Kenneth Melson (photo by Main Justice)
The head of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives on Wednesday made a brief appearance before the start of a rally in D.C. in support of an ATF special agent facing controversial murder charges in the Virgin Islands.
ATF Deputy Director Kenneth Melson, who has led the agency since April 2009, spoke with some individuals gathered to support William G. Clark, who claims he shot and killed a neighbor in the U.S. Caribbean territory in self defense. But the top ATF official quickly departed right before the demonstration began.
Melson has told ATF agents that he is “taking all possible actions to support Will.” The agency has cleared Clark of wrongdoing after an internal inquiry into the 2008 shooting of Marcus Sukow. Clark shot Sukow during a domestic dispute between the man and his girlfriend. Territorial authorities brought manslaughter charges against Clark, and his trial is slated to begin Oct. 25. (Read our four-part series on the case here.)
An ATF spokesman could not be immediately reached for comment.
A few dozen members of the federal law enforcement community blew whistles, chanted and wielded signs in support of Clark at the rally, which was held outside the D.C. office of Virgin Islands Gov. John P. deJongh.
Jonathan Adler (photo by Andrew Ramonas / Main Justice)
Jonathan Adler, president of the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, which represents 25,000 officers, including ATF agents, said the Virgin Islands is “completely out of control.” He said the federal law enforcement community does not respect the territory’s “kangaroo court.”
“We need to make sure everybody in America knows: the U.S. Virgin Islands, they’re taking those first two letters for granted,” Adler said, flanked by a U.S. flag and a sign that said the territory is “UNSAFE!.”
“They don’t deserve the U.S. in their name. Far as I’m concerned, we take those letters away, we keep our hero here,” he said.
The demonstration on Wednesday was the second rally in support of Clark. Rep. Christopher Lee (R-N.Y.) and members of the federal law enforcement community held a rally on Capitol Hill last month for the ATF agent.
[...] Deputy Director Kenneth Melson, who has led the agency since April 2009, made a brief appearance before the start of a rally in D.C. in support of an ATF special agent. Melson has told ATF agents [...]
[...] made a brief appearance earlier this month before the start of a D.C. rally that paid tribute to the ATF agent. The Federal [...]