Terry Turchie, former deputy assistant director of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division, describes Friend as “a model example of what FBI agents nationwide should be.”
“Moral courage, leadership in the face of pressure, and
true to the Oath of Office FBI agents take to defend the United States
Constitution and protect America and its citizens.
“I am beyond proud to offer him my support in the
decisions he had to make.”
Turchie, who led the
Unabomber task force, says he didn’t even use a SWAT team in 1996 to arrest
Theodore Kaczynski, a violent domestic terrorist who had killed three people
and injured 23 others.
“No real FBI agent would defend the position of using
SWAT teams to arrest non-violent senior citizens and others with political
opinions not currently tolerated by this administration, compounded by the idea
that many of these cases involve misdemeanor criminal charges.
“This activity actually generates tension in communities
and increases the potential for tragic results and injuries to FBI agents and
citizens.”
Five former SWAT team members in Friend’s support group
agree that raiding a nonviolent person on a misdemeanor offense was wrong and
potentially dangerous.