Via Fox News:
The Justice Department on Monday unsealed an indictment charging five individuals allegedly involved in Border Patrol agent Brian Terry’s death, and announced a reward of up to $1 million for information leading to the arrest of those suspects still at large.
For the first time, federal officials also revealed that Terry and an elite squad of federal agents initially fired bean bags — not bullets — at a heavily armed drug cartel crew in the mountains south of Tucson in December 2011. During the exchange, Terry was shot and killed.
The indictment came down in November, 2011, but we’re now hearing about it. I’m not the only one questioning the timing:
The announcement comes amid an intensifying debate over the department’s failed Fast and Furious anti-gunrunning operation. Weapons from that program were found at Terry’s murder scene — Republicans seeking documents pertaining to Fast and Furious last month escalated their probe by voting to hold Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt of Congress.
Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, praised the department Monday for its announcement but questioned the timing.
"I applaud what they’re doing, but I condemn the timing. It’s very clear that the timing has everything to do with the House of Representatives holding Eric Holder in contempt," Issa told Fox News.
Issa, who led the contempt push, said Justice could have been doing more to find the suspects all along — he called the timing of the FBI reward money "another example of using politics over good policy."
I also wonder if using bean bag rounds against people carrying assault rifles is standard practice or were they ordered to do so. I know they hurt like heck, but it doesn’t seem much better than being just armed with a knife during a gunfight. Consider the violence taking place across the border it seems like an incredibly stupid policy.
HT: Jim Hoft
Update: I originally wrote “Ben” Terry in the headline – a typo which has now been fixed.
