shooting Part of Bush Mental Health Cuts
by Scott Ott(2005-12-08) — Democrats in Congress today suggested that yesterday’s Federal Air Marshall shooting of a mentally ill man, who claimed to have a bomb on an airplane, could be part of a larger Bush administration strategy to reduce federal spending on mental health programs.
“We’re not publicly saying that Bush is killing off bipolar people to purify the American gene pool and improve the race,” said one unnamed Senate Democrat. “But at a time when mental health agencies are being told to tighten their belts, one can’t help but wonder if that man in Miami died so that the Bush-Cheney cabal and their wealthy cronies can keep their tax cuts.”
Democrats plan to introduce a bill next week that would require Federal Air Marshalls to perform a comprehensive mental health screening on prospective human targets. They’ll also propose an amendment to the public school gun-free zone law that would surround all American airports, and planes in flight, with a 1,000-foot “gun-free circle of safety.Posted by Oink
12/08/2005 at 03:30 PM
OK so the rest of the crowd should just get up and walk away happily?? Hmmmm, now how many hijackers were there on 9/11?? One you say........nay 19 I say!! Think about it!!!
One other item, I heard an interview yesterday on air marshall training. They are taught to shoot to kill the first time. No warning shots, no shots in the air, no shots to the arms or legs. SHOOT TO KILL THE FIRST TIME!! I am saddened by the useless death of anyone but boys and girls, this ain’t leave it to beaver and father knows best. This is kill or be killed and there ain’t no time to psychoanalize (sp) a potential nut case who forgot his meds!!
Thanks Oink ... .I needed that!
George Bush doesn’t like bi-polar-crazy-runnin’-around-on-airplanes-screaming-they-got-a-bomb people. Kayne West
What’s all this about shooting bi-polar people? I mean, if someone wants to live at the north and south poles, so what? I mean, what’s next, shooting Santa ‘cause he’s uni-polar? Huh, what? Bi-polar is like crazy? Oh. Never mind. Rosann Rosannadanna
That poor fellow was part of the mentally ill’s insurgency! All this mixing them up with terrorists is just wrong. Rep. John Murtha
The idea that we can’t tell terrorists apart from crazy people in a split second is an idea that is just plain wrong. Howard “The Sreamer” Dean.
Eeeeyyyahhhhh!
Texmanoooo—great point!! It ruffled my hair as it went over my head. Thanks for reminding all of us that the terrorists tend to act in teams.
Remember, boys and girls—aim at center of mass and keep pulling the trigger until the troll stops moving or you run out of ammunition (whichever come first)!!
Posted by MAJ Mike
12/08/2005 at 05:18 PM
And again...it must suck to be Mr. Alpizar right about now.
Bi-polar causing a person to pull a stunt like this? Its been awhile since I perused my DSM-IV, but I’m pretty damned sure that a Bi-Polar condition doesn’t cause people to act psychotic. Pull an “all-nighter,” maybe.
I’d have believed something like “severe Schizophrenia,” “Anti-social Personality disorder,” “Autism,” or hell, even “ADHD.” But not Bi-polar.
Sounds to me like the typical B.S. that those close to the victim spew in order to shift blame from a victim who brought a situation down on themselves. No, this guy was being an “a-hole” in the worst way possible for the betterment of his good health at the time. I don’t think its wrong to say that everybody knows that you don’t go making those sort of threats on an airplane nowadays.
Maybe he wanted to die? We used to call it “death by cop” back when I worked the beat.
If one is bi-polar (or worse) he has NO business in a passenger plane. When ya know your ill it is not a good idea to stop taking your medicine.
12/08/2005 at 07:31 AM
