A top executive at the Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport is brain dead and not likely to survive more than a day after a gunfight with federal agents as they executed a search warrant on Tuesday.
Bryan Malinowski, 53, the executive director at the Little Rock, Arkansas airport was shot in the head when gunfire erupted at his West Little Rock home around 6 a.m. Tuesday
He “was injured with gunshot wounds and treated on scene by paramedics before being transported to a local hospital,” the Arkansas State Police said in a statement Tuesday.
No information about the search warrant or why Malinowski’s home was subjected to the raid has been released.
Malinowski’s loved ones feel something doesn’t add up to what led to the shooting.
“Something stinks to high hell,” brother Matthew Malinowski told NBC News.
Family members rushed to Malinowski’s side on Wednesday, where last rites were given to the wounded airport administrator, according to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
“We don’t know if he’s going to make it in the next 24 hours,” Matthew told NBC at his brother’s bedside. “He was shot in the head.”
Doctors placed the injured Bryan Malinowski on life support and wouldn’t perform surgery on him “because they don’t think he’s going to make it,” his brother told the outlet.
The airport executive is reportedly an avid collector of guns, weapons and coins and lived in an upper-middle-class neighborhood making $253,000 a year as the top brass at the joint civil-military airport.
“When someone makes that much money, there’s no incentive to do anything wrong,” the brother added. “He has so much to lose.”
One agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives suffered a non-life threatening gunshot wound during the ATF’s early morning federal search warrant.
Neighbors of Malinowski reported watching guns and ammunition being taken from the Durance Court home before being loaded onto a trailer as firefighters brought in crowbars and circular saws to cut metal inside the residence, according to KARK.
The quiet cul-de-sac was shocked to hear the shooting before witnessing emergency vehicles swarm the neighborhood.
“I heard about five or six, like, loud bangs,” Shea De Bruyn allegedly told the outlet.
“My heart was racing and the dogs were barking.” the startled neighbor added. “I’m just really curious as to what was going on just a few houses down.”
“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,” the ASP added in its statement.
Malinowski joined the Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport in 2008 as Director of Properties, Planning and Development and was promoted to deputy director in 2009, according to his biography on the airport website.
The Clinton’s ties to Arkansas stem from Bill Clinton’s governorship from 1979 to 1981, and again from 1983 to 1992.
With Post wires.
