One Year Later: Remembering Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry
Posted by Jim Nintzel on Thu, Dec 15, 2011 at 9:00 AM
http://www.tucsonweekly.com/TheRange/archives/2011/12/15/one-year-
later-remembering-border-patrol-agent-brian-terry
One year ago, Border Patrol Agent Brian A Terry was killed while
trying to stop a "rip crew" in Southern Arizona, . Hank Stephenson
covered Terry's memorial service earlier this year.
An automatic weapon that had been sold as part of the bungled ATF
investigation Fast and Furious was recovered at the scene of Terry's
killing, setting off the congressional investigation that led to the
resignation of U.S. Attorney for Arizona Dennis Burke and ongoing
calls for Attorney General Eric Holder's resignation.
As the Dec. 15 anniversary of Terry's killing approaches, the Terry
family has released a statement through their attorney:
December 15th will mark the one year anniversary of the murder
of Brian A. Terry. On that day in 2010, our family lost an amazing
son, brother, uncle, and friend. Our country lost an incredible young
American who was fully committed to his job in keeping our Nation
safe and its borders secure. Brian's life was dedicated to public
service as a U.S. Marine, police officer, U.S. Border Patrol agent
and finally as a member of the Border Patrol's elite tactical unit
known as BORTAC. Throughout his life, Brian maintained an incredible
work ethic that made his many successes possible. We believe that
these are the traits that so many people have since recognized. He is
remembered as an extremely proud American and a symbol for all that
is good.
Brian's death has been extremely difficult to accept. As most
know, we had to learn from the news media that two assault rifles
carried by the men that killed Brian and found at the murder scene
were linked to Operation Fast and Furious, a failed gun trafficking
operation run by the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and
Explosives and the Department of Justice. We find it incomprehensible
that members of ATF and DOJ would embark on such an egregious
operation and then try to conceal the link between this failed
investigation and Brian's murder. Much to our dismay, no one in ATF
or DOJ has come forward to accept responsibility for Operation Fast
and Furious.
Our priority continues to be the successful arrest and
prosecution of all the individuals involved in Brian's murder.
However, we will continue to press for answers and accountability
from our government. Those responsible for such a misguided and
fundamentally flawed operation must be held fully responsible for
their decisions which allowed so many weapons to flow to the criminal
element on both sides of the border. We now believe that if it can be
shown that laws were broken, then all those responsible for Fast and
Furious should be held criminally liable.
We would like to acknowledge the work conducted by agents from
the FBI Tucson Office in the homicide investigation and the continued
work by federal prosecutors in the San Diego U.S. Attorney's Office
who are working to bring Brian's killers to justice. We would also
like to thank those members of ATF that recognized Operation Fast and
Furious as fundamentally flawed and came forward with information
that exposed this foolish operation to the American public. These
individuals have continued to speak the truth at great professional
risk.
Finally, we would like to extend our sincere condolences to the
families of those affected by the violence in Mexico caused by the
guns of Operation Fast and Furious. Please know that we, as most
Americans, see you as victims as well. We will continue to press our
government for justice as we will not allow Brian's death to be in vain.
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