Posted on 12/08/2005 6:58:08 AM PST by wallcrawlr
MAITLAND, Fla. — Neighbors knew him as a simple man who worked in the paint department of a home-supply store and spent his leisure time tending to the yard of his ranch-style home in this Orlando suburb.
Many could not reconcile that image with the one authorities painted Wednesday of Rigoberto Alpizar — that of a desperate man who ran off a plane and claimed to have a bomb in his backpack. Alpizar was shot and killed by air marshals Wednesday at Miami International Airport on his way home from a trip to South America.
"He was a nice guy, always smiling, always talkative,'' said Louis Gunther, a neighbor who said he was watching Alpizar's home while he and his wife were on a missionary trip. "Everybody is talking about a guy I know nothing about.''
"This whole neighborhood is shocked. ... Totally uncharacteristic of the guy,'' added Alex McLeod, 16, who lives three houses down on the opposite side of the three-lined street from the Alpizars.
(Excerpt) Read more at startribune.com ...
Did he smoke?
This sounds like suicide by cop to me.
Brad Jentsch of Sheboygan, Wis., another brother-in-law, .... < snip > told the station he couldn't fault the air marshals, but he questioned the use of "deadly force in a situation where his wife was running right behind yelling he's bipolar and he's not on his meds.''
Lesson #1 when flying: If you are on medications, TAKE THEM!
Lesson #2: Don't claim you have a bomb!
Lesson #3: If an Air Marshall says "Get on the floor!" DO IT!
People thought Ted Bundy was a nice fellow too.
The fact he was bipolar, not on his meds and talking about a bomb would make anyone fear him. He really could have a bomb under that scenario.
Keeping that detail until the last of the story, of course.
chicagotribune.com
http://www.chicagotribune.com/
Unfriendly eyes follow air marshals
Experts: Terrorists seek security flaws
By Jon Hilkevitch
Tribune transportation reporter
December 8, 2005
Federal air marshals are the consummate frequent fliers, logging thousands of miles each week while trying to blend in with the airport crowd.
One air marshal, known as "the doctor" among his security associates, is a certified emergency medical technician. Without blowing his cover, he recently helped a sick passenger who needed the aid of an onboard oxygen canister during a flight.
Air marshals frequently pose as good Samaritans volunteering to help flight attendants deal with drunken or unruly travelers.
But every air marshal knows that he or she is being watched--and often tested.
Ever since the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, air marshals and airline pilots have reported instances to federal authorities in which individuals behaving suspiciously appeared to be evaluating onboard security, according to congressional testimony. It is believed that terrorists continue to fly on commercial airlines to and within the U.S. to look for weak links in layers of the still-evolving aviation security system.
The ploys have ranged from faking illnesses to disobeying orders from flight attendants to sit down to a few reported cases of individuals running toward the cockpit door in apparent efforts to flush any air marshals from their seats.
Experts say another strategy is focused on determining specific flights that are routinely flown by armed pilots participating in the flight deck officers program.
A major concern among air marshals is being identified by terrorists. On the flights selected for extra security, at least two air marshals are assigned to a plane in a specified seating arrangement--one in the first-class cabin to monitor the cockpit door, another in coach.
Until earlier this year, the Department of Homeland Security enforced a formal dress code for air marshals--suits and ties--that made them stand out from the more casual appearance of many passengers.
"I have sat in the same seat since my first day on the job," said a federal air marshal based in Chicago who spoke on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to speak publicly. "At least in Iraq or Afghanistan you know what you are dealing with. Here, I am in jeopardy because a lot of the passengers know instantly who we are."
He also said there is widespread opposition among air marshals to last week's decision by the Transportation Security Administration relaxing the ban on passengers bringing scissors and short blades aboard planes.
"A terrorist knows who I am and how to slit my throat by placing two credit cards together," the air marshal said. "I don't want to make it any easier for him."
The wife could have easily been an accomplice, someone to divert attention!
Those fumes'll do a number on your head.
Exactly, how would his wife know whether he didn't have a bomb? I guess she should have been in the aisle seat.
thanks for posting that
So why is a mentally unbalanced man making long trips by air while he is 'not on his meds'?
Typically, the media is casting about trying to find a way to blame the USAMs and by extension, Bush, of course.
Of course, if the guy had made it into the concourse and set off a bomb that dropped a few hundred people, the media would be clamoring to know why the USAMs didn't take action sooner.
The ones dismayed by the shooting are judging it after the fact. They think no actual bomb means no real threat.
They are wrong. The air marshal had an excited guy yelling "backpack bomb" and shot as the guy reached into the backpack. That is a good call as it looked like the guy was detonating the bomb.
There are plenty of people questioning the decision to shoot, unfortunately. If people like Couric on NBC and some of the celebrity-hungry people being interviewed on Fox had their way, the marshalls would have to ask every terrorist to fill out a 3-page questionnaire, complete an interview with a shrink, and consult with a sensitivity expert before taking any action. Common sense is not very common, it seems.
Bet they're really cheesed off.
Yep - failed to listen to the screaming wife, who, as far as they might have known, could have been an accomplice trying to give the guy time to detonate . . .
I'm sure the air marshalls were thinking: "Gee, last month a husband and wife suicide team blew up a wedding in Jordan."
I cannot believe all the second guessing of these air marshalls. If you are out of control due to emotional issues, either take your medications (hint to "involved" wife: make sure he takes his meds, ya know?) or don't travel in a post 9-11 world.
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