Home Tampa Press Releases 2011 FBI Shooting Investigation Completed
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FBI Shooting Investigation Completed

FBI Tampa March 03, 2011
  • Special Agent Dave Couvertier (813) 253-1033

TAMPA, FL—A Washington, D.C. shooting incident review group concluded that the FBI agent who shot Mr. Ronald J. Bullock on May 19, 2010, at MacDill Air Force Base, operated within the scope of the FBI’s deadly force policy and did not violate any state or federal laws. The agent was assisting the base police with the arrest of Mr. Bullock when the shooting took place. The evidence reviewed determined Mr. Bullock was armed with a knife, charged the FBI agent, and ignored repeated commands to surrender his weapon. The agent involved in the incident feared for his life, and in accordance with his training, fired in self-defense, resulting in Mr. Bullock's death.

The shooting investigation was conducted with the assistance of the Tampa Police Department, Air Force Office of Special Investigations, Air Force Security Forces, and a deployed team of FBI investigators from the FBI’s Inspection Division, Washington, D.C.

FBI policy outlines steps for investigating shootings involving FBI personnel. As such, the FBI dispatches an investigative team to review each shooting incident. Their role is to conduct a thorough factual investigation of the shooting incident, including any observations regarding safety and/or training issues identified through the inquiry. All personnel and witnesses at the scene are identified and interviewed.

Separately, a Shooting Incident Review Group (SIRG), which is an independent review committee established to analyze all shooting incidents involving Bureau personnel and to evaluate the application of deadly force in such incidents, was previously provided the results of the above investigative inquiry.