The FBI gave the following statement to The Rachel Maddow Show:
*The FBI hires highly trained professionals. (From the March 4, 2014 Washington Post, Sequestration over, FBI scrambles to fill new agent classes at Quantico, Goldman. “….In 2010, there were approximately 70,000 special agent applications; only 900 were accepted.)
*We place tremendous emphasis on training and only use deadly force when absolutely necessary – that is when the life of an agent or another individual is in imminent danger
* Our agents are put in dangerous situations every day particularly while working on task forces with other state, local and federal law enforcement partners fighting violent crimes in all major cities across the U.S. Those situations don’t make the news. Dangerous situations get resolved peacefully way more often than not and they are not publicized. Our preference is to avoid using force at all times.
* Many agents go their entire career without ever using force. Again due to training and our operations that are carefully and meticulously planned ahead of time.
* We lose agents in the line of duty as well. Over the same time frame of the NY Times review of our shootings, we have lost 7 agents as a result of direct adversarial action. I’m sure the family of Sam Hicks would take exception to any assertion that the FBI callously uses force and covers up their actions. His two year old son at the time of this incident will never know his father. His narrative is below.
Samuel S. Hicks 1974 - 2008 Special Agent Samuel S. Hicks was killed on November 19, 2008 while executing a federal arrest warrant associated with the takedown of a violent drug trafficking organization near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Upon entering the subject’s house to make the arrest, Special Agent Hicks was shot and killed; the subject was subsequently taken into custody. The planned arrest was the culmination of a year-long investigation involving multiple federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.
Watch a video on Hicks’ name being added to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial.
ADDING: Related video: