FBI agent faces charge after denver club antics lead to shooting

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June 13, 2018 6:58 AM

An off-duty FBI agent whose gun went off after he did a back handspring at a nightclub this month turned himself in Tuesday to face an assault charge, the Denver district attorney’s office said.

The agent, Chase Bishop, 29, who faces one count of second-degree assault, had been dancing at a club in the early morning hours of June 2 when he performed the back handspring, according to video of the episode that was broadcast by Denver7, a local news station and was circulated widely.

A firearm that had been in a holster fell on the floor, and when Bishop reached for the gun it discharged, injuring another patron in the lower leg, according to the district attorney’s statement.

Beth McCann, the district attorney, said in the release that more charges could follow depending on the results of a blood alcohol content analysis.

“We are filing this charge now rather than waiting until the BAC report is received, which we understand could take another week, because sufficient evidence has been presented to file it,” McCann said.

Bishop was still being held in jail Tuesday evening. It was unclear who was representing him. An FBI spokeswoman in Washington said Tuesday that its policy generally does not allow the bureau to comment on personnel matters. A call to an FBI spokeswoman in Denver was not immediately returned.

Bishop is scheduled to appear in court Wednesday at 8:30 a.m.

The Denver Post reported that the man injured in the shooting at the club, Mile High Spirits, was Tom Reddington, 24. Reddington talked about the episode last week on “Good Morning America,” saying that he couldn’t help but laugh when he watched video and realized he had been shot by a man doing a flip.

“I don’t blame the guy, I don’t want to ruin his life,” Reddington said. “I just want a private phone call from this guy.”

In a June 4 Facebook post, the club said that having a firearm without its knowledge was against its rules and that it was shocked that the only shooting to have occurred on its property resulted from the actions of an FBI agent.

“Our security team was able to execute a catastrophic event plan, ensuring the safe exit of all patrons in the establishment after the shooting,” the post reads. “We are deeply saddened by the events that occurred and look forward to speaking with representatives of the FBI, so we can come to understand his presence and his need to be armed in our establishment.”

The post also said that Reddington is “welcome at Mile High Spirits to enjoy complimentary drinks forever.”

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

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