According to reports, a federal Drug Enforcement Administration agent sued the federal government in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., in 2006, after a video of him accidentally discharging his firearm went viral on the Internet.

The incident happened in April 2004 at a community center where the agent was talking with approximately 50 children and parents. One of the parents caught the alleged firearm discharge on tape.

According to his suit, the government was responsible for the leak that allowed the video to appear on YouTube and other video websites. Due to the leak, his privacy was violated, he contends. His initial suit was rejected in December 2010 by a judge. The agent then took his case to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.

According to the appellate court, a video clip cut from the original recording of the agent's talk was never part of the DEA's records, and that the video was never retrieved by an agent. In court papers, the man's attorney criticized the record-keeping of the DEA, suggesting that internal rules were not obeyed in regards to retaining records.

The agent, who was an undercover agent at the height of the video's popularity, lost his appeal. Despite this, the court was still concerned about the video's release and suggested that federal agencies should take particular care to control any leaks, especially those of video evidence, when such a large portion of the population carries technology capable of placing anything on the Internet in a matter of seconds.

Luckily the man has another avenue if he wants to keep pursuing his case. The Supreme Court would be the next step up from the federal appellate court.

Source: Legal Times, "DEA Agent Involved In Self-Shooting Loses Appeal In D.C. Circuit," Mike Scarcella, Jan. 17, 2012