The dancing FBI agent who shot a man after doing a backflip at a Denver bar is now facing charges.
Dancing FBI Agent Charged
A statement from the Denver District Attorney’s Office says the agent, 29-year-old Chase Bishop, turned himself in to authorities on Tuesday. He has been charged with second-degree assault, a class 4 felony which is punishable by two to six years in prison and a fine of $2,000 to $500,000.
Bishop could face additional charges if his blood alcohol content analysis shows that he was under the influence of alcohol on the night in question. The test hasn’t come back yet.
“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,” Denver District Attorney Beth McCann said. “If an additional charge needs to be filed after further evidence is received, we can file those charges then.”
The Shooting & The Aftermath
On Saturday, June 2 at around 1 a.m., Bishop was dancing at Mile High Spirits Distillery and Tasting Bar in Denver when he decided to do a backflip. Bishop’s gun went flying out of his holster while he executed the move. When he went to pick up the gun, it discharged, shooting a patron in the leg. The incident was caught on camera by multiple smart phones.
The man who was shot has been identified as 24-year-old Tom Reddington.
“We sat down at one of those picnic tables — I heard a loud bang and I thought some idiot set off a firecracker,” Reddington later told Good Morning America. “Then I looked down at my leg and see some brown residue … I’m still thinking it’s a firework … all of a sudden from the knee down my leg became completely red. And that’s when it clicked in my head, ‘Oh, I’ve been shot.'”
“I like stand up and like start walking in a little circle saying, ‘Hey, I think I’ve been shot. Can someone call 911?'” Reddington said, adding that he blacked out and either fell to the ground or was placed on the ground. He also stated that a good samaritan used a belt as a tourniquet on his leg.
FBI Comments
Bishop was off-duty and on vacation when the shooting occurred. He is based out of the bureau’s Washington field office.
Special Agent Amy Sanders, the spokesperson for the Denver FBI field office, wouldn’t comment on the incident.
“In order to preserve the integrity of the ongoing investigation, we are unable to comment regarding this matter,” Sanders said in statement. “The FBI will continue to fully cooperate with the Denver Police Department and the Denver District Attorney’s Office as this matter proceeds through the judicial process.”
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