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Home Front: WoT
Passenger who made bomb threat shot by feds at Miami International
2005-12-07
MIAMI - A passenger who made a threat was shot on a jetway leading to an American Airlines plane that had arrived from Colombia during a struggle with a federal air marshal at Miami International Airport, officials said. Homeland Security Department spokesman Brian Doyle said after the plane had parked at the gate, a passenger indicated there was a bomb in the passenger's carryon bag.
Fox sez this is when he tried to push his way onto the plane
The passenger was confronted by air marshals but ran off the plane. A team of air marshals pursued and ordered the passenger to get on the ground. The passenger complied, then was shot when apparently reaching into a bag, Doyle said.
That'll do it, unconfirmed reports say he's a deader
The plane had just arrived from Colombia and was headed on to Orlando.

It was unclear whether the shot was fired during the course of a struggle between the marshal and the passenger or whether the marshal had fired the weapon to stop the passenger, said the officials who would not allow a name to be used because the investigation in ongoing.
Fox reporting sources say he had gotten down on ground as cops told him, then was shot reaching into bag, sounds like a good shooting
Television showed police SWAT officers surrounding the plane.

Airport and Miami-Dade County police officials said they had no immediate comment. Airline officials did not immediately return calls seeking comment. According to American Airlines' Web site, Flight 924 arrived from Medellin at 12:16 p.m. It was supposed to depart for Orlando at 2:18 p.m. The site says the flight status is delayed.
Posted by:Steve

#35  and fair enough, Rafael
Posted by: Frank G   2005-12-07 22:43  

#34  acknowledged
Posted by: Frank G   2005-12-07 22:27  

#33  With all due respect, Frank, unless you live with a mentally ill or disabled person, you can only grasp about 1/1000th of what it's really like.

There's nothing to cheer about here. It's a tough and regrettable situation. The air marshall is certainly not to blame (but depending on what transpired in the plane, the airline may be).
Posted by: Rafael   2005-12-07 22:18  

#32  Zenster: Just like the blood of so many other innocent people who die each day from starvation, AIDS, the wake of natural disasters and a host of other preventable deprivations, all because this world has been forced to divert insane amounts of money into countering the threat posed by an insignificant minority of religious maniacs. Money that would be so much better spent on solving global issues than pouring it down the rathole of security measures.

Not only the re-prioritizing of resources b/c of terrorism, but I'd go further and say that Islam is the cause of many of the things you describe above, or at least do nothing to prevent/fix it. For example, see the (untalked about) horror going on in Darfur (supposedly Muslim on Muslim, but it's actually Arab on African-native in my mind). Then you have the yahoo mullahs in some African nations telling their believers not to take American vaccines, because they'll cause male infertility (and, thus, they don't take it and die of something completely avoidable, like polio or malaria or some crap like that). Then you have the completely closed societies where it's o.k. to beat your wife, keep her shackled at home and refuse to allow her to drive. There are few remaining countries left that do this due to political beliefs/systems, but there are many that do it based upon religion, and they're all Muslim. I truly believe that if we were to actually get average Joes in these countries to see what the 21st century really looks like outside the mid-east, a lot will change from within. Many of these countries are stuck in the 7th-8th century and it's all because of their belief system and it's implementation.
Posted by: BA   2005-12-07 22:02  

#31  Oh, I understand, but the responsibility for the non-taking of Meds, sadly , lies upon the Bipolar person and, to some extent, relations/family.
What are the rights of the remaining passengers not to be threatened or die had it been a real bomb? What about the air marshals who have this death on their minds, for the rest of their lives? If you can't control or convince a bipolar to take the meds which allow them to function - especially on commercial flights!, then be prepared to say: "I'm sorry, shit happens, this couldn't have ended any worse than it did", and rather than SUE (as we can see coming....) - apologize to everyone else for the disruption to their lives? I doubt most want the apology, but wouldn't it be refreshing? If there were easy answers, this wouldn't be a problem, but before you cast stones, there's lot of greenhouses available
Posted by: Frank G   2005-12-07 21:49  

#30  If a bi-polar it part of your life, it's a 24/7 struggle to one extent or another.

But you wouldn't expect some people here to understand.
Posted by: Rafael   2005-12-07 21:37  

#29  bipolar is tough on patients, families and friends. 24/7 is right. good news is that we do have meds that help many people. bad news is the sometime sideffects and when people stop taking them or start screwing with the dosages on their own and don't tell the doc or family.

been through a couple breaks in a loved one who did that until she finally decided she really needed the meds, if only to stay out of the hospital. long haul, even then, longer if that decision hasn't been reached yet.
Posted by: anon   2005-12-07 21:17  

#28  This man's blood, like the blood of so many others, is on the hands of muslims.

Just like the blood of so many other innocent people who die each day from starvation, AIDS, the wake of natural disasters and a host of other preventable deprivations, all because this world has been forced to divert insane amounts of money into countering the threat posed by an insignificant minority of religious maniacs. Money that would be so much better spent on solving global issues than pouring it down the rathole of security measures.

In any given 24 hours another terrorist driven 9-11 claims 3,000 more lives. The only difference is that they are spread out a little more than on that fateful day. All at the behest of Islamists who refuse to coexist in peace with their fellow man. Kill all of these jihadist sh!ts now.
Posted by: Zenster   2005-12-07 20:39  

#27  Ditto on that Mike.

In sickness and in health. . . :/
Posted by: Doc8404   2005-12-07 20:38  

#26  ...I'm of mixed emotions on this one. My Lady is a bi-polar, and when she misses her meds (and on occasion flat out has not taken them) it's tough on her and me. I support the AMs 1000% on this - but I also feel for the man's wife right now. If a bi-polar it part of your life, it's a 24/7 struggle to one extent or another.

Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski   2005-12-07 20:31  

#25  "caution: dickhead maneuvers, whether purposeful or not - will get you killed - we aren't f*&king around"
Posted by: Frank G   2005-12-07 20:09  

#24  #4: Hope it's a clean one. But 3 getz 'ya 5 a London boy replay. Illegal and maybe wanted for other stuff. Still good tho.
Posted by: Shipman|| 2005-12-07 15:51
___________________

Yep Shipman, that's where I'm putting my bettin' money.

Look, next time ya board a plane, bring your freaking meds, take your friggin' meds, and by all means, DON"T DRINK! We've had a number of close calls in which some idiot decides to blow an emotional gasket and starts punching out flight attendants and such.

I'm hoping accounts of bag, screams of "I've got a bomb!" and such are true because if not, oh boy, what a mess ala London's Scotland Yard and the Boy from Brazil that they nailed *ahem* with just a tad bit overkill.
Posted by: The Happy Fliegerabwehrkanonen   2005-12-07 19:39  

#23  Well, the Democrat congresscritter that was on MSNBC is now using this incident to complain about how cargo's not being searched.

Posted by: Desert Blondie   2005-12-07 19:20  

#22  Coming in from Medellin?

I was gonna guess he was halfway to his Tony Montana imitation at the end of Scarface.
Posted by: Raj   2005-12-07 17:53  

#21  The wife should have made sure he was taking his meds. One small quibble Sarge.

That may be impossible. Sad to say I have extensive experience with folks with mental ailments. You can't sit on top of them stuffing their meds down their throats - I've tried. I'm big, strong, mean and know all the tricks - sometimes it just can't be done. They bite or will spit it out until the gel coatings dissolve etc.

Maybe the only thing she could have done is wrestle him to the ground and holler for help. Not very PC but it works.

If true about his ailments it's a sad situation but the marshal did the right thing.

Dr. Jeckle and Mr. Hyde is not just fiction.
Posted by: Doc8404   2005-12-07 17:45  

#20  University of Miami football player?
Posted by: DragonFly   2005-12-07 17:38  

#19  Sorry, I can't even consider this one suicide by cop. This man's blood, like the blood of so many others, is on the hands of muslims. Were it not for them, it would be unthinkable in this world that somebody would willfully destroy himself and a plane full of innocent victims. Think of every security measure introduced over the last thirty years, every inconvenience, every indignity at the hands of airline personnel. It's all because of muslims.
Posted by: BH   2005-12-07 17:38  

#18  Coming in from Medellin? Could be an interesting autopsy. Look for broken balloons in the abdominal area, okay, Quince?
Posted by: tu3031   2005-12-07 17:23  

#17  I could've sworn he took the pills...
Posted by: Potentially Rich Widow   2005-12-07 17:09  

#16  I feel sorry for the air marshal who i just at the beginning of his troubles!
Posted by: SwissTex   2005-12-07 17:07  

#15  Sorry but you don't get to screw around on airplanes anymore. Suicide by cop.

Feel sorry for the guys that took him out. This very hard to handle if you are the shooter. Even if it's a good shooting it gets to you.
Posted by: Mahou Sensei Negi-bozu   2005-12-07 17:05  

#14  What's the under/over on the time it'll take to blame Bush?
Posted by: regular joe   2005-12-07 17:02  

#13  44 year old US citizen says FOXNEWS
Posted by: 3dc   2005-12-07 16:43  

#12  Agreed, Sarge. The stress of flying (and other stresses) can trigger psychotic episodes for some bipolars *especially* if they aren't on their meds at the time. I wonder if this guy worried about bombs going off on his plane, didn't take his meds, as a result obsessed even more about it => delusions => panic and internal confusion => more panic => jumping up and running away while shouting out his inner dialogue (i.e. fantasizing what a bombing attack would be like, being confused about that and external reality) .....

How deeply sad.
Posted by: too true   2005-12-07 16:25  

#11  "A woman, apparently the man's wife, said he suffered from bipolar disorder and had not taken his medication, Gardner said." While I have sympathy for the guy I can't see what the Air Marshalls were supposed to do? The wife should have made sure he was taking his meds.
Posted by: Cyber Sarge   2005-12-07 16:20  

#10  Natural selection, any way you look at it.
Posted by: Chuck Darwin   2005-12-07 16:16  

#9  Whether this was some criminal nutcase or some fool who didn't take his meds, it's heartening to know that *some* effective security measures are working since 9/11.
Posted by: Dar   2005-12-07 16:15  

#8  A woman, apparently the man's wife, said he suffered from bipolar disorder and had not taken his medication, Gardner said.

Well I guess he won't be making that mistake again now, will he?
Posted by: tu3031   2005-12-07 16:09  

#7  What a mess... The markets dived when news first emerged of this incident. They've recovered some, but it certainly triggered some selling by nervous traders.
Posted by: Zhang Fei   2005-12-07 16:04  

#6  Oops. Call to stop the Air Marshall program in 5, 4, 3, ... Lawsuit in 10, 9, 8,...
Posted by: Rafael   2005-12-07 16:00  

#5  Guess he won't be making any more bomb threats. Whudda yutz.
Posted by: Zenster   2005-12-07 15:57  

#4  Hope it's a clean one. But 3 getz 'ya 5 a London boy replay. Illegal and maybe wanted for other stuff. Still good tho.
Posted by: Shipman   2005-12-07 15:51  

#3  MIAMI --A passenger who claimed to have a bomb in a carry-on bag was shot by a federal air marshal Wednesday on a jetway connected to an American Airlines plane that had arrived from Colombia, officials said.

The passenger's condition was not immediately disclosed. A witness said the man frantically ran down the aisle and a woman with him said he was mentally ill.

Homeland Security Department spokesman Brian Doyle said after the plane had parked at the gate, a passenger indicated there was a bomb in the bag. The passenger was confronted by air marshals but ran off the plane, Doyle said.

A team of air marshals pursued and ordered the passenger to get on the ground. The passenger did not comply and was shot when apparently reaching into the bag, Doyle said.

Passenger Mary Gardner told WTVJ in Miami that the man ran down the aisle from the rear of the plane. "He was frantic, his arms flailing in the air," she said. She said a woman followed, shouting, "My husband! My husband!" Gardner said she heard the woman say her husband was bipolar and had not had his medication.

Airport and Miami-Dade County police officials said they had no immediate comment. American Airlines officials confirmed the shooting was on a jetway. "All I know is that it was on the jet bridge, outside the aircraft," American spokesman Tim Wagner said. "I don't know yet if the passenger had been on the plane and was getting off, or was starting to board the aircraft."
Posted by: Steve   2005-12-07 15:50  

#2  Make sure it was'nt a guy from Jackass. Was he followed by a bunch of camera's?
Posted by: plainslow   2005-12-07 15:47  

#1  He's dead, Steve.
Posted by: Jonathan   2005-12-07 15:45  

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