A deadly encounter

last updated 8 January 2015

Miami

Federal authorities defended two air marshals who shot and killed a man at Miami International Airport last week, saying they did everything by the book. The passenger, Rigoberto Alpizar, 44, reportedly said he had a bomb as he ran down the aisle of an American Airlines jet that was preparing to leave for Orlando. The marshals chased him outside, and opened fire after Alpizar tried to return to the plane from the jetway. He was unarmed. Alpizar’s wife, Anne, said her husband suffered from bipolar disorder and hadn’t taken his medication. The couple was returning home after a trip to do church missionary work in Ecuador. A neighbor said the Alpizars were “just as friendly as puppies.”