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."
Yep. But wow, my NBC station was just going over what democrats (with a picture of JFK) want for Iraq, and closed with
"It leaves democrats wanting the same thing Bush wants."
I just picked myself up off the floor. I've been hounding that point, myself.
I'd like to see an 8" OAL shotgun chambered with five 3" rounds. I'll still stick with a semi with 10 rounds in the magazine.
....he will be Allen Commes(sp) Lap Dog of the Week!
You mean that song was about a bomb???
susie
Oh please, talk about hysterics, LOL...you make us all sound like a bunch of nutcases, we are not delusional, only those that have a severe manic episode go into psychosis, which is rare. Believe me, I know first hand...I was diagnosed as being schizophrenic as a child, but the diagnosis was a few years later changed to bipolar. I've lived with it all my life and never had a psychotic episode, I have had a very successful high-profile 20 year career and no one even realizes I have a problem. On the other hand, my daughter is also bipolar and has had bouts of severe mania that required hospitalization. A large number of bipolar people don't even realize they have a problem or that they have a family history of bipolar illness, we traced it back as far as my great grandmother. I understand that most lay people do not understand the condition, but watch the wide brush, will ya? The voices in my head might decide they don't like you, ROTFLMAO!
Isn't it handy for the public how "cooperate with the air-marshalls" is so similar to "cooperate with the hijackers"?
Yeah, I'm not that funny off the cuff either. That's why I don't get paid the big bux I guess! ;)
I had no idea Brian was ever on the radio. Goodness that must be painful to listen to! :D
susie
I just don't understand how you know that.
susie
If my husband got up and tried to run off of an airplane, but had not said anything threatening, I doubt I would be telling people he was sick. I would just follow after him and try to stop him. Why would I feel I needed to explain hiim to anyone?
susie
If you actually think that, then you aren't too bright.
susie
LOL you put a picture in my head of the guy on True Lies who was trying to put the moves on Jaimie Lee Curtis, pretending ot be a spy!!
susie
Your post was interesting. I have been wondering if they had redefined schizophrenia.
susie
The people who are claiming no one else concurs with the air marshalls are the ones who are reading CNN. Coincidence?
Yeah, a construction worker. But FReepers would believe a similiariy aged journalist who thought she might make a few bucks out of casting doubt on the Air Marshals.
From the story she had already had some kind of visible altercation with Alpizar before he got up; and was visibly agitated. If your husband was sick you might get up and make a public explanation just to avoid what happened here--and how would you feel if after your husband had left the plane, after you had attempted to explain, and apparently without making any "bomb" threats; he was shot down anyway?
But then they wouldn't be able to back up each others version of events.
Gee, what are the odds???
That Time was able to find someone out of an entire planeload of passengers who DIDN'T hear the "b-word."
Just how stupid does Time think its readers are.
sr
The story on the FoxNews website says nothing about the passengers hearing him say that the had a bomb. CNN reports that no passengers have reported that they heard the man say that he had a bomb.
What may be confusing is that the passengers are likely presenting second hand information. There is a big difference between "I heard he had a bomb" and "I personally heard him say that he had a bomb".
FLASH: DEC. 7, 1941 Pearl Harbor
One Eyewitness to the sinking of USS Arizona, thinks Navy may be overeating. He tells Time magazine that he never saw any Japanese planes.
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