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Man shot dead at Florida airport


Rob W
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Man shot dead at Florida airport

 

A man who claimed to have a bomb on board an American Airlines plane in Miami has been shot dead by US air marshals, officials say. Rigoberto Alpizar, a 44-year-old US citizen, was killed in the air bridge after running out of the plane pursued by marshals who had broken their cover.

 

No bomb was found on Mr Alpizar whose wife had tried to explain he had a mental illness, one witness said. It was the first time since 9/11 that air marshals had shot at a passenger.

 

 

I did hear the lady say her husband was bi-polar and had not had his medication

Mary Gardner

passenger

 

The US dramatically increased the number of air marshals on flights after the 2001 attacks. Local police and federal officers are investigating the incident, but officials say so far there is no hint of any links to terrorism. However, as a precaution, federal air marshals were deployed in airports across the country.

 

'Threatening words'

 

Mr Alpizar had arrived in Miami, Florida, from Ecuador and was boarding a flight to Orlando at about 1410 local time (1910 GMT). Carrying a backpack and travelling with a woman apparently his wife, he had cleared customs and was boarding the Orlando flight, which had originated in Medellin, Colombia.

 

"At some point, he uttered threatening words that included a sentence to the effect that he had a bomb," said Miami Federal Air Marshals official James Bauer. "There were federal air marshals on board the aircraft. They came out of their cover, confronted him, and he remained noncompliant with their instructions. As he was attempting to evade them, his actions caused the FAMs to fire shots, and in fact he is deceased."

 

Homeland Security Department spokeswoman Joanna Gonzalez said Mr Alpizar had fled from the aircraft through the air bridge going toward the terminal. "At that point, he appeared to be reaching into his carry-on bag... the air marshals took the appropriate action and that's when the shots were fired," she added.

 

'Hysteria'

 

Mary Gardner, a fellow passenger, told local television that the man had run frantically down the aisle of the Boeing 757 screaming while his wife tried to explain he was ill. "I did hear the lady say her husband was bi-polar and had not had his medication," she said.

 

"I saw the woman... she was hysterical."

 

Neighbours of Mr Alpizar in Maitland, Florida, remembered him as a "very quiet guy".

He had, relatives said, been married to his wife Anne Buechner for about 22 years.

Television images showed police and emergency response officers surrounding the plane after the incident. Investigators spread passengers' bags on the tarmac as sniffer dogs checked them for explosives. The airport later resumed normal operations.

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Sad story this. Awful that a mentally ill bloke has ended up dead, but if a bloke shouts that he's got a bomb on a plane and refuses to comply with the Marshalls, then he's gonna end up dead these days, unfortunately.

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Sounds like over-zelous policing to me, I hope the have an enquiry to find out what went wrong. Incidentally, I heard that the Brazilian government are kicking up a big fuss about that lad that was shot earlier this year. As unjustifiable as his death was in my mind, I think they are being a bit rich considering it is estimated the Brazilian police execute up to 1000 suspected criminals a year.....

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Sounds like over-zelous policing to me, I hope the have an enquiry to find out what went wrong. Incidentally, I heard that the Brazilian government are kicking up a big fuss about that lad that was shot earlier this year. As unjustifiable as his death was in my mind, I think they are being a bit rich considering it is estimated the Brazilian police execute up to 1000 suspected criminals a year.....

65754[/snapback]

 

 

I thought the Death penalty was supposed to deter people????? Doesn't seem to working like that in Brazil

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Unfortunately you can't take the chance these days. Better one man goes down than an entire plane load of people. You don't have time to run through the man's medical history in these situations as there'd be hell to pay if they'd missed the chance to take him out and he did detonate a bomb.

 

If he is shizophrenic, I wonder why his wife didn't make sure the man had taken his meds when he was travelling when she must have surely known how he could act? Sounds like she was negligent to me and there's no point in whining about it after the fact.

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Sounds like over-zelous policing to me, I hope the have an enquiry to find out what went wrong. Incidentally, I heard that the Brazilian government are kicking up a big fuss about that lad that was shot earlier this year. As unjustifiable as his death was in my mind, I think they are being a bit rich considering it is estimated the Brazilian police execute up to 1000 suspected criminals a year.....

65754[/snapback]

 

 

I thought the Death penalty was supposed to deter people????? Doesn't seem to working like that in Brazil

65758[/snapback]

 

I didn't mean official executions, just Brazilian Police shooting people in the head rather than bringing them to court. Canny country, I hear......

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Unfortunately you can't take the chance these days. Better one man goes down than an entire plane load of people. You don't have time to run through the man's medical history in these situations as there'd be hell to pay if they'd missed the chance to take him out and he did detonate a bomb.

 

If he is shizophrenic, I wonder why his wife didn't make sure the man had taken his meds when he was travelling when she must have surely known how he could  act? Sounds like she was negligent to me and there's no point in whining about it after the fact.

65760[/snapback]

 

Your last remark is callous; even with medication he could have had difficulties. Hell, people who are pissed can act like loonys thinking its a joke etc. I don't think it's a good idea to jump to conclusions and assign blame until the whole facts are uncovered, if they ever will be.

 

I agree that the safety of the plane should come first, but at the moment I am struggling to think of one single time the police have managed to intercept real terrorists before they have committed their acts. Hardly fills me with confidence.

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Not callous. It's realistic.

 

The usual people will jump on here and try to point the finger at the US internal security system rather than ask the question of why it happened in the first place. Again, if the wife said he hadn't taken his meds, why didn't she inform the flight attendant that there might be a problem? Sounds as if her negligence was a major contributory factor in the whole situation and set the stage.

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Not callous. It's realistic.

 

The usual people will jump on here and try to point the finger at the US internal security system rather than ask the question of why it happened in the first place. Again, if the wife said he hadn't taken his meds, why didn't she inform the flight attendant that there might be a problem? Sounds as if her negligence was a major contributory factor in the whole situation and set the stage.

65768[/snapback]

 

All I'm saying is I don't think you should jump to conclusions. Remember the Brazilian bloke, and all the lies that he had jumped security gates, had a backpack etc? Turned out he had done nothing wrong. Best to wait and see I think, rather than balme the wife who must be a bit upset, to say the least.

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Death penalty? I think he means that the police bump off 1000 people a year.

 

They certainly won't be causing any more trouble that's for sure.

65765[/snapback]

 

Do you trust Brazillian police? I bloody don't, most of them are either corrupt, crackers or both. If you get shot by a cop over there you've more likely to have caused trouble for an organised crime syndicate than for society.

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Death penalty? I think he means that the police bump off 1000 people a year.

 

They certainly won't be causing any more trouble that's for sure.

65765[/snapback]

 

Do you trust Brazillian police? I bloody don't, most of them are either corrupt, crackers or both. If you get shot by a cop over there you've more likely to have caused trouble for an organised crime syndicate than for society.

65773[/snapback]

 

 

How unlike our own dear Capital City......................

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Death penalty? I think he means that the police bump off 1000 people a year.

 

They certainly won't be causing any more trouble that's for sure.

65765[/snapback]

 

Do you trust Brazillian police? I bloody don't, most of them are either corrupt, crackers or both. If you get shot by a cop over there you've more likely to have caused trouble for an organised crime syndicate than for society.

65773[/snapback]

 

 

How unlike our own dear Capital City......................

65776[/snapback]

 

Very unlike it. It happens here once in a blue moon, and then an investigation takes place, even if this is not always satisfactory. Murder of civilans happens in Rio every day though. I'm unsure if FootSoldier thinks this is a good idea or not however.

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Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh - "an investigation" - how ... British

 

they never find anything and the rotten coppers stay on the payroll until they retire for "medical grounds" on a full pension

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Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh  - "an investigation"  - how ... British

 

they never find anything and the rotten coppers stay on the payroll until they retire for "medical grounds" on a full pension

65800[/snapback]

 

Maybe, but it's an improvement over Brazil, I'm sure you agree.

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I certainly think our police force is not even on the same map as that of Brazil. Although I like it that way and I think we should try and avoid even going down that road.

 

As for coppers, I know one copper who is sound as anything, and another who is an utter twat, who i wouldn't trust with a spud gun to be honest. But then how he's still in the force is a mystery to me. If there's any justice he'll be caught out and given the boot.

Edited by BlueStar
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I certainly think our police force is not even on the same map as that of Brazil.  Although I like it that way and I think we should try and avoid even going down that road.

 

As for coppers, I know one copper who is sound as anything, and another who is an utter twat, who i wouldn't trust with a spud gun to be honest.  But then how he's still in the force is a mystery to me.  If there's any justice he'll be caught out and given the boot.

65818[/snapback]

 

 

they are a reflection of our society -

 

well not quite as in general they are less well educated and more prone to violence

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Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh  - "an investigation"  - how ... British

 

no Rob, it's what you say rather than shoot the fuckers first, and give them an opportunity to hurt innocent members of the public.

 

 

they never find anything and the rotten coppers stay on the payroll until they retire for "medical grounds" on a full pension

65800[/snapback]

 

ho hum.....regarding the thread starter, you think our police are like those in Brazil do you

 

:lol:

Edited by LeazesMag
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there must be a compromise bewteen the "wait and see" approach advocated by Rob W and the "Shoot first" approach.

 

I would love to see what anyone of us would have done if we were put in the situation of these "Air Marshalls"

 

would we merrily ignore a mans claims he has a bomb, in case he's just mentally ill, would we casually disregard the apparently guilty actions of a man running from us...

 

this current atmosphere of suspicion and fear is not going to be solved by a nanny state, nor is it solved by taking authority from the police and giving it instead to the man on the street.

 

I've a question for Rob W. If you're innocent, why refuse to comply with the police?

 

surely it's sensible and no matter the ignorant neanderthal you're dealing with, to simply nod and smile would hurry the whole misunderstanding along. Nothing good would come of kicking up a fuss.

 

so, I'll repeat it, If you're innocent, why refuse to comply with the police?

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there must be a compromise bewteen the "wait and see" approach advocated by Rob W and the "Shoot first" approach.

 

uld love to see what anyone of us would have done if we were put in the situation of these "Air Marshalls"

 

would we merrily ignore a mans claims he has a bomb, in case he's just mentally ill, would we casually disregard the apparently guilty actions of a man running from us...

 

this current atmosphere of suspicion and fear is not going to be solved by a nanny state, nor is it solved by taking authority from the police and giving it instead to the man on the street.

 

I've a question for Rob W. If you're innocent, why refuse to comply with the police?

 

surely it's sensible and no matter the ignorant neanderthal you're dealing with, to simply nod and smile would hurry the whole misunderstanding along. Nothing good would come of kicking up a fuss.

 

so, I'll repeat it, If you're innocent, why refuse to comply with the police?

66050[/snapback]

 

Agreed [with all the bold bits especially]

 

Unfortunately there are people who have no idea of how law and order works, because they think people who are warped in the head will be cured by love and understanding, then say these same people need medical and psychological care to "sort out their mental problems".

 

Whatever.

 

Simple fact is, if you are a danger to the public, then you are denied the right to normal public life.

 

Don't expect Rob W to say anything other than "I've seen everything there is to see and I can assure you that if you treat these terrorists with kid gloves their human instinct will kick in and they will see the error of their ways .........

 

Becoming normal citizens, getting about their daily lives

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Actually I beleive that terorists deserve no mercy whatsoever - it's a risk of the choice they make

 

My "problem" is that I think innocent people should get every chance

 

the trouble is that when you arm marshalls and police and encourage them to shoot on sight you have to accept you ARE going to kill innocent people

 

who chooses?

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Going back to the London case, that lad had done absolutely nothing wrong or anything to raise suspicions other than being misfortunate enough to live in a block of flats inhabited by terrorist suspects.

 

We'll have to see what the truth is in this case, but I certainly wouldn't rule out over zealous policing, especially in the US.

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