Posted on 12/08/2005 12:21:37 PM PST by Rennes Templar
A passenger on Flight 924 gives his account of the shooting and says Rigoberto Alpizar never claimed to have a bomb
By SIOBHAN MORRISSEY/MIAMI
At least one passenger aboard American Airlines Flight 924 maintains the federal air marshals were a little too quick on the draw when they shot and killed Rigoberto Alpizar as he frantically attempted to run off the airplane shortly before take-off.
"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. "He was getting off the plane." McAlhany also maintains that Alpizar never mentioned having a bomb.
"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." Even the authorities didn't come out and say bomb, McAlhany says. "They asked, 'Did you hear anything about the b-word?'" he says. "That's what they called it."
When the incident began McAlhany was in seat 24C, in the middle of the plane. "[Alpizar] was in the back," McAlhany says, "a few seats from the back bathroom. He sat down." Then, McAlhany says, "I heard an argument with his wife. He was saying 'I have to get off the plane.' She said, 'Calm down.'"
Alpizar took off running down the aisle, with his wife close behind him. "She was running behind him saying, 'He's sick. He's sick. He's ill. He's got a disorder," McAlhany recalls. "I don't know if she said bipolar disorder [as one witness has alleged]. She was trying to explain to the marshals that he was ill. He just wanted to get off the plane."
McAlhany described Alpizar as carrying a big backpack and wearing a fanny pack in front. He says it would have been impossible for Alpizar to lie flat on the floor of the plane, as marshals ordered him to do, with the fanny pack on. "You can't get on the ground with a fanny pack," he says. "You have to move it to the side."
By the time Alpizar made it to the front of the airplane, the crew had ordered the rest of the passengers to get down between the seats. "I didn't see him get shot," he says. "They kept telling me to get down. I heard about five shots."
McAlhany says he tried to see what was happening just in case he needed to take evasive action. "I wanted to make sure if anything was coming toward me and they were killing passengers I would have a chance to break somebody's neck," he says. "I was looking through the seats because I wanted to see what was coming.
"I was on the phone with my brother. Somebody came down the aisle and put a shotgun to the back of my head and said put your hands on the seat in front of you. I got my cell phone karate chopped out of my hand. Then I realized it was an official."
In the ensuing events, many of the passengers began crying in fear, he recalls. "They were pointing the guns directly at us instead of pointing them to the ground," he says "One little girl was crying. There was a lady crying all the way to the hotel."
McAlhany said he saw Alpizar before the flight and is absolutely stunned by what unfolded on the airplane. He says he saw Alpizar eating a sandwich in the boarding area before getting on the plane. He looked normal at that time, McAlhany says. He thinks the whole thing was a mistake: "I don't believe he should be dead right now."
Then, McAlhany says, "I heard an argument with his wife. He was saying 'I have to get off the plane.' She said, 'Calm down.'"
His seat was in front of the wing; theirs was the last row next to the bathroom. He was no less than 40 feet away from them. How did he hear that, when nobody else did?
. "I wanted to make sure if anything was coming toward me and they were killing passengers I would have a chance to break somebody's neck," he says.
"They" who?
"B-word? Slick Willie was onboard?"
I was thinking "-itch."
I think so; I was fascinated by him becasue HE looked a little LOONY to me.
Yes, I do.
I can't believe this but must say I expected it. Had the guy blown up the plane and all the passengers or detonated a bomb anywhere in the terminal, we'd hear about what the Marshals' heard and when did they hear it. Most of all, it would have been Bush's fault!!
Some people deserve what they get. Unfortunately, responsible citizens would also be injured when silly idiots live out their fantasies.
"My name is Tom"?
A SHOTGUN on the plane? This guy is lying through his teeth. There was no shotgun on the plane.
You're thinking what I'm thinking.
Thinning the herd, nice shooting!!
Pray for W and Our Freedom Fighters
John Gibson was doing that yesterday. In particular, that the initial official version of facts (bulky coat, jumped turnstile) turned out to be incorrect. He opined that the initial official version of facts in this case would be found to be accurate.
i searched opensecrets.org to see if this guy gave any money to dem political organizations but didnt find anything giong back to 1998. something stinks about this "story", though...
A federal JBT screwing up? It would be a total shock I tell ya!
I think that's a damn lie.
Actually the guy was running to get off the plane. From ccn.com:
Dave Adams, a spokesman for the Federal Air Marshal Service, said Alpizar had run up and down the plane's aisle yelling, "I have a bomb in my bag." Adams said Alpizar then fled the aircraft and marshals confronted him on the boarding bridge.
http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/12/08/airplane.gunshot/index.html
That's because we're both smart..... ;)
susie
yeah right, he was running down the aisle shouting "I don't have a bomb, I don't have a bomb",,this witness says he never hear him say I have a bomb.
here we go with shudda wudda cudda stuff. Katie Couric this AM ask a FAM instructor if a warning shot could be fired, or maybe just to wound. Ok dimwit, well put this bomber on a plane next to you...he has a briefcase, and all he has to do is push this button...now you want us to fire a warning shot?...or do you want us to end the threat?
Doogle
For once we agree. Wait till you SEE him.
Never heard the word "bomb"?
Well, maybe he heard "improvised explosive device". That's what they're calling them nowadays.
I would get off the plane too if I had a BOMB.
Innocent bystander says 'Hey, look at me!'
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