Friendly fire MY ASS

I'll start here by noting that I have no respect for the ATF. They are a rogue organization set up for the purpose of doing an end run on court rulings regarding the Constitution. They are one group that should be eliminated from the federal spectrum of law enforcement, especially in light of their misconduct at Ruby Ridge and Waco. In both cases the FBI had to clean up their mess, and they were bad ones no matter how you want to look at them.
This aint about the ATF though, just one of their agents who died a hero. John Capano was at his local pharmacy at the wrong time, a robbery was in progress. He was there to get meds for his ailing father. Cops are cops 24/7, its a state of mind they need since criminals don't work set hours either. John stepped in to stop the robber and got killed for his efforts.
It would be sad if a criminal killed a good samaritan no matter if he was a cop or not. Its sadder still when that good samaritan is killed by another good samaritan, in this case a retired cop. It seems the ruckus alerted others in the area to what was going on, and they went to help. That the suspect was killed as well is no comfort to any one.
John was an explosives expert, one of the duties the ATF performs that I respect and believe is needed. It should be a function of the FBI or Marshall's is my opinion, but until that happens, we need them for times when crazies like Ted Kazinski get a hankering to be destructive. Or my favorite group to bash, the religion of I'll blow you to pieces. They have a love for explosives, and New York is too often a target for them.
Part of the problem is New York's restrictive gun laws. Cops see a gun and no badge, and they assume it must be a bad guy. john is the third off duty cop killed there this year. if more people were armed, the cops would be less swift to shoot some one displaying a gun. Likewise, criminals would be hesitant to strike becasue they might be taking on an armed and angry granny. As for that retired cop, he has a lot to live with now. It won't be easy for him.  My sympathy to him and the family of John Capano.