Posted on 12/08/2005 3:15:49 PM PST by NormsRevenge
MIAMI - The White House said Thursday that two federal air marshals appeared to have acted properly when they shot and killed an agitated passenger who claimed to have a bomb in his backpack.
No bomb was found, and authorities later said Rigoberto Alpizar, the passenger killed Wednesday at the Miami airport, was not a terrorist. Witnesses said his wife had frantically tried to explain that he was mentally ill and had not taken his medication.
"I don't think anyone wants to see it come to a situation like this," White House spokesman Scott McClellan said. "But these marshals appear to have acted in a way that's consistent with the extensive training that they have received. And we'll see what the investigation shows, and lessons learned from that will be applied to future training and protocol."
Similarly, Dave Adams, a spokesman for the Federal Air Marshal Service, said the marshals followed proper procedures. "We only react when there is a threat to the aircraft, passengers or crew," he said.
Passengers on the Orlando-bound American Airlines flight said they saw a man bolt from his seat and run down the aisle with his arms flailing shortly after boarding, with his screaming wife and man in a Hawaiian shirt — an undercover air marshal — behind him.
He was gunned down moments later on a jetway after he apparently reached for his back, authorities said. Two air marshals were on the flight, and both fired at Alpizar, Adams said.
It was the first time since the Sept. 11 attacks that an air marshal shot at someone, Homeland Security Department spokesman Brian Doyle said.
Jeanne Jentsch, the sister of Alpizar's wife, read a short statement Thursday outside the couple's suburban Orlando home, calling him "a loving, gentle and caring husband, uncle, son and friend."
Relatives took no questions from reporters, and the statement did not address Alpizar's mental condition. On Wednesday, James E. Bauer, agent in charge of the air marshals' Miami field office, would not comment on Alpizar's mental state either.
But he said that before Alpizar ran off the plane, he "uttered threatening words that included a sentence to the effect that he had a bomb."
Witnesses said Alpizar's wife, Anne, tried to explain he was bipolar, a mental illness also known as manic-depression.
"She said it was her fault, that he was bipolar," said Mike Beshears, who was on the flight and works for a vacation club in Orlando. "He was sick and she had convinced him to get on the plane."
The Bush administration hired thousands of additional air marshals after the Sept. 11 attacks, when the nation had only 33. The exact number is classified. Marshals fly undercover, and which planes they are on is a closely guarded secret.
Adams, the air marshals spokesman, said the two marshals joined the force in 2002. One previously worked with the Border Patrol, the other as a Customs inspector. Both have been placed on paid administrative leave while the Miami-Dade Police Department investigates, Adams said.
Officials declined to say how many times Alpizar was shot, but passengers reported hearing four to six shots.
Alpizar, who worked in the paint department of a home supply store, was returning from a missionary trip, according to a neighbor who was watching his ranch-style house in Maitland. He had arrived in Miami on a flight from Ecuador earlier Wednesday.
The Alpizars had been married for about two decades and met when Anne was an exchange student in Costa Rica, family members said.
"This whole neighborhood is shocked," said Alex McLeod, 16, who lives three houses from the Alpizars. "Totally uncharacteristic of the guy."
Charles Baez, manager of the MAB Paints store in Orlando where Alpizar worked, described him as a health enthusiast who was always patient with customers.
"He was a quiet, reserved gentleman," Baez said. "It's very bizarre to me that he would do anything like that."
I suppose he could have taken one of those vomit bags and put it into his carry on bag before he exited the plane..I don't know so I don't want to debate it but I do know one thing for sure..next time I get sick on an airplane I'm going to play it safe and use the word puke..because I'm going to vomit sound too much like I'm going to bomb it
Good. It's like in German [schiessen - scheissen]. Proper pronunciation is a must.
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