FBI agent stops wrong car, shoots driver in face

Baltimore Sun ^ | March 2,2002 | Tom Pelton

[Donald Stone]

FBI agents searching for an armed bank robber pulled over the wrong car last night on Fort Smallwood Road in Pasadena and shot a man in the face who had no connection to the crime, authorities said.

The 27-year-old victim, whose name was not released, was flown by helicopter to Maryland Shock Trauma Center and is expected to live.

"Anytime anyone gets shot, whether it's the right or wrong person -- we are traumatized by it as well," said FBI spokesman Peter Gulotta. "This is not something that we like to see happen. The circumstances will be thoroughly investigated."

[Donald Stone]

I think overall the FBI in Maryland may be in deep trouble.

In the Spring of 2001 the DOJ had launched an investigation into the former U.S. Attorney for Maryland, Lynne Battaglia,(now a MD. Court of Appeals judge) her Chief of White Collar Crimes, Dale Kelberman and the Head of the Maryland State Police,David B. Mitchell for alleged corruption.

I haven't heard anything about the outcome of this DOJ investigation so it may be closed or still active.

If the U.S. Attorneys are corrupt,so are the FBI agents that worked under them, they go hand in hand.

[luvzhottea]

On April 22,1934 the FBI surrounded the Little Bohemia Lodge and opened fire after learning that the John Dillinger gang were inside. They killed and wounded the INNOCENT people who were in the car they fired at---the crooks escaped unharmed out the back.
2nd Amendment Rights:
Attacks on American Muslims Reaffirm Wisdom of 2nd Amendment
Gun Owners of America
Women Against Gun Control
The Firearms Coalition NEAL KNOX

[pocat]

Excellent stat! I'll have to lock that one into my "memory bank" and unload it next time someone tells me he or she is "uncomfortable" with concealed carry.

[Lurker]

"Unintended Consequences"

L

[spooner]

We're losing this republic? Where the hell have you been living for the past 20 years? Time to roll? Oooh, you're a real bad ass, huh. You're too funny for words. We no longer have any leaders, just dictators. This country is lost to the people. But hey, what the hell, have a good time on FR shooting your mouth off while you still can. That right will be a thing of the past in the very near future, also. Do you really want to do something constructive? Do you really? Start a militia group and get into hard training. It's long over due that the American conservative people prepared themselves for this eventually. Damn long over due. Don't you think so? Ah well, that's my rant for the week. If I'm not banned by then, see you next week. FREEDOM!!!

[willyone]

well good. Hope you get to experience the same thing some day. Probably never notice the difference.

[Consort]

An eight-year Democrat administration has plenty of time to corrupt any number of government agencies and institutions. The Clinton Administration excelled at this.

[tracer]

The Secret Service protects the President, not the FBI. If you are using the recent (isolated) incident involving an "Arab-American" USSS agent and American Airlines, you may wish to consider that this and other recent and difficult-to-believe stories are part of a big smoke screen created to make the flying sheeple feel more secure.

I'm sure, though, that the tangos are not fooled by the spectacle of dedicated and patriotic National Guardsmen trying to provide security at the nation's airports with inadequate training and supervision and inappropriate (not to mention unloaded)weapons...

[PatrioticAmerican]

Sounds more like a fed hit than an accident or need. "...walked up and fired...". There must be far more to this story.

[PatrioticAmerican]

The Incompetents seem to be resuming their killing spree.

[PatrioticAmerican]

I hope a reporter gets the ifo on the ictim. Is there a relationship with The Incompetents?

[OldFriend]

Secret Service Agents involved with underage girls in Utah, Secret Service Agents 'forgetting' the protection itinerary for the Vice President at the Olympics. Just to name a few that come immediately to mind.

If I am not mistaken, the Secret Service, and the FBI are under the Justice Department which is rife with incompetence, among other things.

[CommiesOut]

"Hope you get to experience the same thing some day."

Hope was a mother of dr. Rabindranath Dumbhazs.
Hope was also a certain hospital ship that was scrapped years ago.

[Robert_Paulson2]

bingo. I am boiling.

[tracer]

Doh!! You're right about the inexcusable conduct attributed to the USSS during the Olympics.

FWIW, the FBI is under the DOJ and the USSS is under Treasury. Although I appreciate your injecting some reality into my mind, say it ain't so, OldFriend!!

[harpseal]

Okay we have an FBI agent carrying an M4 at almost contact range. He nails the suspect that misses the brain but goes through the face. Since the subject shot is still consuming oxygen and not DOA we may presume that if the shot was intentional said FBI agent can not hit a target with a rifle at under five feet. So either said agent is a dinger to everyone with his toy or just too stupid to keep his finger off the trigger until rady to shoot. In either case said agent should not be in a situation where he/she is potentially confronting an innocent person with a rifle in said idiot agents hand.

Some additional questions come up like why didn't the FBI agents call in sufficient additional state and local back up to have an overwhelming police presence confronting an armed and dangerous bank robbery suspect that they supposedly thought this innocent person was? I notice no explanation of how the confusion as to identity occurred. Last I heard the FBI had the ability to run a liscense number and if said vehicle was not registered to the party they were looking for they should have at minimum approached with the view that it might not have been their suspect. Since based upon the information presented there was a single discharge the agent in question had the select fire switch set to semi-auto I am questioning why there were not rounds discharged by other agents upon hearing the first shot? Everybody else had fire discipline while Bozo lets one round fly yet Bozo had enough sense to set M4 to semi auto and only squeeze off one round that does not make innocent subjects head explode like a watermellon with an M80 inside?

If some research turns up that this individual might have been a witness to something else involving a politician and or an FBI agent then I would think this may have been a warning to the injured individual. I know never infer nefarious motives when mere stupidity will explain the action but as I enter my dotage I am becoming highly suspicious of the absolute incompetence seemngly on parade by our lead Federal law enforcement agency.

I note that a family member associated with the injured party could also have been target of any warning.

Maybe I am way too suspicous but I can not help questioning.

Stay well - Stay saf e- Stay armed - Yorktown

[harpseal]

As I have reread this thread, they stopped a car based upon a description. Where is the license plate check? A description of a person unless they have tentacles for arms and two heads can probably fit hundreds or thousands of people in the Anapolis area. The agent had time to walk up to the car with a rifle. There are no statements that the injured individual fired on the agents or attempted to run down this or any other agent. This is getting worse and worse smelling as I read it.

Stay well - Stay safe - Stay armed - Yorktown

[MadRobotArtist]

You are absolutely on the money. There should have been several ways to determine if this person was the guy they were looking for. Now why would an agent go up to a car and shoot? I guess I'd have to have that one explained. Did the driver look guilty, did the driver do anything out of the ordinary? Were his windows tinted too dark? What happened here? There's not enough information at this point to even make an educated decision. However.... This guy who got shot in the face, is going to live with the scars, the pain, and luckily a big fat settlement out of these jokers.

I'd like to be kept apprised of this. Keep me posted if any new developments arise.

[_Jim]

... everybody has jumped to conclusions based on no evidence.

The only thing we know is that a mistake was made.

We dont know if the driver took action prior to being shot.

A lack of evidenece, facts or a complete story doesn't matter - some of these folks here simply have an agenda and all they need to further that agenda is a story like this -

- the more devoid of facts the better ...