North America

Backflipping FBI agent that shot bystander cleared to carry firearm again by judge

Early last month, footage surfaced on social media showing 29-year-old FBI agent Chase Bishop dancing in a crowded bar in Denver, Colorado, finishing his display with a backflip that saw his firearm fall from its holster and land on the floor. The agent quickly went to recover his weapon, pulling the trigger of the pistol as he did, and firing a single shot into the crowd — hitting a nearby bystander. Bishop can be seen clearly in the footage demonstrating no concern for the man he’d shot, tucking the pistol back into its holster before raising his hands and walking away back into the crowd.

Bishop turned himself in to local law enforcement within days of the incident occurring, charged with second-degree assault with more charges looming, pending the results of a drug and alcohol screening.

Now, a Denver District Judge has chosen to amend the protection order placed on Bishop to permit the FBI agent to carry a firearm once again, both on and off duty.

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Early last month, footage surfaced on social media showing 29-year-old FBI agent Chase Bishop dancing in a crowded bar in Denver, Colorado, finishing his display with a backflip that saw his firearm fall from its holster and land on the floor. The agent quickly went to recover his weapon, pulling the trigger of the pistol as he did, and firing a single shot into the crowd — hitting a nearby bystander. Bishop can be seen clearly in the footage demonstrating no concern for the man he’d shot, tucking the pistol back into its holster before raising his hands and walking away back into the crowd.

Bishop turned himself in to local law enforcement within days of the incident occurring, charged with second-degree assault with more charges looming, pending the results of a drug and alcohol screening.

Now, a Denver District Judge has chosen to amend the protection order placed on Bishop to permit the FBI agent to carry a firearm once again, both on and off duty.

According to local news reports, Bishop’s attorney, David Goddard, argued that Bishop needed to have his service weapon returned to him, citing FBI policy mandating that agents are required to be armed at all times. The prosecution did not dispute the request, nor did Tom Reddington, the man Bishop shot.

The result of the drug and alcohol tests were not revealed, but it seems clear that they offered no damning evidence against Bishop, as the prosecution indicated no plans to file any further charges against the agent. Bishop will still face a single charge of second-degree assault, but that hearing has been continued until August 21 per the defense’ request. Last month Reddington said,

According to the victim’s attorney, Bishop’s stray round struck Thomas Reddington in an artery in his leg. He described the injury as “serious,” but said Reddington is likely to make a full recovery.

We sat down at one of those picnic tables — I heard a loud bang and I thought some idiot set off a firecracker. Then I looked down at my leg and see some brown residue … I’m still thinking it’s a firework … all of a sudden from the knee down my leg became completely red. And that’s when it clicked in my head, ‘Oh, I’ve been shot.’”

Before joining the FBI, Bishop served as a U.S. Army intelligence officer, though the positions he held during his tenure in uniform were often relegated to roles like “Base Manager.” His Linkedin profile, which has since been taken down, touted Bishop’s role in maintaining safe day to day operations.

“In charge of and responsible for safety, security, maintenance, and logistical operations of a military compound. The go to leader for problem solving and continuously staying flexible and composed during emergencies,” is how Bishop described his duties.

You can see the entire ordeal in the footage below:

Image courtesy of the Denver Police Department

About Alex Hollings View All Posts

Alex Hollings writes on a breadth of subjects with an emphasis on defense technology, foreign policy, and information warfare. He holds a master's degree in communications from Southern New Hampshire University, as well as a bachelor's degree in Corporate and Organizational Communications from Framingham State University.

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