Executive director of Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport seriously wounded after exchanging gunfire with feds: Report



The executive director of an airport in Arkansas is fighting for his life after reportedly exchanging gunfire with federal agents who showed up at his residence to serve a search warrant earlier this week.

At around 6 a.m. on Tuesday, agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives arrived to serve a search warrant at a residence in Little Rock owned by Bryan Malinowski, the 53-year-old executive director of the Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport. Suddenly, during an execution of the warrant, shots rang out, leaving two wounded, including Malinowski.

Neighbor Shea De Bruyn recalled hearing five or six loud bangs. "My heart was racing and the dogs were barking," she recalled. "I’m just really curious as to what was going on just a few houses down."

An ATF statement claimed that the "subject of the investigation opened fire at ATF agents resulting in an agent-involved shooting when an agent returned fire." A statement from Arkansas State Police added that Malinowski was treated at the scene and then taken to an area hospital.

The situation appears grave. Malinowski's older brother, Matthew Malinowski, claimed that Bryan had sustained a shot to the head and was on life support. "We don’t know if he’s going to make it in the next 24 hours," Matthew said.

An unidentified ATF agent was likewise wounded during the shooting, but the injury is considered "non-life-threatening," police said.

The ASP Criminal Investigation Division has been tasked with investigating the incident. "An investigative case file will be presented to the prosecuting attorney, who will determine whether the use of deadly force was consistent with Arkansas law," ASP's statement said.

Details about the search warrant for Malinowski's home have not been released, though NBC News reported that Malinowski has no prior arrest record. Friends told the Arkansas Times that he enjoys buying and trading firearms, and witnesses did report seeing agents remove guns and tools from Malinowski's home and placing them in a U-Haul truck.

Malinowski has been working at the Clinton National Airport for more than 15 years. He makes more than $250,000 a year and regularly comes in contact with powerful people, including U.S. senators, Matthew Malinowski said. Matthew added that his brother has "much to lose" and "no incentive to do anything wrong."

Airport Commission Chairman Bill Walker issued a statement about the shooting as well. "Today’s incident saddens us, and we pray for everyone involved," he wrote. Walker added that deputy executive director Tom Clarke will take over Malinowski's duties at the airport but that otherwise "the airport’s day-to-day operations continue as normal."

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Little Rock Nine

Far-left journalist among group charged in BLM firebomb attacks on police vehicles in Arkansas



A far-left journalist was among four suspects who face federal charges in relation to firebombings of police vehicles in Arkansas. The anti-police attacks happened during a Black Lives Matter protest in August.

A large group of BLM protesters gathered at the Little Rock Police Department's 12th Street Substation on Aug. 25. Rioters slashed the tires of police vehicles and threw Molotov cocktails. Authorities reviewed surveillance footage that showed two people lobbing Molotov cocktails at the fenced police parking lot.

Then on Aug. 28, an Arkansas State Police vehicle was vandalized and burned at the Arkansas State Police Headquarters in Little Rock. "One vehicle had been set on fire, one had been vandalized with spray paint, and several others had punctured tires," according to the Department of Justice. One state trooper cruiser was spray-painted with the message: "STOP KILLING US." Investigators also discovered a detonated Molotov cocktail that was constructed from a bottle of brandy.

Three individuals were caught on surveillance video "entering the vehicle storage area wearing dark clothing and backpacks." The complaint reads, "The video shows them bending down in a motion consistent with slashing vehicle tires as well as throwing a lighted object into a police vehicle."

Federal search warrants were executed to obtain cell phone data, which showed that the suspects were in the location of Arkansas State Police Headquarters during the time of the attacks.

There was a months-long investigation by the ATF, Arkansas State Police, North Little Rock Police Department, and Little Rock Police Department. On Dec. 17, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Arkansas announced that Brittany Dawn Jeffrey, 31, Emily Nowlin, 27, Aline Espinosa-Villegas, 24, and Renea Baek Goddard, 22, had been arrested.

New report: 4 far-left activists have been arrested following ATF investigation into firebombing attacks in Little… https://t.co/NPVTib4mAt
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Federal investigators allege that Goddard, Nowlin, and Espinosa-Villegas orchestrated the attacks and "conspired together, aided and abetted one another." The group utilized encrypted applications to communicate with each other "in an attempt to thwart law enforcement detection of the group['s] criminal activities," as reported in the Post Millennial.

Law enforcement interviewed several cooperating witnesses who alleged that the incendiary devices were assembled at Jeffrey's residence.

Jeffrey live-streamed her arrest on Facebook, according to the report.

"She at first refused to exit her car until arresting officers explained what the federal warrant was for. The video ended when police confiscated her phone. She has since been released from police custody," the report said.

Jeffrey was previously arrested on July 12 for criminal trespassing at a Black Lives Matter protest at a frozen custard restaurant, where an employee had been fired for allegedly "making racist comments in the presence of a black co-worker."

Goddard was previously arrested and charged with obstructing governmental operations while violating curfew at a BLM protest on June 2.

Goddard is a far-left journalist from Little Rock, who has contributed to KUAR Public Radio, Arkansas Public Media, and Autostraddle, a "digital publication and real life community for multiple generations of LGBTQIA+ humans" that is "run by a team of progressively feminist queer and trans folks." Her bio states she "enjoys writing commentary on issues like mass incarceration, U.S militarism, and identity politics."

Espinosa-Villegas and Nowlin were also arrested at the June 2 protest.

For the Molotov cocktail attack, suspects have been charged with malicious destruction of property belonging to an entity receiving federal funding, conspiracy to commit those acts, and possession of a destructive device.

"Today's arrests send a message that violence targeted toward law enforcement will not be tolerated," U.S. Attorney Hiland said in a statement. "Breaking into a police compound and fire bombing a police vehicle with a homemade explosive device is clearly not a peaceful protest. Those who would target law enforcement with violent acts will not do so in the Eastern District of Arkansas without the full resources of the federal government being deployed to assist our state and local partners in bringing those responsible to justice. They will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."

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