Thread: Shots fired aboard Miami flight

http://www.canada.com

Air Marshal shoots passenger dead

Global National with files from Associated Press
Published: Wednesday, December 07, 2005
MIAMI (AP) - A passenger who claimed to have a bomb in a carry-on bag was shot and killed by a federal air marshal Wednesday on a jetway to an American Airlines plane that had arrived from Colombia, officials said.

Homeland Security Department spokesman Brian Doyle said the dead passenger was a 44-year-old U.S. citizen.

It was the first time since the Sept. 11 attacks that an air marshal had shot at a passenger or suspect, he said. A witness said that the man frantically ran down the aisle of the Boeing 757 and that a woman with him said he was mentally ill.

The passenger, who indicated there was a bomb in the bag, was confronted by air marshals but ran off the aircraft, Doyle said.

The marshals pursued and ordered the passenger to get on the ground, but the man did not comply and was shot when he apparently reached into the bag, Doyle said. Authorities did not immediately say whether any bomb was found.

Passenger Mary Gardner told WTVJ in Miami that the man ran down the aisle from the rear of the plane. "He was frantic, his arms flailing in the air," she said. She said a woman followed, shouting, "My husband! My husband!"

Gardner said she heard the woman say her husband was bipolar and had not had his medication.

The plane, Flight 924, had arrived from Medellin, Colombia, at 12:16 p.m. and was scheduled to depart two hours later for Orlando, American Airlines spokesman Tim Wagner said.

"I don't know yet if the passenger had been on the plane and was getting off, or was starting to board the aircraft," he said.

The shooting happened shortly after 2 p.m., suggesting passengers may have already been preparing to depart, he said. About 105 passengers were scheduled to fly to Orlando, he said.

Martin Gonzalez, spokesman for Colombia's civil aviation agency, said the flight "left normally with no problems."

There were only 32 air marshals at the time of the Sept. 11 attacks. The U.S. administration hired thousands more afterward, though the exact number is classified.

I feel a little better about the air marshals now. A LITTLE reassurance though I am still anxious to know if he actually HAD a bomb and was able to clear security in Colombia.

I heard no explosives were found. Here is the closest article I was able to find verifying that information.

http://today.reuters.com

Passenger killed by air marshal
Wed Dec 7, 2005 4:55 PM ET

By Jim Loney

MIAMI (Reuters) - U.S. air marshals on Wednesday shot and killed an American Airlines passenger who claimed to be carrying a bomb, as he tried to escape into the terminal at Miami International Airport after arriving from Colombia.

Federal officials said the 44-year-old American indicated he had a bomb in his carry-on bag during a flight from the Colombian city of Medellin, where airport security is generally considered tight.

He was confronted by two air marshals upon landing in Miami, tried to flee into the terminal along the passenger ramp, and was shot when he ignored an order to put his bag on the ground.

"The passenger then reached into his carry-on bag, at which point, consistent with air marshal training, the air marshals took the appropriate actions. Shots were fired as the team attempted to subdue the subject," said a Department of Homeland Security spokesman.

A law enforcement official said later that "no device has been located at this time."

Concourse D at Miami International Airport was briefly evacuated and closed down while police snipers, dogs and SWAT teams took up positions around American Airlines Flight 924, a Boeing 757, which arrived from Medellin at 12:16 p.m. and was due to leave for Orlando at 2:18 p.m.

The rest of the plane's 130-odd passengers were briefly sequestered for questioning but other flights in and out of Miami were not affected.

Passengers' luggage was taken off the plane and laid out in lines on the tarmac, where police dogs were led around sniffing for explosives, television images showed.

American Airlines' parent company AMR Corp. said the incident involved an air marshal who had been on the flight from Colombia but federal official declined to comment on "operational details."

The U.S. air marshals service said it was the first time one of them had actually fired on a passenger since the program was beefed up in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, attacks on New York and Washington.

The air marshals say they are held to higher standards of handgun accuracy than officers of any other federal law enforcement agency.

"Historically, the air marshals have been known as the best shots," said Joseph Gutheinz, a former military pilot and retired agent in NASA's inspector general office.

I saw them exploding three pieces of luggage found in the hold, I believe. I know they exploded them but I'm not POSITIVE where they came from. What I HEARD was that the dogs had sniffed them out. But, they are just blabbing on without knowing WHAT'S going on really. But, I DID see them explode the three bags.

I believe the bomb squads frequently blow things up as a precaution if they are not sure what they have. It's a lot safer than having something possibly blowing up in their face.

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/13353797.htm

Posted on Thu, Dec. 08, 2005


MIAMI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
Florida man shot dead by air marshals at MIA
A CENTRAL FLORIDA MAN WHO TRIED TO FLEE A PLANE AT MIA AFTER SAYING HE HAD A BOMB WAS SHOT AND KILLED BY AIR MARSHALS, AUTHORITIES SAID
BY AMY DRISCOLL, LESLEY CLARK AND TRENTON DANIEL
adriscoll@herald.com

A Central Florida man returning from a church trip to South America who said he had a bomb in his backpack was gunned down by federal air marshals Wednesday near the front door of an American Airlines plane bound for Orlando, officials said.

It was the first time an air marshal shot at a passenger or suspect since the government stepped up the presence of the law enforcement officers on planes after Sept. 11, 2001, according to Department of Homeland Security officials. They said there was no evidence the incident was related to terrorism.

The shooting occurred within earshot of horrified passengers, who reported hearing multiple shots fired. The man -- Rigoberto Alpizar, 44, a U.S. citizen from Maitland -- died on the scene. He had arrived in Miami from Quito, Ecuador, earlier Wednesday with a woman officials believe is his wife.

Just before the shooting, passengers reported seeing the man running wildly down the aisle of the plane with a woman in pursuit yelling that he was ``sick.''

Passenger John McAlhany, in seat 24-C, said the man ``came running from the back. He must have been doing 1,000 miles an hour He knocked over stewardesses.''

`DIDN'T LOOK STABLE'

McAlhany, a Sebastian, Fla., construction worker on his way home from a fishing trip in the Keys, noticed the man acting erratically during the boarding process.

''When we got on the plane, he got off, then came back on with his wife,'' McAlhany said. ``He didn't look stable.''

The man clutched his backpack and ''uttered a threat that he was holding a bomb,'' said Jim Bauer, special agent in charge of the Federal Air Marshals service in Miami, recounting details of the shooting at a news conference hours later.

Two air marshals identified themselves and confronted Alpizar, who fled the plane with the marshals chasing him. He headed through the connecting tunnel that linked the airplane to gate D-42 in the terminal, according to law enforcement officials.

THE SHOOTING

The marshals ordered him onto the ground. Then, said Joanna Gonzalez, a Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman, the man ``appeared to be reaching into the carry-on bag . . . At that point, the marshals took appropriate action. And the shots were fired.''

Alpizar was flying through Miami from a working vacation to Peru, said his brother-in-law, Steven Buechner.

''Our family is still in shock,'' said Kelley Buechner, Alpizar's sister-in-law.

Law enforcement officers surrounded the plane after the shooting. Inside, McAlhany said passengers were ordered to crouch under their seats. He said that when he tried to pop up for a look, a flight attendant ordered him to get back down.

He said the man apparently left a backpack on the plane, adding that the other passengers were treated roughly when law enforcement boarded the plane after the shooting.

''They put a gun to the back of my head and said, `Put your hands on the seat,'' he said. ``That was more scary than anything else.''

He said the passengers were taken off the plane and confined to a conference room ``with a lot of other people.''

Although law enforcement officers blew up two pieces of luggage apparently belonging to the suspect, officials said no bomb or weapon was found on the plane or passenger.

''I don't know if they shot an innocent man or not,'' he said. ``I don't think he was armed or had a bomb, I think he had a mental illness. I don't think they really had to shoot him, but I hope he didn't holler something stupid.''

Miami-Dade police, who are in charge of investigating the shooting, did not comment.

ORLANDO-BOUND

The plane had arrived from Medellin, Colombia, and was to depart for Orlando at 2:18 p.m. but the flight, American 924, was subsequently canceled, according to the Orlando airport's website American Airlines officials did not say how the 113 displaced passengers would get to Orlando.

''None of the other 113 passengers onboard were affected or were ever in any danger. This was an isolated incident,'' the airline said in a news release, adding that it would have no other comment.

CONCOURSE SHUT DOWN

American Airlines Chief Operating Officer Gerard Arpey, who was at The Herald meeting with executives when the shooting occurred, declined to comment. The airport was never closed. Concourse D, where the incident took place, was shut down for about 30 minutes, said Miami airport spokesman Marc Henderson. Air traffic continued as usual by mid-afternoon.

Police spread the passengers' bags that were to be loaded on American 942 on the tarmac and had dogs sniff them for explosives. The investigation -- by Miami-Dade police homicide detectives and federal officials -- continued Wednesday night.

The air marshals ''followed procedure by the book,'' said Department of Homeland Security spokesman Brian Doyle.

There were only 32 air marshals at the time of the Sept. 11 attacks. The Bush administration hired thousands more afterward, though the exact number is classified.

Herald reporters Cara Buckley, Theresa Bradley, Rebecca Dellagloria, Tere Figueras Negrete, David Ovalle and Frank Davies and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/Investigation ... id=1383832

EXCLUSIVE: Shoe Bomber Alert Preceded Airport Shooting

Egyptian Man Had Been Stopped at New York Airport; Shoes Tested Positive for Explosive

By BRIAN ROSS and CHRIS ISHAM

Dec. 7, 2005 â€â€