Korean Job Discussion Forums

Real Reality · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Location: Seoul

Air Marshal Kills Passenger, Citing Threat
A passenger who claimed to have a bomb in a carry-on bag was shot and killed by a federal air marshal Wednesday on a jetway to an American Airlines plane that had arrived from Colombia, officials said. No bomb was found in the bag, a U.S. official said. Homeland Security Department spokesman Brian Doyle said the dead man was a 44-year-old U.S. citizen.
http://news.yahoo.com/fc/business/aviation_security

rok_the-boat · Joined: 24 Jan 2004

Bad news for one 44 year old idiot, good news for those of us who fly. He was shot on the ground but still, you have to wonder about the wisdom/safety of having/using a gun on a plane.

bignate · Joined: 30 Apr 2003 Location: Hell's Ditch

Man may have been mentally ill and off medication

Ya-ta Boy · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: Established in 1994

The air marshall did the right thing.

keithinkorea · Joined: 17 Mar 2004

SarcasmKills · Joined: 07 Apr 2003 Location: Seoul

Leslie Cheswyck · Joined: 31 May 2003 Location: University of Western Chile

Ya-ta Boy · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: Established in 1994

Some guy is on an airport bus (or something) and starts shouting about having a bomb in his carry on bag. The air marshall has no time to say, "I think I'd better call up a shrink and get this guy an evaluation to see if he's sane."

If the marshall does anything but shoot to kill in order to protect the lives of the other passengers, he isn't doing his job.

Sad the guy is dead, but crazy or not, he created the situation. No one has a right to shout, "I have a bomb!" and then say, "Tee-hee, tee-hee. I was just foolin'. "

Hollywoodaction · Joined: 02 Jul 2004

It's hard to say if it was justified without knowing all the details. I feel sorry for the man's wife.

chiaa · Joined: 23 Aug 2003

desultude · Posted: Wed Dec 07, 2005 7:32 pm Post subject:

Okay, forgo the discussion of shooting to kill, there are other issues here.

First, wouldn't you want to find out from the guy exactly where the alleged bomb is? Or if it may be on a timer? Or if it is triggered if the guy is shot?

Second, disabling a guy with no gun is possible, without shooting him and putting everyone else in the area at risk- or everyone on a plane at 30,000 ft.

Real cowboy, shoot first, ask later mentality. What else can you expect.

The Bobster · Joined: 15 Jan 2003

There was no bomb and no one was in danger, and if there had been a bomb someone needed to know quickly where it was (as someone already pointed out). This is pretty much like that case last summer of the Brazilian man shot by police in the underground.

This, by the way, is how terrorists win : by making us so afraid we forget how to think straight.

rok_the-boat · Joined: 24 Jan 2004

I agree - shoot in the leg. I mean, if he said he had a bomb in his bag, then it was not in his pocket, and he couldn't have blown himself up. And if there had been a bomb, the CIA could then have tortured him to death to get more info.

Here's an interesting thought for the Law. If at any point in a 'situation' a cop has the right to kill a man (like a man holding a gun to someone's head), then, presuming he was safely disarmed, when going to trial, death should be one possible outcome - he should potentially face the same threat he gave even though his intention was not realised. Just a thought ...

And another - while I'm at it: In terms of the death penalty - if someone knowingly gives false testimony that results in execution, they too, on being found out, should automatically be executed. That would make people more honest when testifing.

chiaa · Joined: 23 Aug 2003

I am sitting on a plane. Some guy is screaming "I have a bomb. I have a bomb".

Sure, I want the air marshall to shoot him in the leg.

A bunch of fucking Monday morning quarterbacks we have here.

indiercj · Joined: 30 Jan 2003 Location: Seoul

Can you imagine a real terrorist running all over the place telling everyone that he actually has a bomb? Shocked