FBI agent whose gun fired while dancing can get gun back, judge rules

July 11 (UPI) — An FBI agent facing felony charges after he accidentally shot a man while dancing in a Denver nightclub, can get his gun back, a judge ruled on Tuesday.

Agent Chase Bishop is facing a felony assault charge from the incident last month, which was caught on video and went viral. He was off-duty at the time.

Despite the pending charge, Judge Frances Simonet of Second District County Court in Denver said Chase may get his service weapon back. Prosecutors in the case did not object to the decision because they said the victim of the alleged assault, Tom Reddington, did not object, The New York Times reported.

The viral video shows Bishop dancing at the Mile High Spirits Tasting Room in Denver. He does a backflip and his service weapon falls to the ground. When he picks it up, the gun goes off. Realizing somebody got shot, Bishop smiles, shrugs and walks off-camera.

Reddington, 24, said it took him a moment to realize he had been shot in the leg.

“I heard a loud bang and I thought, ‘Oh, some idiot’s set off a firecracker,” Reddington told Inside Edition. “All of a sudden, from the knee down, became completely red. That’s when it clicked in my head, ‘Oh, I’ve been shot.'”

Reddington said he forgave Bishop for the mistake.

Bishop’s lawyer, David Goddard, said prosecutors have offered a plea deal, but he did not discuss details with the media.

Ryan Haarer

@RyanHaarer

This @FBI agent was dancing at a Denver bar on Saturday night. Did a back flip, gun falls. He picks it up and a round is fired, hitting a man (he’ll be ok.) @DenverPolice investigating.

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