US Attorney General to speak at ATF agent funeral


January 6, 2012 at 9:30a.m.

US Attorney General to speak at ATF agent funeral

SEAFORD, N.Y. (AP) — Attorney General Eric Holder is attending the funeral of an ATF agent from New York’s Long Island killed in a friendly fire shooting while trying to stop a pharmacy robbery.

Holder is expected to give remarks at the funeral for Senior Special Agent John Capano. The service is taking place this morning at St. William the Abbott Church in Seaford.

Capano was killed while struggling with a robbery suspect. A retired police lieutenant and an off-duty NYPD officer in a nearby deli ran to the pharmacy. Capano was mistaken for the robbery suspect and the retired lieutenant fired a shot, killing the agent, according to the retired lieutenant’s lawyer. The off-duty NYPD officer then shot and killed the robbery suspect.

The retired officer’s attorney said Thursday his client is devastated by the killing.