The Political Teen has just posted that a passenger on an American Airlines jet threatened to pull a bomb out on an airplane at Miami International Airport, but was shot before he could do so:
A team of air marshals then proceeded to surround the suspect. The suspect attempted to run away and was shot on the jet way. This was the first time an air marshal has discharged their weapon since 9/11.
Two positives to take from this incident:
- Someone — the FAA, President Bush, the Federal Air Marshals, or just the entire War on Terror — deserves many kudos that this is the first time that a Federal Air Marshal has had to shoot someone on a plane since the terror attacks on 9/11.
- I’m thankful that the Air Marshal was there, and that he had the training and resolve to shoot the could-have-been terrorist. Hopefully Al Jazeera will show this story, as a little reminder that the next time an Islamofascist terrorist pulls so much as a box cutter out on an airplane, he’ll be dead before the pilot even knows there was a problem.
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MORE — According to CNN, 44-year old Rigoberto Alpizar did not actually have the bomb he claimed to have.
I don’t care if he actually had the bomb or not. The man claimed to have a bomb, did not comply with Air Marshal orders to put down the bomb, and then reached into the bag he claimed held the bomb. He had to be shot. Although, I’m sure the ACLU will be holding a press conference shortly to announce that they represent the family of the dead man, and they intend to sue the Federal Air Marshals.
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UPDATE II — This story from the AP reports that the man’s wife claims that he was mentally ill (bi-polar) and had not taken his medication.
If this turns out to be true, then it is a tragedy. But it is still a necessary and justified shooting. I would rather the Air Marshals err in this instance than to have done nothing and be wrong.
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UPDATE III — of course, for the best continuing round up of reactions and developments in this story, check with Michelle Malkin.
Welcome PajamasMedia readers (likely via the Instapundit). While you’re here, take a look around. And if you’re so inclined — and feeling in the Christmas spirit — feel free to drop a vote for UrbanGrounds in the 2005 WebLog Awards.
“If this turns out to be true, then it is a tragedy.”
True, but not as much as you might think. Bipolar patients are some of the worst at medication compliance, and some of the worst to have to put up with. They are grandiose, manipulative, and many purposefully stop taking their medication when they sense a manic phase coming on–because they love the sense of limitless energy (that’s how they perceive their manic phases–while those around them experience them [in the patient] as periods of fitful or non-existent sleep; incoherently pressured speech; out of control sprees of every ilk; including sex, spending money, wild schemes of all sorts; in short, a living hell).
So, yes, it would be tragedy, but one that to some extent was almost certainly foreseeable and not completely devoid of the patient’s responsibility.
BTW, I’ve voted for you in the Weblog Awards–every chance I’ve had.
Sad story. I agree with you that, based on the facts presented thus far, it was almost certainly a justified shooting. Now, since you saw fit to mouth off about the ACLU, do you want to put some money where your mouth is? Do you really think the ACLU will sue on this? If so, let’s have a friendly bet on it.
If, on the other, hand, you were just smearing the ACLU without understanding what they stand for, then just dodge my offer of a bet.
Take your medication on time, all the time.
I blame Al . . . no . . . Jeff . . . Jeff Goldstein and his rabid armadillo. I suspect his monkey but it’s not Friday. Only almost Friday, so the monkey probably skates on this one.
The man’s “wife” should be held accountable, if indeed he was a non-medicated bi-polar and she was aware of it prior to his death inviting actions, for his (1.) not taking his meds and (2.) his subsequent terroristic threats which resulted in (1.) the death of her husband and (2.) the mental pain and suffering and loss of time on the job by the air marshall in the aftermath of the shooting.
Quick fact: if someone is bipolar and simply misses a dose or 2 of their meds, they’ll not go over the edge. It takes at the very least several days, perhaps a couple of weeks, of not taking the meds, for any full-blown manic or depressive phase to kick in. So, if the “wife” wants to claim it’s because he hadn’t taken his meds, then Esbiem has a point: hold her at least partially accountable for not seeing that the guy stay on his meds.
[...] Instapundit linked to this story at Pajamas Media, who in turn linked to this story at UrbanGrounds. [...]
I have a family member who suffers from this and have to agree completely with Jeff (she is an artist who feels she can only really paint off meds and her compliance is abyssmal). It takes more than just one missed dose for the patient to decline into a full manic phase. My family member has landed in the hospital several times in manic mode so I find it hard to understand why the wife was willing to travel with this guy (an additional stress) knowing he was off his meds.
My heart goes out to the air marshal who was forced to make such a difficult choice with little time and less information. I hope to God that common sense prevails and this man will be left alone. The armchair quarter backs who never have had to make instant life or death decisions have no idea what it takes. As an RN, I have been involved in medical emergencies where the wrong decision means a life lost and that is really nothing compared to what firemen, policemen and soldiers and all the others commissioned with our protection go through on a routine basis. The people we serve and protect sometimes forget the awesome responsibility we carry on our shoulders and I wish they would remember that we are human just like they are before whipping out their lawyer’s business card.
It was very sad, but today was a victory for the Bush Administration, the country, and the men and women of Law Enforcement. I feel much more secure today then I felt yesterday about getting on a plane.
BRSH – Victory for the Bush administration? Wow. It takes a rare sort to try to take a tragedy like this and spin it into political gain. If you have any shame, now would be the time to feel it.
I’m just glad an Air Marshall was on board. It’s unfortunate that a mentally ill man was killed, of course, but it was a very good indication of how we can now defend our planes better in case of future incidents.