Emotions ran high in an Arizona courtroom as IRS Special Agent Larry Edward Brown, Jr. faced a jury after the fatal shooting of fellow agent Patrick Bauer. Found not guilty yesterday, in a decision that took around ninety minutes, Brown was acquitted of involuntary manslaughter in the 2023 incident at a Phoenix gun range, as reported by AZFamily. With tears in his eyes, Brown lamented his loss, stating through his attorneys, "Pat was a great man," and "He was a mentor and like a brother to me. I miss him every day."
On the fateful day of August 17, 2023, the shooting took place after Bauer had overseen pistol qualification exercises. Brown shot Bauer while they were in a small building commonly referred to as the "tower," as per a report by AZFamily. Despite the acquittal, tensions were palpable as Bauer's family members expressed their pain in the courtroom; one woman, overwhelmed by grief, even threw her purse against a wall upon hearing the verdict.
The defense portrayed the event as a tragic accident, arguing that the agents present could have acted more quickly to save Bauer's life. Dr. Kenji Inaba, a medical expert hired by Brown's team, suggested that delays in medical treatment reduced Bauer's chances of survival. The ambulance's 25-minute delay in departing from the scene, combined with the 14-minute journey to the hospital, was critical, Inaba implied, according to FOX 10 Phoenix.
Prosecutors, however, painted a different scenario, accusing Brown of recklessly handling the firearm, with negligence resulting in Bauer's preventable death. During the trial, they focused on basic firearm safety rules, which they alleged Brown violated. Bauer's dying words, as recounted in court records, were, "Larry's an effing idiot." In a post-incident report, an FBI agent claimed Brown stressed his role as a use-of-force instructor, lamenting, "I should know better." Brown's lawyers, however, contested that their client never uttered those words. The U.S. Attorney’s Office expressed solidarity with Bauer’s family post-verdict while maintaining respect for the jury's decision, as noted by AZFamily.
