2 ex-Blackwater guards charged with murder

[unhappycamper]

2 ex-Blackwater guards charged with murder
By Devlin Barrett and Mike Baker - The Associated Press
Posted : Thursday Jan 7, 2010 16:19:38 EST

RALEIGH, North Carolina — Two former Blackwater contractors were arrested Thursday on murder charges in the shootings of two Afghans after a traffic accident last year, according to an indictment obtained by The Associated Press.

The indictment charges Justin Cannon, 27, and Chris Drotleff, 29, with second-degree murder, attempted murder and weapons charges. FBI agents arrested both of them without incident, said Peter Carr, a spokesman with the U.S. attorney’s office in Virginia’s eastern district.

Both men have said in recent interviews with The Associated Press that they were justified in opening fire on a car that caused an accident in front of their vehicle, then turned and sped toward them. The indictment says the shooting at a Kabul intersection killed two people. At least one other person was injured.

The military veterans worked for Paravant, a subsidiary of Xe, the company formerly known as Blackwater. Both Cannon and Drotleff were fired after the shooting for failing to comply with the terms of their contract.

“I feel comfortable firing my weapon any time I feel my life is in danger,” Drotleff said in a recent interview. “That night, my life was 100 percent in danger.”


Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2010/01/ap_blackwater_murder_charges_010710/