Intervening After Robbery, an Off-Duty A.T.F. Agent Is Killed

[Renew Deal]

An off-duty special agent for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives was fatally shot on Saturday afternoon when he, along with at least one other law enforcement officer and a retired officer, tried to stop a robber who had just held up a pharmacy on Long Island, the authorities said.

The apparent robber was also killed.

Details of the shooting, which occurred outside Charlie’s Family Pharmacy on Merrick Road in Seaford, remained murky on Saturday night as the authorities seemed unsure how it unfolded and who fired the fatal shots.

Senior Special Agent John Capano, an explosives specialist who was in his 40s and had been a special agent for 23 years, was assigned to the bureau’s Long Island office, said Joe Anarumo, a special agent with the bureau.

“Today, doing his job in an off-duty capacity, he intervened in an armed robbery and subsequently was shot,” Special Agent Anarumo said, adding, “He was a hero.”
<snip>

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/01/nyregion/off-duty-atf-officer-is-killed-intervening-after-robbery.html

[emilyg]

1. So sad.

[onehandle]

2. Best of luck to law enforcement in the new year.

Most do good work.

[Loudly]

3. Access to guns and ammo by the public is the reason this outrage occurred.

[Renew Deal]

4. You just couldn't resist could you

[S_B_Jackson]

7. I've got to hear this.....

How exactly is it that a federally authorized special agent who is shot by an off-duty police officer indicative of "the public" having access to firearms?

[EX500rider]

8. You have that wrong..

...the ATF agent and the off-duty cop were responding to the the robbery..

[S_B_Jackson]

9. Actually, I have that correct...

Yes, all three - the ATF agent, and two off-duty police - were responding; the ATF agent shot the robbery suspect, one of the off-duty police shot and killed the ATF agent. From reports, the robber did not shoot at all.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/ny-pharmacy-shootout-leaves-suspect-atf-agent-dead/story?id=15267287#.Tv_QZvKjKuI

Charlie's Pharmacy in Seaford, Long Island, N.Y. was held up by a man seeking prescription medication and cash this afternoon.

As the suspect fled he was confronted by three people - two off-duty law enforcement officers and a retired law enforcment officer, officials said.

A shootout ensued and the suspect was killed.

John Capano, a 23-year veteran with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives was also killed.

Capano was an explosives expert with multiple tours in Afghanistan and Iraq training soldiers to defuse IEDs, federal authorities said.

According to early accounts, it appeared that Capono shot the suspect – who was believed to be armed as he fled the drug store--a family business for several generations, local cops said. Then Capano himself was shot and killed by an off duty officer.

So again, how is this indicative of a "civilians" with guns problem?

[EX500rider]

10. looks like you could be right...sorry

....although according to "early reports" means hopefully it didn't go down that way.

But I agree that it is not a civilian gun problem but a criminal w/ gun problem and we've all seen how well gun control keeps guns out of the hands of criminals in Mexico and Jamaica. Which is to say not at all.

[i_sometimes]

12. Nope.

Maybe we have too many LEO's running around playing hero.

[EX500rider]

13. "Maybe we have too many LEO's running around playing hero."

Right, they should just ignore a crime in progress....lol

[SixthSense]

14. You ever see what cops do day to day?

It ain't like on TV. 90% of police "work" is busting people who haven't done any harm to anyone. Check your local PD arrest report and you'll see. For every person they arrest who has actually done harm, they arrest 9 others who have done no harm. Cops create more crime, and do more harm, than they prevent.

While they're wasting all that time busting stoners, the solved rate of violent crime has dropped through the floor. In most big cities in the US, if you commit a murder you are more likely to get away with it than get busted for it; nationally, over 1 in 3 murders are unsolved.

In this particular case, no one would have died if the cop didn't fire his weapon - and it was not necessary for him to do so, unless you want to assume that the three cops present could not together take down an unarmed man.

If these had been civilians, the shooter would already be in custody with manslaughter charges (with penalty escalators since the deceased was a cop). But since it's a cop who failed to exercise proper firearms control (it is a big no-no to fire without being aware of what is behind your target, one of the first things any beginner learns), he will get off scot-free, no charges, no penalty.

[EX500rider]

15. Who says he was unarmed?

"Details of the shooting, which occurred outside Charlie’s Family Pharmacy on Merrick Road in Seaford, remained murky on Saturday night as the authorities seemed unsure how it unfolded and who fired the fatal shots."

You think he held up a pharmacy with a lollipop or something?

[SixthSense]

17. sorry that was in erro

he was armed with a pellet gun

Three cops couldn't handle the situation without killing one of their own - what do these guys get paid for, again?

[EX500rider]

16. Cops arrest people who break laws...they don't write the laws...n/t

[SixthSense]

18. and concentration camp guards didn't write the policies they enforced, either

you do know that "just following orders" is not a valid defense?

[EX500rider]

19. lol

And what laws are they enforcing that put people in death camps to take a ZylonB shower exactly?

Enforcing the law is their job, not to pick and choose which laws each of 'em like. Like that would work well...

[ellisonz]

5. Wasn't worth it...

[CanonRay]

6. He didn't have much of a choice

it's part of your sworn duty, which most take very serioously. Imagine the hue and cry had he walked away and someone later learned about it. He'd probably have been fired.

[ellisonz]

11. Should have just tried to follow him and called for back-up IMHO.

[Brooklyns_Finest]

20. RIP

Now this is SAD. The ATF agent killed the robber and some other off duty police officer kills the ATF agent. I hope that cop resigns from the force.

Also, what are the chances that one venue wold have an off duty federal agent, an off duty cop and a retired cop all in the same place--and armed?