by WorldTribune Staff / 247 Real News April 29, 2024
House Judiciary Committee on Monday announced it has launched a formal investigation into the federal agents’ fatal shooting of an Arkansas airport executive Bryan Malinowski during the execution of a gun case search warrant at his home.
The committee demanded the ATF explain why it carried out the search without knocking and without using required body cams.
“The circumstances of Mr. Malinowski’s death raise questions about whether the ATF followed proper protocol during the execution of this search warrant,” House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan wrote ATF Director Steven Dettelbach in a letter demanding answers.
“Department of Justice policy and Biden’s Executive Order 14074 requires ATF agents—including those who conducted the search warrant on March 19, 2024—to wear active body-worn cameras during the execution of a search warrant,” the letter noted. “The Department has since confirmed to the Malinowski family that ATF agents were not wearing body cameras during the raid, a violation of the Department policy.”
Jordan also questioned whether ATF agencies “complied with” a DOJ policy that sharply limits agents’ use of “no knock” entries.
“ATF has not explained why it resorted to a no knock entry of Mr. Malinowski’s home when it could have peacefully executed the warrant while he was away from his residence,” Jordan’s letter stated.
The chairman said he was concerned ATF’s raid was driven by an ideological crackdown by the Biden administration on gun owners who sell weapons occasionally without acquiring a federal firearms license.
“ATF’s pre-dawn, no-knock raid of the Malinowski home coincided with the agency’s implementation of a regulation to restrict the right to private lawful sales of firearms,” the letter noted. “In particular, ATF seeks to drastically expand the universe of Americans who would be classified as a ‘dealer’ under federal law requiring them to obtain a license to become a Federal Firearms Licensee (FFL), subjecting them to a term of imprisonment of up to five years and a fine of up to $250,000, or both.”
Former U.S. Attorney Bud Cummins, the lawyer representing Malinowski’s estate, has raised concerns about whether the ATF followed proper procedures executing the search.
“The Malinowski family believes the already known facts amply demonstrate ATF’s tactics on March 19 were reckless and incompetent, and completely unnecessary,” Cummins said.
The ATF has declined to comment and noted the investigation is still active and ongoing.
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