State lawmakers in Arkansas are calling for an investigation into the ATF raid that led to the death of a former Lehigh Valley resident in March 2024.
Dozens of lawmakers signed a letter to President Donald Trump asking him to direct the Department of Justice to launch an independent review of the raid that led to the death of Bryan Malinowski, the former executive director of Clinton National Airport in Arkansas and an Easton-area native.
The former Lehigh Valley International Airport executive was shot and killed in March of 2024. The ATF broke through the man’s front door in the early hours of the morning, while he and his wife were sleeping. The family says they thought it was a break-in.
Maria “Maer” Malinowski, Bryan’s wife, made the following statement regarding a letter recently sent to President Trump and signed by 30 Arkansas Senators, according to a news release from her attorney, Bud Cummins:
“I am immensely grateful for this letter to President Trump, signed by so many Arkansas Senators. It has been two years since my husband was senselessly killed in our home. The government has never answered obvious questions about what happened or why. This letter shows that our state elected officials do not intend to let ATF sweep this tragedy under the rug without accountability.”
State Sen. Mark Johnson talked about the letter in a news conference Monday. He noted the letter was a bipartisan effort.
In the news conference, Johnson said the ATF did not identify any prior criminal history for Malinowski before the raid, and no credible risk of violence prior to deploying the tactics that they used.
Johnson said neither the ATF nor the Little Rock Police Department officers used body-worn cameras during the operation, despite departmental policies requiring their use.
Malinowski’s family filed a wrongful death lawsuit after the raid.
Cummins represents the family who lost Bryan Malinowski. His estate is suing the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for wrongful death, along with a dozen other claims.
Malinowski was living in Arkansas with his wife when it happened.
The morning of the raid, Cummins says 10 carloads of federal and state law enforcement officers pulled up around 6 a.m., while Malinowski and his wife were sleeping. Officers can be seen putting tape over the outside security camera. The lawsuit says they forced entry less than 30 seconds after announcing their arrival, all to deliver a search warrant.
The lawsuit alleges Malinowski and his wife thought it was intruders. Malinowski allegedly opened fire, and he was shot in the head.
One ATF agent was also shot in the exchange and sustained non-life-threatening injuries, according to authorities.
The lawsuit also claims illegal detainment. Bryan’s wife, Maria “Maer” Malinowski, who’d been put in a patrol car, allegedly sat there for hours, wearing just “night clothing” in the cold.
The ATF had been investigating Malinowski for months ahead of the raid.
Unsealed court documents say the Easton-area native bought more than 150 guns since May of 2021 and sold them illegally. Authorities say six of those guns were later used in crimes. One was found on a teen gang member in California.
But the lawsuit says Malinowski was a gun collector, and didn’t need a license under ATF regulations at the time to buy and sell, as a hobbyist.
A state investigation into the incident in 2024 ended with no charges filed against the ATF, saying the agents use of force was justified.
In a letter, Prosecuting Attorney Will Jones said in a letter to Special Agent Joshua Jackson that a Little Rock patrol officer employed his vehicle’s emergency lights and siren to announce the presence of law enforcement.
ATF agents began a series of knocking and announcing ATF presence, Jones said.
Agents executed a search warrant. The agents say Malinowski shot at them, and an agent returned fire, according to the letter.
Immediately after the shooting, officers requested emergency personnel and begin administering medical aid to Malinowski, Jones said.
69 News previously reached out to the ATF about the lawsuit. A spokesperson said the ATF does not comment on ongoing litigation.