Shooting the Mentally Ill

According to passengers, he bolted from his seat, followed by his frantic wife, who was screaming that he was bipolar and off his medication. As he fled toward the terminal, undercover agents shot him on the jet bridge, claiming that he refused to stop and that he made a statement about a bomb. Passengers say he was shot four or five times.

Alpizar, a resident of Maitland, Florida who worked in the paint department of Home Depot, was on his way home from Quito Ecuador, where he and his wife were on a church mission. Family, friends, and neighbors describe a well-liked man completely different from the one portrayed in news accounts - smiling, talkative, proud to be a citizen .

The air marshals claim that Alpizar was acting aggressively even when he boarded.

If so, why was he allowed to board and not just escorted away immediately?

They say he might have blown up the plane.

If so, why did he run out of it?

They say he intended to blow up the terminal.

If so, why did he board?

And why was he shot 4-6 times?

A police bomb squad unit with dogs sniffed through all baggage.

They found no bomb.

A SWAT team surrounded the jet, had all passengers put their hands on their heads and blew up two bags. Alpizar was found to have no tie to terrorism.

We have only the two undercover marshals' word that Alpizar ever said he had a bomb. Passenger Alan Tirpak, one of several who heard Alpizar's wife talk about his illness, said Alpizar did not say anything about a bomb. He is supported by other passengers.

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