ICE S/A Wilhelm

[CColema4]

CNN and Fox News are reporting that suspected Atlanta courthouse shooter Brian Nichols may have been involved in the death of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agent David Wilhelm, an assistant special agent in charge of ICE's Atlanta field office.

A sad couple of days for all of us in LE, both local and federal.

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By RUSS BYNUM, Associated Press Writer

DULUTH, GA. - A man accused of killing three people at a courthouse was captured Saturday after taking a woman hostage at an apartment complex, officials said. The man is also a suspect in the fatal shooting of an immigration agent earlier Saturday.

"Brian Nichols is in custody. He turned himself in without incident. Everybody is safe," said Officer Darren Moloney of the Gwinnett County Police Department.

Moloney said Nichols was armed and had a female hostage when he was caught. The woman was not identified by authorities, and it was unclear what relationship she had with Nichols.

Nichols, 33, was taken into federal custody. FBI (news - web sites) Spokesman Steve Lazarus said Nichols is a suspect in the courthouse shootings and the fatal shooting of a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent found dead early Saturday.

The agent was discovered shot to death at an upscale townhouse complex, and his blue pickup truck, pistol and badge were missing.

The agent's stolen pickup truck was located outside the complex where the standoff took place.

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[EcL1pz]

I was about to post that too.

From CNN:

A Department of Homeland Security official in Washington Saturday said the off-duty U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement officer who was shot and killed was David Wilhelm, an assistant special agent in charge of ICE's Atlanta field office.


Sad day indeed.

I fly my american flag on my truck half staff.

[PEACE]

Prayers to his family and mourning colleagues. RIP ASAC Wilhelm ...

[sigy]

R.I.P. :crying2:

[federaliguy82]

This is just to say goodbye and thank you to ICE Special Agent David Wilhelm.
May God keep you, angels comfort you, and may we never forget your service or sacrifice. Rest in peace my brother.

Prayers go out to the families of the judge, court reporter, and deputy as well. Know that all of us in the law enforcement community are heart broken over this tragedy. May they all rest in peace.

[Tripwire]

God bless him and all of the others that have lost their lives because of that criminal.

[DWD]

:( He was a good man. God bless his family and the other families in their loss.

[jmader72]

God bless those who gave their lives during this ordeal.

Thank you to all of you who put yourselves in harms way every day.

[USCGtoSDPD]

Truly a sad day. My heart goes out to the family of the ICE Agent as well as the families of the other victims including a Deputy, a Judge, and a Court Clerk.

[nwfiregirl]

Thoughts and prayers to all who were touched by this horrible ordeal.

[slatercm]

My heart goes out to all the families who lost loved ones to this criminal - just another sad reminder of what law enforcement officers go through on a daily basis.

My thoughts and prayers will be with them.

[Craig_Lnu]

Amen

[ICE Deportation]

My thoughts and prayers go out to the families of ICE ASAC Wilhem, Fulton Co. Deputies, Judge Barnes, and Court reporter Ms. Brandau.

God bless all my Law Enforcement Brothers and Sisters in the daily performance of their duties.

[BigLew72]

A very sad day indeed. Words cannot describe the anger I feel towards this senseless crime. Rest in peace.

- BigLew

[ATFpoa]

Our prayers go with ASAC Wilhelm and his family...

[Chaser199]

A very sad day indeed. Words cannot describe the anger I feel towards this senseless crime. Rest in peace.

My sentiments.

[g.stone]

R.i.p.

[PEACE]

I never met David, but I know some of you on this board have - my condolences to you all.

I would like to ask - does anyone know exactly what went down. I'm sure David would want current and future officers/agents to learn from this incident. Any insight into the facts of this tragedy - concerning SA Wilhelm's confronting/being confronted, etc - would be a great learning opportunity for many.

Second, if David was anything like most of us, he'd probably want to be remembered for everything else he was too - how about some of those here who knew him telling us some David-stories: funny stories, pet-peeves, and basically your memories of him.

God speed David ...

PEACE

[Big Sexy]

Friends Remember ICE Atlanta ASAC David Wilhelm
AP, GA, March 13
SALISBURY, N.C. (AP) -- Friends remembered slain federal agent David Wilhelm as a hard worker who earned money by milking cows at 4 a.m. while a teenager and repossessing cars while a college student.
The Salisbury native was believed shot to death by the suspect in the Atlanta courthouse shootings of a judge and two others.

Wilhelm, who remodeled and built homes in his free time, reportedly was laying tile in a bathroom when he was shot. The suspect took Wilhelm's pistol, money and badge and drove off in his blue pickup, police said.

An Atlanta-area funeral home planned to drive Wilhelm's body to his hometown of Salisbury on Monday, Greg Hall of Carmichael-Hemperly Funeral Home said Sunday.

Wilhelm's wife of six years, Candee, recalled her husband as a man with a strong work ethic. She said he rarely missed workouts at the gym and loved to do tile work. She said he had been working on their house almost every weekend for the last two months. They planned to move in in June.

On Friday, as helicopters choppered overheard and authorities searched for the suspect in the courthouse shootings, Candee Wilhelm said she worried along with everyone else in Atlanta. About 8:30 p.m. Friday, she said goodbye to her husband and returned to their apartment while he continued working on the house.

"I tried to call him later," she told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, "but I couldn't get an answer."

"He was a go-getter," said Lane Yates, a high school classmate and college roommate.

Yates and Wilhelm started a pair of businesses in the three years they lived together at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, where Wilhelm earned a criminal justice degree. The pair repossessed cars for dealerships and cleaned carpets to earn money while attending school.

Later, after Wilhelm had become a customs agent in Charlotte, Yates sometimes helped on some of his remodeling or building projects.

Wilhelm was known to law-enforcement colleagues in Charlotte as hardworking but easygoing, with ace investigative skills and a generous spirit. "He was a great professional," said Charlotte-Mecklenburg police Capt. Keith Dinkins, who supervised vice officers who worked closely with Wilhelm.

Wilhelm and his wife, Candee, had moved from Charlotte to Norfolk, Va., then to Atlanta in November. Wilhelm was made second in command over the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Atlanta office.
An 18-year agency veteran, Wilhelm, 40, worked for the customs service on cases that included financial investigations, narcotics smuggling and human smuggling. His brother, Patrick, also works as an agent in Atlanta, officials said.

In 2001, Wilhelm won the agency's Blue Eagle Award for work on an investigation resulting in the seizure of about two tons of marijuana and $2.4 million in cash. The award is given annually for work beyond expected daily duties. Wilhelm was tenacious and cunning, a superb team- builder, said Jeff Jordan, the assistant special agent in charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in North Carolina.

"I think America has lost a true patriot," he said



Slain customs agent remembered as hardworking team player

Access North Georgia, GA, March 13,

When Gretchen Shappert goes to trial next month, she says she will prosecute the case for David Wilhelm, a federal agent found shot to death Saturday and believed to be a victim of the suspect in the courthouse shootings of a judge and two others the day before.
Shappert, the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina, worked with the customs and immigration agent for more than a decade, and she described him as "the finest agent I've ever worked with."
"His expertise was phenomenal," Shappert said. "Now I have to get ready for a case without him, and it starts in three weeks.
"We intend to try this case with him in mind. We'll do this one for David."
Wilhelm, who was second in command over the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Atlanta office, was gunned down inside the home he was having built in north Atlanta, apparently another victim in a 26-hour terrorizing rampage through the city.
Brian Nichols, who is the suspect in the killing of a judge, a court reporter and a deputy, was taken into federal custody Saturday for Wilhelm's death.
The arrest came hours after Wilhelm's body was discovered by his law enforcement colleagues.
An 18-year veteran of the agency, Wilhelm was transferred in November to Atlanta, where his brother is also an agent, when he was promoted to assistant special agent-in-charge. He also has worked in Charlotte, N.C., and Norfolk, Va. Wilhelm worked on cases involving financial investigations, narcotics smuggling, human smuggling and customs violations.
In 2001, Wilhelm won the agency's Blue Eagle Award for his work on narcotics investigation that resulted in the seizure of about two tons of marijuana and $2.4 million in cash. The agency award is bestowed annually for work that goes beyond expected daily duties.
Wilhelm had Friday off from work and spent most of the day working on the house for himself and his wife when he was fatally shot, authorities said.
Jeff Jordan, a friend and former boss, called Wilhelm's death "senseless."
"He would give you the shirt off his back," Jordan said. "He would've given the guy a ride if that's what it took."
He described Wilhelm as a laid-back country boy who stayed until the job was done _ and could recruit help with his winning personality.
"He had a unique ability to get everybody to work together, to rally everybody and get them to pull the rope in the right direction," Jordan said.
Wilhelm's work ethic was so respected, it prompted Jordan to hire Wilhelm's brother, Patrick, as an agent. "He came from Wilhelm stock; that was good enough for me," Jordan said.
Terry Osborne, Wilhelm's high school teacher and coach, said the Salisbury, N.C., native had many of the same qualities even as a young student athlete at West Rowan Senior High School in Mt. Ulla, N.C.
"He wanted to excel, he wasn't satisfied to be mediocre in anything he did," Osborne said. "He was the real deal, so to speak."
A family statement released through U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said Wilhelm cared deeply for his kin and co-workers, and "he had a unique ability to bring out the best in people."
In the brief statement, the bureau requests that the family's privacy be respected.

[Big Sexy]

Model lawman lauded by peers

Atlanta Journal Constitution, GA, Mar. 18, Dan Chapman

The police officers, sheriff's deputies and federal agents rolled over these Piedmont hills Thursday and into Rowan Memorial Park, where they doffed formal-dress caps, saluted with white-gloved hands, and bade silent farewell to a fallen comrade many of them never met.
Yet they ventured from Georgia, Florida, Mississippi, Minnesota, Pennsylvania on this raw, damp afternoon to pay their respects to David Gray Wilhelm, a "supercop" whose meteoric rise as a drug-busting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent inspired tales of bravery and feelings of respect.
He was only 40 and was off duty when Brian G. Nichols gunned him down six days ago at the Buckhead home he was building for himself and his wife, Candee, authorities say. His death was random, unnecessary and, according to colleagues assembled along the cemetery's rain- and snow-bogged expanse, pitifully ironic for such a dedicated and decorated agent.
"We could probably deal with this much better if he had died in the line of duty," said Ben DeVane, Wilhelm's former boss and longtime friend. "In a 30- or 40-year career, you're fortunate to come across a handful of people who are superstars. That was Dave. Most of the world won't ever know what was lost here."
But the folks in Salisbury, an old textile and railroad town halfway between Atlanta and Washington, will. David's young life, like his adulthood, was marked by a seriousness of purpose and a quiet burning to get ahead by doing the right thing.
'Knew what he wanted to do'
At 6, David — one of Dwight and Betty Wilhelm's four boys — kept drawing and redrawing Santa Claus' face to make sure the smile was just right. Later, Wilhelm milked cows, rising at 4 to earn some schoolboy pocket money. The reticence disappeared between his sophomore and junior years at West Rowan High School.
"He was very quiet and reserved, and then he started lifting weights," said a friend, Teresa Lanning. "David had it together. He was a real deep thinker. He knew what he wanted to do in life."
Newly muscled, Wilhelm played stellar defensive end for the Falcons football team. He ran for class president in 1981 and lost — to Lanning, in a runoff. ("He congratulated me and acted no different at all," said Lanning, a nurse in Salisbury.)
He was an honors student, earning straight A's in Terry Osborne's history and political science classes.
Most of his collegiate years were spent at the nearby University of North Carolina at Charlotte, where he spent his off hours working as a security guard, tiling floors, cleaning carpets or repossessing cars.
"He was kind of adventuresome," explained Col. John Edward Gray, Wilhelm's uncle and a retired Marine. "You can't have much fear if you repo cars. You go poking around in people's back yards, you're asking for trouble. He always seemed to be somewhat fearless."
It may have cost him his life.
Details of Wilhelm's final confrontation remain sketchy and largely depend on statements made by Nichols to Atlanta authorities. After shooting Wilhelm, Nichols said he took the agent's 1994 Chevy pickup, his badge and his gun. Wilhelm was found dead in the five-bedroom home he was building near Lenox Square.
The Rev. Thomas L. Griffis, who delivered Thursday's sermon at Wilhelm's memorial service at Catawba College, spoke of the "senseless act by a desperate man."
"Some sinister face of evil stole silently into Candee and David's home and ended a life," Griffis said.
The sorrow, and anger, was palpable in the stately red-brick chapel, where 1,000 mourners filled every pew and stood three deep along the sides. Candee Wilhelm, who'd been married to David for six years, offered a sad yet uplifting eulogy for the man she loves.
"Often he would make eye contact with the homeless, broken or needy individual on the corner, roll down the window and offer an encouraging word and a few dollars from his pocket," she said slowly, standing within whispering distance of Wilhelm's casket, covered with white roses.
Took down many dealers
Wilhelm began his career in 1987 in Beaufort, S.C, where Ron Taylor, his boss, taught the "wet-behind-the-ears" rookie how to cobble together drug deals.
Wiretaps — an intricate, high-risk crime-busting tool — proved Wilhelm's forte.
Taylor credits Wilhelm with taking down a large marijuana smuggling ring by supervising wired informants, surveillance teams and an assortment of local, state and federal authorities.
"He took down huge operations from top to bottom. That's extremely difficult," said Taylor, who retired from the Charlotte office in 2002. "Very few agents bring those kind of cases to court. He was head and shoulders above the rest."
In 2001, after dismantling another drug smuggling ring and seizing 2 tons of pot near his childhood home, Wilhelm was awarded the agency's prestigious Blue Eagle Award. He spent 18 years busting drug traffickers and other miscreants, the last five months in Atlanta as one of the top special agents in charge of ICE's Southeast region.
He almost washed out, though.
In 1989, in charge of his first major investigation, Wilhelm was ordered to debrief agents at 2 a.m. one morning. He overslept. Bad weather postponed the bust — much to Wilhelm's relief.
The next night he slept in the Charlotte office, and the Anson County sting proved highly successful, DeVane said.
DeVane, Taylor and other agents said they'd miss Wilhelm's sense of humor and his dead-on imitations of informants, prisoners, judges and New York detectives.
Before Wilhelm was laid to rest, alongside a pond and a stand of pine trees a few short miles from his parents' home, his friends and newfound admirers paused to remember the special special agent.
The bagpipes' "Amazing Grace" disappeared into the cold wind. Candee, stoic, accepted the folded American flag that graced Wilhelm's casket.
A 21-gun salute followed. A bugler played taps. Police radios announced that Wilhelm was no longer in service. Three planes flew low over the cemetery, one peeling off in the lone-man formation.
Those who'd never met Wilhelm will long remember him now.

[MacLeod]

Words can't do justice to the tone and atmosphere of the service. It was a very cold and miserable day. It hit home for me, when SECTOR called out his call sign on the radio and reported him final 10-7.