Eyewitness: "I Never Heard the Word 'Bomb'"

TIME.com ^ | Dec. 8, 2005 | Siobhan Morrissey

[Rennes Templar]

"McAlhany said he saw Alpizar before the flight and is absolutely stunned by what unfolded on the airplane."

It is stunning to see agents in action trying to save the lives of all on the plane.

[cripplecreek]

These people are going to come out of the woodwork now.

[AppyPappy]

The guy is running for the cockpit with a backpack, yelling. Bad sign.

[Pondman88]

I have mixed opinions on this....

Allthough the term "target practice" leaps to mind and doesn't really bother me.

[jdm]

"They asked, 'Did you hear anything about the b-word?'" he says. "That's what they called it."

B-word? Slick Willie was onboard?

[Howlin]

I saw this guy on Fox today.

He's enjoying himself entirely TOO much, if you get my drift.

[GeorgiaDawg32]

betcha the lawyers are lined up right now watering at the mouth to sue on this one..

[elc]

And so it begins. Next up, comparisons to the shooting of Menendez, by London police, on the Underground after the 7/21 attempted bombings.

[West Coast Conservative]

This is just one witness. I'll wait for further corroboration before reaching the conclusion that the marshals were wrong to shoot the guy.

[dennis1x]

shoot first, ask questions later.

god bless america.

[CharlesWayneCT]

I bet the 9/11 hijackers looked perfectly normal that fateful morning as well.

He was on a cell phone during a bomb incident, and he is upset they knocked his phone away from him? Doesn't he know that terrorists use cell phones to remotely detonate bombs?

[d-back]

"I'm from the Government, and I'm here to help."

One hallmark of a conservative's perspective is a heightened skepticism of governmental justifications for killing an unarmed man.

I'm waiting to see how this pans out.

[jdm]

"McAlhany described Alpizar as carrying a big backpack and wearing a fanny pack in front."

Fanny pack? The lib's are going to say he was shot because somewhere between Columbia and Florida he had a homosexual transformation, which was cut short by an evil sky marshal.

[conservatrice]

"I don't think they needed to use deadly force with the guy," says John McAlhany, a 44-year-old construction worker from Sebastian, Fla.

Gee, I didn't know that construction workers were as highly trained as air marshalls.

"I never heard the word 'bomb' on the plane," McAlhany told TIME in a telephone interview. "I never heard the word bomb until the FBI asked me did you hear the word bomb. That is ridiculous."

You mean to say that you never heard the word "bomb" while you were busy talking on your cell phone with your brother? What a shock!

[TexasCajun]

I was wondering how many witnesses, not agents, heard the man screaming 'bomb'.

You think this guy you saw was just seeking his 15 mins?

[Rakkasan1]

maybe he said I have a bum. (as in urban camping person)

[Brilliant]

The worst that can be said is that there is now one fewer crazy men.

[brytlea]

Well, but he was ready to break someone's neck if need be!
I didn't see him, but I have a picture in my head of a a guy whose never been anyone, and now, suddenly he can be a hero without really doing anything!
susie

[Sthitch]

I am sure that most of the passengers did not hear the word 'bomb'. But then again, I doubt that the passengers were with him the entire time. I know one thing for certain, I would not want worthless pieces of horse guano like Mr. McAlhany protecting me.

[cripplecreek]

Was he the guy who thinks the flight crew should be the ones to deal with potential terrorists?