WASHINGTON, March 28 (UPI) -- The family of former NFL player Pat Tillman has angrily accused the Pentagon of using his death in Afghanistan to recruit more soldiers.
"Once again, we are being used as props in a Pentagon public relations exercise," the Tillman family said in a statement as they rejected the Pentagon's latest explanation of the U.S. Army Ranger's friendly fire death in 2004.
The Tillmans' statement said they rejected the Pentagon's version of their son's death because of "the relentless pattern of the Bush administration of deception, evasion and spin" in the war on terrorism, the Los Angeles Times reported.
The Tillmans said Pat Tillman was killed by "a combination of shoddy leadership and clear violations of the rules of engagement, as well as violations of the law of land warfare."
Tillman's family has battled with the Pentagon since learning that he died as a result of friendly fire and not in enemy combat as the military originally told them.
The Tillmans demanded a congressional investigation into the matter and U.S. Rep. Michael M. Honda, D-Calif., asked the House Armed Services Committee to have hearings.
