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."
"These people are going to come out of the woodwork now."
Probably the same knuckleheads who never hear the announcement to fold-up the lunch trays and return their seats to the upright position...
Devastatingly sad.
He shouldn't. No terrorist would run down the aisle of a plane saying they have a bomb, wife chasing him. They would calmly wait for the plane to take off and BOOM. The whole thing seems like it spiraled out of control. I feel terrible for the marshall who fired the fatal shots. He was doing as he was trained. But they were never trained for a mistake such as this. Terrible tragedy.
Nice fantasy. But a briefcase such as that would not be able to get through security. No one gives any thought to how he would have been able to so brazenly get a bomb on board in the first place, let alone be stupid enough to run down the aisle yelling "bomb" with his wife chasing him.
..I was giving the scenario Katie Couric presented about firing a warning shot....not actual....never mind
Doogle
Bamba means: shake, sway, swing.
Probably not, but a psycho (with a bomb) might. Trained terrorists are not our only worry.
susie
So, a bamba bomba would be a shaking, swinging bomb? Ok, I got it! (My Spanish is so bad!)
susie
Interesting that you say something inflammatory (march in lockstep--indicating an unwillingness to think for oneself) and then infer that if someone takes offense they are attacking you? Interesting tactic.
susie
oh please...."Tactic" gimmie a break...was I talking to you?
ummm-I believe I indicated "some" people...the whole shoe fits thing seems to work here...
I think when you post to a public bb you are talking to us all. Why would you post it in such inflammatory terms? And then suggest you will get attacked? Was that what you were hoping for?
susie
AS of this morning, I've only heard of two. And oddly enough the news net (CNN, IIRC) didn't bother to mention where these two people were seated. Gee, wonder why?
This guy was in 21C, I saw an interview yesterday in which a woman said that most passengers in 1st Class heard him say bomb as he left the plane. 21C would NOT hear that............
"I think when you post to a public bb you are talking to us all. Why would you post it in such inflammatory terms? And then suggest you will get attacked? Was that what you were hoping for? "
susie
I was not hoping to be attacked...I just thought my comment might have caused a stir...listen, I believe the correct thing was done...I was just a bit uncomfortable with SOME comments. You took offense much too quickly and personally. I included the "attack" comment for this very reason. I knew a few would get defensive.
The guy who said he did not hear bomb is of course sketchy...
You are so funny! What I said was an attack? Get real.
susie
The marshal's assumption is that a bomb got past security. "How" doesn't matter at that instant, only that it is possible.
The official version is that the marshal thought the guy had a bomb, based on overt expression by the guy, the backpack, holding the backpack near his belly, and failure to obey commands.
Don't feel like getting into this all day... You win-I'm going to go get real and perhaps put my penchant for humor to good use! ;>)
I would think we could cover more plans if each had one armed marshall, not two?
The FAMS never fly alone. Imagine how long it would take to get backup.
Hopefully, now that Quinn (Former Secret Service Deadwood) is on his way out, the FAMS can go back to being indiscreet, if not undercover (like their earlier days).
I'm pretty sure that if my mission is to protect the airplane and I don't know who is a terrorist and who's not, I'll be keeping my eyes (and weapon) on the people on the plane.
The FAMs don't have the same use of force matrix that other LEOs use. They are authorized to go "lethal" a whole lot sooner.
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