Dancing FBI agent arrested over accidental shooting of bystander in nightclub

AN FBI agent who accidentally shot a bystander when his gun went off as he danced in a Denver nightclub has been charged with second-degree assault.

The agent, named as Chase Bishop, could face further charges pending the results of a blood-alcohol test.

The Denver district attorney’s office said Mr Bishop, 29, turned himself in on Tuesday after an arrest warrant was issued and had since been booked into jail. Beth Mccann, the district attorney, said: “We are filing this charge now rather than waiting until the BAC [blood alcohol] report is received, which we understand could take another week, because sufficient evidence has been presented to file it.

“If an additional charge needs to be filed after further evidence is received, we can file those charges then.”

The agent came to international attention when a video surfaced of the shooting incident at the Mile High Spirits bar in the Colorado city on Saturday June 2.

The footage showed the officer dancing while surrounded by revellers before attempting a backflip. During the manoeuvre, a gun is seen falling from his waistband and then goes off as the officer scrambles to retrieve it. The agent is then seen walking away with his hands in the air.

Another bar patron was hit by a bullet in a lower leg, sustaining a non-lifethreatening injury, said the statement by Marika Putnam, a district attorney spokesman.

The FBI has refused to comment on the incident saying it was maintaining public silence “in order to preserve the integrity of the ongoing investigation”.