Posted on 12/08/2005 9:53:01 AM PST by FerdieMurphy
Federal air marshals kill a passenger on an Orlando-bound American Airlines jetliner after the man claims he has a bomb in his backpack, authorities say.
Rigoberto Alpizar bolted down the aisle of American Airlines Flight 924 shortly after 2 p.m. Wednesday.
In pursuit behind him, through the narrow passageway of the Boeing 757: his female companion -- police believe it was his wife -- yelling ''stop, stop'' in English and then in Spanish, ``He's sick, he's sick.''
The chaos ended quickly. Federal agents shot the Florida man after he claimed he had a bomb in his backpack.
The incident drew nationwide media attention and marked the first time a passenger was gunned down by undercover air marshals since marshals became a fixture aboard many U.S. flights in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
Passengers said they recalled Alpizar acting erratically earlier, during the boarding process for the Orlando-bound flight.
''He didn't look stable,'' said John McAlhany, a Sebastian construction worker in seat 24-C.
CHAOS ONBOARD
Alpizar dashed to the front of the plane, knocking down flight attendants and startling passengers ready for takeoff.
Passengers said Alpizar's companion returned to her seat to retrieve their luggage. But before she could return, Alpizar was already being confronted by two federal air marshals.
Alpizar, clutching his backpack, did the wrong thing. He ''uttered a sentence to the effect that he had a bomb'' in his backpack, said Jim Bauer, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Air Marshals service in Miami.
The marshals ordered him to the ground. But Alpizar didn't comply.
Alpizar reached into his bag instead. And in that split second, the armed marshals made their decision. They opened fire.
''The threat escalated,'' Bauer explained. ``He was in the vicinity of the front door when he was shot.''
According to Department of Homeland Security officials, there was no evidence the incident was related to terrorism.
''There's no reason to believe right now that there is any nexus to terrorism, or that indeed any other events are associated with this one,'' Bauer said.
Still, law enforcement officers checked other airports around the country and found no evidence of any other attacks being coordinated, Bauer said.
The shooting occurred within earshot of other horrified passengers, who reported hearing at least five shots fired. It was unclear if both air marshals -- who were not identified -- fired their weapons.
Alpizar, 44, a U.S. citizen from Maitland, originally from Costa Rica, died on the scene. He had arrived in Miami from Quito, Ecuador, earlier Wednesday and was headed back to Orlando.
FAMILY STUNNED
His family, in the United States and Costa Rica, were stunned at the news. Alpizar, who worked in the paint department of a home improvement store, had been flying through Miami after a working vacation in Peru, said his brother-in-law, Steven Buechner. He said Alpizar met his sister, Anne, when she was an exchange student in Costa Rica. They had been married about 22 years, relatives said.
''Our family is still in shock,'' said Kelley Buechner, Alpizar's sister-in-law, by telephone from Milwaukee.
His neighbors in suburban Orlando, where he lived on an oak-lined, middle-class street, told The Associated Press they had noticed nothing wrong.
''He was a nice guy, always smiling, always talkative,'' said Louis Gunther, 73, a neighbor who said he was watching Alpizar's home while he and his wife were on a church trip. ``Everybody is talking about a guy I know nothing about.''
After the shooting, law enforcement officers surrounded the plane. Inside, McAlhany said passengers were ordered to crouch under their seats. He said 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,'' McAlhany 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.''
The plane had arrived from Medellin, Colombia, and was headed to Orlando at 2:18 p.m. but the Orlando-bound leg, American Flight 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 on board were affected or were ever in any danger. This was an isolated incident,'' the airline said in a press release, adding that it would have no other comment.
American Airlines chief operating officer Gerard Arpey, who was at The Herald meeting executives when the shooting occurred, declined to comment.
CONCOURSE SHUT DOWN
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.
Bang!
He did two things wrong: he said he had a bomb, and then he reached inside the backback -- any reasonable person would conclude he was about to detonate the bomb he said he had. The Air Marshalls would have failed to do their duty at that point had they not shot him. This is a horrifying and tragic episode, but those responsible for the safety of passangers on board that plane did their job.
If the marshal didn't shoot, and the guy blew up the plane, who do you think the msm would be blaming today?
What do Pelosi, et al say..?
Some people just don't learn. I'd bet that other guy, McAlhany, is a democrat.
One less bi-polar we have to deal with.
What's with the cops doing this to the other passengers? Needs some explanation.
suicide by "cop"....had a fight with the wife while on the aircraft....
That is an uncalled for comment.
The TSA for not screening the package. The public wouldn't know there had been Marshals on the plane.
They did the right thing.
McAlhany was obviously speaking before learning many of the facts that we know, since he said "I hope he didn't holler anything stupid". If I hadn't known the guy had said he had a bomb, I'd also be wondering aloud whether it was really appropriate to shoot him. Without that info, he could easily have been a just a very nervous flier who panicked about the impending take-off and ran out of the plane, and then reached for ID when marshals chased him and yelled at him to get down.
Yep, the libs and 'RATS would argue that he should have been permitted to reach into his bag, and if he just happened to detonate a bomb, then that would have been conclusive evidence that he was not innocent. The fact that he might have taken a couple hundred others along with him is immaterial; he should have been given the benefit of the doubt.
I don't know.....it makes perfect sense to me since the 9/11 terrorists worked in teams of 4-5. I can't blame them one bit for taking complete control of everyone on the plane via psychological aggression. You must first assume that everyone is involved until you can begin some sort of vetting process.
Everybody is a potential threat. The assumption at the time was that the man had accomplices on board - it is the only safe assumption to make.
Even bi-polars need to obey the orders of LE, take their medication, or don't fly on airplanes.
During various events in DC like Bush Inauguration...this was what the military feared most. The CO of the DC Military District got a good nights sleep once this event was completed.
I feel sorry for the wife, family and friends of the guy who was killed.
But, having endured two co-workers that simply refused to treat their
manic-depression problem, all I can say is that having an untreated person
going nuts in an enclosed space is a recipe for disaster and tragedy.
The air marshall(s) did what had to be done. I hope they get counseling
and don't listen too much to the second-guessers on TV/radio.
If someone runs to the front of the plane erratically and refuses orders to get down and he reaches into his bag, I hope they do shoot him. I don't care if he doesn't "understand". He could kill everyone in that plane. Better to lose one than 80.
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