Afghanistan: When Tillman Died

[David]

AP


Army officials reportedly knew within days of Pat Tillman's death that the former NFL player had been killed by fellow Rangers during a patrol in Afghanistan but did not inform his family and the public for weeks.

That's according to The Washington Post, which says an Army report shows that four days before Tillman's nationally televised memorial service, Gen. John P. Abizaid, the theater commander in Afghanistan, and other top Army officials were aware an investigation had determined his death was the result of an act of "gross negligence."

Tillman, 27, turned down a multimillion-dollar contract with the Arizona Cardinals to join the Army after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. He was taking cover behind a boulder along a canyon road near the Pakistani border when a firefight erupted at twilight on April 22, 2004.

According to The Post - which says its report is based on a review of nearly 2,000 documents it obtained - troops on the scene said they were immediately sure that Tillman was killed by a barrage of American bullets.

The newspaper furthermore says documents show that officers erroneously reported that Tillman was killed by enemy fire, destroyed critical evidence and initially concealed the truth from his brother, also an Army Ranger, who was stationed near the scene of the incident.

The memorial service in San Jose, Calif., took place May 3, 2004. The Army announced May 29 that Tillman likely died because of friendly fire.

Brig. Gen. Gary M. Jones, who prepared the report, concluded there was no official reluctance to report the truth, according to the Post.

But an Army spokesman, Paul Boyce, told the newspaper: "Notifying families in a timely way that they have had a loved one killed or severely injured is complex and imperfect work. We can do better."



Specialist Pat Tillman, on duty in Afghanistan