Dancing FBI agent pleads guilty to accidentally shooting Denver bar patron

By Keith Coffman

 

FILE PHOTO: FBI agent Chase Bishop appears in a booking photo released by the Denver District Attorney's Office, in Denver, Colorado, June 12, 2018. Denver District Attorney's Office/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo

 

DENVER (Reuters) - An ex-FBI agent who accidentally shot and wounded a Denver bar patron in June after performing a dance-floor back flip pleaded guilty on Friday to misdemeanor assault under a plea deal that spares him from serving jail time, prosecutors said.

 

Chase Bishop, 30, pleaded guilty to third-degree assault in Denver District Court for shooting Thomas Reddington in the leg at the Mile High Spirits and Distillery, prosecutors said in a statement.

 

"We believe that this agreement strikes an appropriate balance of seeking justice for the victim and ensuring that this type of incident does not happen again," District Attorney Beth McCann said.

 

Bishop, an FBI agent who was off duty at the time, was among the patrons at the nightclub in downtown Denver in the early morning hours of June 2. Video footage of the incident, captured by another customer and widely circulated online, showed Bishop breakdancing, then performing a backward somersault in the air.

 

His handgun fell from its holster onto the dance floor and discharged as Bishop picked it up, striking Reddington, 25, in the leg. A muzzle flash can be seen on the video.

 

The Denver Post reported that Bishop told the judge that he "never expected the result of my actions to lead to something like this."

 

"My whole goal in life is to care, protect and serve people," the newspaper quoted him as saying.

 

Reddington's lawyer, Bill Marlin, told Reuters in a phone interview that his client is still recovering from a severed artery in his lower leg. He said Reddington was satisfied with the plea agreement that included no jail time.

 

"His (Reddington’s) concern was about Bishop's conduct and his behaviour after the shooting,” Marlin said.

 

The Federal Bureau of Investigation did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but Marlin said a prosecutor told him the FBI fired Bishop sometime after the incident.

 

Bishop was initially charged with second-degree assault, a felony. In exchange for his guilty plea, Bishop will serve two years of unsupervised probation, the district attorney said.

 

Marlin said Reddington has not committed to filing a lawsuit, but is "exploring civil remedies."

 

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-12-22

It was never like this on the dance floor:

 

 

 

This surprised me he's going to walk for this, he must have some pretty good connections. Typical justice.

Losing his job seems a little harsh for a non-fatal ND although I agree he's a prat to have acted as he did that night.

16 minutes ago, from the home of CC said:

This surprised me he's going to walk for this, he must have some pretty good connections. Typical justice.

Why - are you suggesting it was deliberate..........

The guy has apparently lost his job so what exactly would sending him to jail achieve?

9 minutes ago, topt said:

Why - are you suggesting it was deliberate..........

The guy has apparently lost his job so what exactly would sending him to jail achieve?

imo if this happened to be an African american bus driver (with a valid c&c) he would definitely would be doing time. Here we have a supposedly well trained law enforcement officer who should be held to higher standard than your average drunk in the bar, hell he should of got 6 months for stupidity alone.  

2 minutes ago, from the home of CC said:

hell he should of got 6 months for stupidity alone. 

I don't disagree about the stupidity part 

 

Sorry, but with full respect and gratitude to all the fine people who really care for their job in law enforcement worldwide (yes there are such people even in Thailand),  it is very stupid to go on a drinking binge, off-duty with one's firearm.

4 minutes ago, observer90210 said:

Sorry, but with full respect and gratitude to all the fine people who really care for their job in law enforcement worldwide (yes there are such people even in Thailand),  it is very stupid to go on a drinking binge, off-duty with one's firearm.

I agree, but I believe in some jurisdictions it's mandatory to carry being a sworn officer of the law. Not sure in this case but I'm sure there's TV members who know.

A dancing agent with a loaded gun in a lose holster. 

He shall be able to get a job at

“Blue Oyster”. ????????

Those guns don't go off accidentally, he had to of pulled the trigger.

3 hours ago, observer90210 said:

Sorry, but with full respect and gratitude to all the fine people who really care for their job in law enforcement worldwide (yes there are such people even in Thailand),  it is very stupid to go on a drinking binge, off-duty with one's firearm.

Where does it say he was on a drinking binge. if it happened in a pharmacy would he automatically be labeled a drug addict. 

 

I'm sure the wounded man will get a substantial pay day and the agent a reputation he won't escape.

Dumb ass lol

9 hours ago, rooster59 said:

"My whole goal in life is to care, protect and serve people," the newspaper quoted him as saying.

How does doing back flips in a night club while off duty with a loaded gun help people?  I left the U.S.A. 13 years ago because of morons like this.
One time I went bird hunting way way way out in the middle of nowhere with 3 other dudes (chaps,  blokes, etc).  One was a cop.  After hunting we all showered and changed for dinner and he came to the table with two loaded glocks in holsters under his arms.  When we asked him why, he said it made HIM feel safe and he never knew when he may have to protect HIMSELF.  With 3 friends in the middle of a corn field in eastern Colorado.  We never invited him again.

no matter how tough he feels from carrying...

everyone has their own comfort zone 

just seen on YOU TUBE about two cops putting 16 bullets into an unarmed (wrong) guy in bed,  and the police commission say the cops acted *appropriately* <deleted> is that about ?? guy sueing for 20 million dollars only in th US

21 minutes ago, mercman24 said:

just seen on YOU TUBE about two cops putting 16 bullets into an unarmed (wrong) guy in bed,  and the police commission say the cops acted *appropriately* <deleted> is that about ?? guy sueing for 20 million dollars only in th US

Sure only in the US, a guy that got 16 bullets, still able to sue.