LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — A lawsuit has been filed by the widow of Bryan Malinowski, the Arkansas airport director who was killed during a raid by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) at his home last year. The lawsuit alleges that the agency and several officials acted recklessly and negligently during the incident.
Malinowski, who was the Executive Director of the Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport, tragically lost his life after being shot during an ATF raid on March 19, 2024, in Little Rock. The ATF reported that Malinowski had fired at agents, injuring one, before they returned fire.
The warrant for the raid was based on allegations that Malinowski had purchased over 150 guns between May 2021 and February 2024, reselling many without a dealer’s license.
In the lawsuit filed in federal court in Little Rock, Maria “Maer” Malinowski accused the ATF and 10 agents and task force officers of violating hers and her husband’s constitutional rights. The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages and a jury trial.
“The Constitution requires reasonableness and, specifically here, that defendants both knock and announce their presence and purpose and wait a reasonable time before entry,” the lawsuit stated. “The ATF failed to do so, resulting in an entirely predictable, needless and tragic outcome.”
The ATF declined to comment on the ongoing litigation.
A local prosecutor previously stated that an ATF agent was justified in fatally shooting Bryan Malinowski. The incident has sparked criticism from some Republican lawmakers in Arkansas who are demanding more transparency from the ATF.
The lawsuit revealed that Malinowski, a lifelong gun collector, was unaware of being under investigation and mistook the agents entering his home as intruders due to their failure to knock and provide sufficient time for him to respond.
“Today’s lawsuit seeks justice for the nightmare I’ve been living for the last 14 months,” Maria Malinowski expressed in a news release.
