House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, is demanding documents and communications related to the early morning raid that led to the fatal shooting of former Clinton National Airport Executive Director Bryan Malinowski.
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agents raided Malinowski's home in Little Rock, Arkansas, on March 19 to serve a search warrant, The Washington Post reported.
Malinowski, 53, was being investigated for purchasing more than 150 guns between May 2021 and Feb. 27, 2024, and reselling them without a license, according to the arrest affidavit.
Upon hearing people enter his house, Malinowski grabbed a handgun and fired three shots at a low angle, possibly at the agents' feet, family attorney Bud Cummins told KATV. The agents returned fire, killing Malinowski.
Jordan on Monday sent a letter to ATF Director Steven Dettelbach demanding documents and communications on the raid.
"Footage from the Malinowskis' doorbell camera shows ATF agents approaching the house with riot shields and subsequently disabling the camera to prevent their conduct from being recorded," Jordan wrote Dettelbach.
"Upon hearing the commotion and fearful of a home intrusion, Mr. Malinowski awoke and prepared to defend his family. Mr. Malinowski encountered what he and his wife believed to be home intruders. An exchange of gunfire ensued, Mr. Malinowski was shot in the head, and he died from his wounds two days later."
Jordan said the circumstances surrounding Malinowski's death "raise questions about whether the ATF followed proper protocol during the execution of this search warrant."
"Department of Justice policy and President [Joe] Biden's Executive Order 14074 requires ATF agents — including those who conducted the search warrant on March 19, 2024 — to wear active body-worn cameras during the execution of a search warrant," Jordan wrote. "The Department has since confirmed to the Malinowski family that ATF agents were not wearing body cameras during the raid, a violation of the Department policy."
Jordan also said it's unclear if ATF agents complied with Justice Department policy on "no knock" entries.
"ATF has not explained why it resorted to a no knock entry of Mr. Malinowski's home when it could have peacefully executed the warrant while he was away from his residence," Jordan wrote.
Jordan gave Dettelbach until 5 p.m. on Monday, May 6, to provide the requested information.
Charlie McCarthy ✉
Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
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