Backflipping FBI Agent Who Accidentally Shot Man Charged With Assault

Ryan Grenoble
Updated

The backflipping FBI agent who accidentally shot a man in the leg at a Denver bar earlier this month was arrested Tuesday and faces charges of second-degree assault, according to Denver Sheriff Department records.

A spokesman for the Denver District Attorney’s office told HuffPost 29-year-old Chase Bishop turned himself in Tuesday morning. Bishop could face additional charges based on the results of a pending blood alcohol content analysis.

“We are filing this charge now rather than waiting until the BAC report is received, which we understand could take another week, because sufficient evidence has been presented to file it,” Denver District Attorney Beth McCann said in an emailed statement. “If an additional charge needs to be filed after further evidence is received, we can file those charges then.”

Bishop gained national notoriety after video of his backflip on a dance floor in the early hours of June 2 went viral. The video shows Bishop’s handgun falling to the floor mid-flip, then discharging into the surrounding crowd with a loud pop when he reaches to recover it.

The agent then immediately tucks the firearm into his waistband and walks away.

Bishop works out of the FBI’s Washington, D.C., office, according to 9News. The agent was on vacation at the time of the incident and not on duty.

The bullet Bishop fired ended up striking the leg of 24-year-old Tom Reddington, a fellow patron of Mile High Spirits who was seated at a picnic table nearby.

“I heard a loud bang and I thought some idiot set off a firecracker,” Reddington told ABC News. “Then I looked down at my leg and see some brown residue... I’m still thinking it’s a firework... all of a sudden from the knee down my leg became completely red. And that’s when it clicked in my head, ‘Oh, I’ve been shot.’”

A bystander fashioned a tourniquet out of a belt to help staunch the bleeding until paramedics arrived. Reddington was transported to a local hospital and is expected to recover fully.

Chase Bishop's booking photo. (Photo: Denver District Attorneys Office)
Chase Bishop's booking photo. (Photo: Denver District Attorneys Office)

This article has been updated with comments from the Denver DA’s office.

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.