Arkansas Airport director dies after shootout with ATF
The executive director of Arkansas’ largest airport died Thursday after being wounded this week in a shootout with federal agents executing a search warrant at his home, authorities said.
Authorities say Bryan Malinowski, 53, director of the Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport in Little Rock, shot at agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, who then returned fire as they tried to carry out the attack. search warrant on Tuesday.
One ATF agent suffered a gunshot wound that was not life-threatening, authorities said.
In a 51-page statement released Thursday, officials offered insight into what led to the early morning search warrant in suburban Little Rock, which was criticized by Mr. Malinowski’s family as unnecessary and dangerous.
Authorities accused Mr. Malinowski of buying more than 100 guns in recent years and selling many illegally, including at least three that later turned out to be related to a crime. Mr. Malinowski first purchased the guns legally, checking a box on the purchase forms stating the guns were for himself, before selling them privately to private individuals, the affidavit said.
He would go to gun shows, the affidavit said, including two in Arkansas and one in Tennessee, and sell guns to people “without asking for any identification or paperwork.”
Photos in the redacted statement show Mr. Malinowski at a gun show, standing behind a booth full of firearms. The affidavit also states that Mr. Malinowski had sold weapons to two undercover police officers who were investigating him.
Mr. Malinowski’s family said in a statement released by their lawyer that they did not understand the government’s decisions, which “led to a raid on a private home and the use of deadly force.”
The family added that while they were “obviously concerned about the allegations in the affidavit,” they still believed the allegations “did not justify what happened.”
“At worst, Bryan Malinowski, a gun owner and gun enthusiast, was accused of selling privately owned firearms to someone who may not have had the legal right to purchase the weapons,” the family said.
The ATF did not immediately respond to calls for comment Thursday evening.
Arkansas State Police said in a statement that the results of an investigation would be presented to a prosecutor, who would “determine whether the use of deadly force was consistent with Arkansas law.”
Mr. Malinowski began working at Clinton National Airport in 2008 and became executive director in 2019, according to his biography on the airport’s website. He previously held leadership positions at other airports, including Fort Lauderdale, Florida; El Paso; and Lehigh County, Pa.
The Clinton National Airport said in a statement Thursday that under Mr. Malinowski’s leadership, “our airport has experienced significant growth and success, expanding the range of services and offerings to our community and state.”