By Eric Mack |
Thursday, 18 August 2022 12:08 PM EDT
As social media is abuzz about the IRS job description calling for future agents to be ready to use “deadly force” — before being edited — a retired special agent is stressing that level of force is only used on “serious” tax criminals.
“It’s just not true,” retired agent Anthony Dominicis, who carried a gun when he busted drug dealers but never fired it, told the New York Post.”The only people who need to be concerned about an armed agent are those involved in serious criminal activity.
“To be armed is smart,” Dominicis added.”I wouldn’t try to arrest somebody without it.”
The IRS agent job description had said the applicant needs to “be willing to use deadly force,” before that was edited out after outrage kicked up on social media, Newsweek reported.
The issue had surfaced amid President Joe Biden’s $739 billion Inflation Reduction Act law brings around $80 billion to the IRS to add 87,000 new agents over the next 10 years.Also, the Government Accountability Office purchased 3,282 pistols, 621 shotguns, and more than 3 million rounds of ammunition in 2018.
“Are they going to have a strike force that goes in with AR-15s already loaded, ready to shoot some small-business person in Iowa?” Sen.
Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, asked last week.
Also, Rep.Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., introduced the Disarm the IRS Act in July to prevent the buying of ammunition.
“They are arming up the IRS like they’re preparing to take Fallujah,” Gaetz said, the Post reported.
Only the IRS Criminal Investigation (CI) division carries guns, targeting drug gangs, money launderers, cyber crooks, and scam artists, according to the IRS’ 2021 report.
Domenicis worked as an undercover special agent within the IRS’s CI.
While he never fired his gun, he told the Post he did draw his weapon while arresting a Mexican drug dealer who vowed to not be taken alive.
“I had an informant inside the house, so we knew he was armed — he had a .45 — and this guy told me our suspect said he wasn’t going back to jail,” Dominicis told the Post.
“It’s always dangerous to knock on someone’s door without knowing what’s going on on the other side,” he continued.”We made entry and I was covering a hallway to the right.
The suspect came out in his underwear so it was pretty easy to see he wasn’t armed.I put my gun on him and there were no issues.”
The IRS agents are not going after everyday Americans for tax audits, but suspected criminals, according to a current IRS CI member — one of 2,046 such agents.
“I don’t believe most people realize how much these agents are engaged in law-enforcement activities,” member Ryan Corrigan, who recently released his book “Special Agent,” told the Post.
“The agents are involved in a lot these days: Crypto currency fraud, terrorism, international money laundering.Any time you make a felony arrest there’s an element of danger to it.
“You may run into somebody who’s armed.It’s better to have a weapon in case you need it.”
© 2022 Newsmax.All rights reserved.
Receive breaking news and original analysis – sent right to your inbox.
Newsmax, Moneynews, Newsmax Health, and Independent.American.are registered trademarks of Newsmax Media, Inc.Newsmax TV, and Newsmax World are trademarks of Newsmax Media, Inc..
