FBI identifies agent in shooting (of innocent man in Maryland)

Baltimore Sun ^ | March 9, 2002 | Gail Gibson, Michael James and Laura Barnhardt

[DE50AE]

The FBI disclosed yesterday the identity of the agent who mistakenly shot an unarmed Pasadena man last week, describing the agent as a former U.S. Marine Corps captain and decorated Persian Gulf war veteran who has worked for the past four years on a highly trained FBI SWAT team.

Special Agent Christopher Braga, 35, joined the bureau five years ago, after seven years with the Marines. In the military, he was a firearms instructor and was a rifle platoon commander during Operation Desert Storm in the early 1990s.

[DE50AE]

The media is starting to condition the sheeple so that when no action is taken, it's OK because he's no longer a "faceless agent."

"We're confident when all the facts come out that [they'll show] he acted in accordance with training and FBI policy regarding the use of force," said White, who declined to elaborate on the case.

...which will prove that their incompetent training and their "can do no wrong" policy is EXACTLY the center of the problem. I'm still waiting for the FBI to explain why their agents have not been trained on how to perform a "felony stop".

[FreePaul]

"faceless agent."

Really strange term to use in this shooting. Seems that the victim is the faceless one.

[cascademountaineer]

We're confident when all the facts come out that [they'll show] he acted in accordance with training and FBI policy regarding the use of force...

On the contrary the evidence suggets that this officer didnt even follow the depts. own policy on felony stops.

This is "cover yer butt"-itis by these people.

This person should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law for what he's done to this kid and his family.

[TC Rider]

For what it's worth, Braga was the agent that handled the runaway school bus driver in January.

CNN Story: School Bus Driver Says He Was 'Set up'

[uncbob]

worked for the past four years on a highly trained FBI SWAT team.

What the hell must the UNHIGHLY trained agents be like. BTW Horiuchi was a Marine also

[putupon]

"He feels terrible for Mr. Schultz and his family,"

poor boy

Hunt also described Braga as a husband and father of three young children, ages 4, 3 and 8 months

don't crucify this man loving husband and father, think of the children!

[steve50]

I guess "felonystop" could be newspeak for blowing a suspects head off.

[Copernicus]

Once again we see a fundamental difference between military operations (to destroy and incapacitate a target) and civilian police operations (to apprehend suspects for arraignment by the proper judicial authorities)

In the early days of the FBI J Edgar wouldn't even pursue bank robbers until they crossed state lines.

Best regards,

[Double Tap]

"We're confident when all the facts come out that [they'll show] he acted in accordance with training and FBI policy regarding the use of force," said White, who declined to elaborate on the case.

Well, now we know, it's FBI policy to shoot anyone that complies with their demands immediately and without hesitation.

[ladyrustic]

My son is 13 now: Is this the sort of crap I'll have to start worrying about in a couple of years? That some ba*tard cop is going to shoot him for no reason? I relly hate cops now, (and I've never had any trouble with the law at all) but it seems their arrogance and disregard for life is growing. All they worry about is protecting their own precious selves, all too often at the expense of the innocent public. They're like a clan unto themselves, always protecting one another no matter what-- it's disgusting.

Remember that poor man in New York, who punched a policeman in a brawl or something, so the policeman arrested him, brought him back to the station and shoved a broken broomstick up the guy's a**, causing such severe internal injuries that the man almost died? What is this sh*t??? Is this America or the Soviet Union?

[Red Dawn]

I was thinking the same thing... Hell, all the Feds have to do is watch COPS and they could learn how to do a felony stop. This sounds like a guy on the edge. He should be prosecuted. If he were a regular LEO, he would have been.

[sport]

That is BS, pure and simple. Donald Hamilton who wrote the Matt Helm series of novels had Helm saying in each assignment that in the hand of a professional, guns do not go of unless the pro wants them to.

According to this man's biography, he should have had plenty of training in the use of firearms .

That still doesn't address the agent's conduct after the shooting, if you believe the account given by the girl and her father, which I do.

The fbi learned well and has adopted the taticts of the clinton regime [to wit] Lie, when the lie is found out, lie again and again.

What will become of this inquiry? Absolutely nothing as far as the aget being held accountable for the laws he violated.

As far as the agent goes, he will be promoted and given a hero's medal as was the case of the ins agents that participated in the kidnapping of Elien Gonzalez at Miami.

[rdww]

Hey, this guy is a decorated vet, a family man, and he FEELS SORRY... so all you commie homos whining about this just SHUT UP.;)

[SarahW]

Again with the "red sedan". The real robber was never in a red car, it was orange.

[Revelation 911]

This person should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law for what he's done to this kid and his family

yeah but gee - now I feel sympathy for the trigger happy perp 'cause

Braga as a husband and father of three young children, ages 4, 3 and 8 months, saying she did not want him to be perceived publicly as a "faceless agent."

major sarcasm

[Hoosier Patriot]

Braga "was faced with a difficult and dangerous situation involving the apprehension of an individual known to present a deadly threat to law enforcement officers."

Except for the fact that they were apprehending the wrong person. So this statement is a lie. The assumption was made that this was an individual known to present a deadly threat to law enforcement officers.

If this was the "uber bad guy" they "knew" he was, why no felony stop?

[zog]

--judge,jury and executioner. He shot when no firearm was present. I've been through several laser simulations on shoot/don't shoot LEO scenarios at F.A.T.S. outside of atlanta, this is one of the machines and techniques that they train on. In no scenario did I see a justified shooting without a firearm being present on the other side. Thgey run the same scenarios at you in pairs, one with a firearm present, the other without, and on purpose I might add. And even then there were still differences in immediate shoot / don't shoot. Yes, you have to be pretty darn quick in a lot of the theoreticals, but you don't shoot without knowing the other guy has a weapon and there's an actual and not perceived threat. It's an occupational risk that police are supposed to accept, they aren't supposed to shoot on a miss cleo suspicion as they do in the military when in a 'war" situation. The police are not supposed to be "at war" with people in general, although their job entails combat on occassion, the rules are still slightly different. And that difference is extremely important for the maintainance of real 'law-n-order" as police are by job description given a higher level of authority than in other jobs. They have to be fast, be able to think and make decisons based on civilian law principles, not on strictly martial principles. It's not suposed to be 100% fool proof or 'easy" or 'safe", either. If you want one of those types of jobs they are available in abundance outside the military or law enforcement employment fields.

Generally speaking, It would be 'easier" if torture of suspects, planting of evidence, and summary execution was the norm, but last I knew, this is supposed to be a different arrangement in this country than from foreign tyrannical despotisms.

Two different critters there.

Just because they say he's a highly qualified and etc shooter, means exactly that, he's qualified primarily as a combat shooter from his previous military background to kill people efficiently, not to be a law enforcement officer. The one is previous and dominant and quite evident in the outcome in this situation if the data is correct so far. I will add that for what I wrote, only going on a few articles so far, but have to temper my opinion partially based on verifiable past track records as well, what the cops call 'a rap sheet". It works both ways, everyone and every organization has a past history that can be called a 'rap sheet", or an MO, cops included.

This emphasizing a military response in all cases as a default position to take is what's at fault more than anything else, and they are doing this on purpose under orders with the federal LEO management, and the same phenomenon is increasingly the norm in the lesser states and local LEO communities as well.

And what about whooping it up over their trophy kill while this kid was laying there bleeding, and not calling the paramedics for such a long time? Where's their justification for that, were they still under a 'threat' from the teenage girl and shot kid after they were cuffed and on the ground?

Extrapolate at your leisure. Look back twenty years, look forward twenty years.

[Whilom]

Sounds to me like a guy wound up as tightly as the spring on a ten-day clock -- a danger to himself, other agents, and (as clearly demonstrated) any passerby that he happens to target. This sort of person may be very useful if the FBI were flawless in its investigation techniques; unfortunately, more and more often recent history has shown it isn't. The failure of the Clinton and Bush administrations to deal with the central problem -- the decline of the FBI's personnel and leadership -- will cost us all dearly.