{"id":33210,"date":"2016-03-09T15:16:27","date_gmt":"2016-03-09T19:16:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stateofthenation2012.com\/?p=33210"},"modified":"2016-03-09T20:43:02","modified_gmt":"2016-03-10T00:43:02","slug":"police-shooting-of-oregon-occupier-lavoy-finicum-deemed-justified-fbi-agents-being-investigated","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stateofthenation2012.com\/?p=33210","title":{"rendered":"Police shooting of Oregon occupier LaVoy Finicum deemed justified; FBI agents being investigated"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><!--more-->________________<br \/>\n<strong>SOTN Editor&#8217;s Note:<\/strong><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/stateofthenation2012.com\/?p=33218\">MASSIVE COVERUP Of LaVoy Finicum\u2019s Murder Unravels<\/a><\/p>\n<p>By Mark Berman<\/p>\n<h5><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/video\/c\/embed\/75a02be2-e564-11e5-a9ce-681055c7a05f\" width=\"480\" height=\"290\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><br \/>\nThe Deschutes County Sheriff&#8217;s Office in Oregon released cellphone footage recorded inside the vehicle driven by LaVoy Finicum before he was shot and killed by state troopers in January. Finicum was part of the armed group that seized the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. (Deschutes County Sheriff\u2019s Office, FBI)<\/h5>\n<p>Officials in Oregon said on Tuesday\u00a0that\u00a0state troopers were justified in\u00a0fatally shooting\u00a0LaVoy Finicum, who was part of an armed group that had\u00a0occupied\u00a0a\u00a0wildlife refuge,\u00a0because they feared for their lives.<\/p>\n<p>However,\u00a0authorities also said that FBI agents involved in the encounter were being investigated for firing shots and never reporting\u00a0them.<\/p>\n<p>Deschutes County Sheriff Shane Nelson said two bullets believed to be fired by FBI agents did not strike Finicum, who was hit\u00a0by three rounds\u00a0fired by state troopers. But Nelson announced at a news conference Tuesday that because the FBI agents \u201cdid not disclose their shots to investigators, nor did they disclose specific actions they took after the shooting,\u201d his office and the Justice Department would both investigate.<\/p>\n<p>Michael E. Horowitz, the Justice Department\u2019s inspector general, said in a statement Tuesday that his office was investigating the FBI agents\u2019 actions.<\/p>\n<p class=\"interstitial-link\"><i> [<a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/national\/getting-to-hallelujah-the-frantic-final-hours-of-the-oregon-refuge-occupation\/2016\/02\/13\/5b711d8c-d275-11e5-abc9-ea152f0b9561_story.html\">The final, frantic hours of the Oregon occupation<\/a>] <\/i><\/p>\n<p>This news came six weeks after Finicium was fatally shot when FBI agents and Oregon state troopers moved to arrest\u00a0the leadership\u00a0of an armed group that had seized a federal wildlife refuge.<\/p>\n<p>Nelson said the\u00a0FBI agents who fired the shots were part of the bureau\u2019s Hostage Rescue Team, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/world\/national-security\/inside-the-fbis-secret-relationship-with-the-militarys-special-operations\/2014\/04\/10\/dcca3460-be84-11e3-b195-dd0c1174052c_story.html\" target=\"_blank\">an elite group<\/a>\u00a0participating in the law enforcement effort to arrest the Ammon Bundy, the occupations\u2019s leader, and others while they traveled on a highway outside the refuge on Jan. 26. The FBI agents were interviewed the day of the shooting and again the following week, Nelson said.<\/p>\n<p>While local investigators believe the FBI agents fired these shots, there\u00a0did not appear to be any direct evidence so far that FBI agents fired shots, such as shell casings at the scene, according to U.S. law enforcement officials familiar with the investigation. Ammunition from these agents would have been distinct from other shell casings at the scene, officials said.<\/p>\n<p>Nelson said investigators found a bullet hole on the roof of the car that could not be accounted for based on the shots taken by troopers, and said they came to believe that an FBI agent was responsible for it.<\/p>\n<p>These new details came as supporters of Finicum were already enraged by his death.\u00a0The FBI had taken the unusual step of releasing video of\u00a0Finicum\u2019s death two days after it happened in response to what they said were inaccurate and inflammatory reports about\u00a0the incident. This footage did not have audio.<\/p>\n<p class=\"interstitial-link\"><i> [<a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/national\/killing-of-an-oregon-wildlife-refuge-occupier-has-re-energized-protesters\/2016\/01\/30\/1dca4cd6-c6fb-11e5-8965-0607e0e265ce_story.html\">After Finicum\u2019s killing, protesters were re-energized<\/a>] <\/i><\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe public deserved to have the video, with audio and sound, released immediately after the shooting,\u201d Mike Arnold, Bundy\u2019s attorney, said in a statement Tuesday. \u201cNow we know why it wasn\u2019t released: the public would have heard the shots that the government didn\u2019t want it to hear.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>During brief remarks on Tuesday, Greg Bretzing, the special agent in charge of the FBI\u2019s Oregon division, said the question of who fired shots during the situation \u201chas not been resolved.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Bretzing\u00a0did not specify if he was questioning whether the FBI agents actually fired any shots or saying that he was not sure which specific FBI agent or agents fired shots. Nelson said Tuesday that authorities \u201cdon\u2019t\u00a0know the identity of who fired those rounds,\u201d but he repeatedly said two shots were fired by FBI agents.<\/p>\n<p>A spokeswoman for the FBI did not respond to a quest for comment.<\/p>\n<p>The six shots fired by state troopers \u2014 three of which hit Finicum\u00a0\u2014 \u201cwere justified and, in fact, necessary\u201d because these troopers\u00a0feared for their lives, Malheur County District Attorney\u00a0Dan Norris said at the news conference Tuesday.<\/p>\n<p>Law enforcement officials had stopped a pair of vehicles on Jan. 26 when Finicum,\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/national\/family-rancher-killed-in-oregon-hated-federal-tyranny-loved-kids\/2016\/01\/27\/a30f420e-c523-11e5-8965-0607e0e265ce_story.html\" target=\"_blank\">a grandfather and Arizona rancher who acted as the occupiers\u2019 spokesman<\/a>, tried to drive away at a high speed.<\/p>\n<p>Armed officers shouted commands at the people inside both vehicles when they initially stopped. On Tuesday, authorities released new video footage captured from a passenger inside Finicum\u2019s truck. Finicum can be heard yelling \u201cshoot me\u201d at the agents before eventually taking off down the road.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt was not the outcome that any of us wanted, but one that he alone was responsible for,\u201d Tim Colahan, the Harney County district attorney, said Tuesday.<\/p>\n<div class=\"inline-content inline-photo inline-photo-center horizontal-photo modal-0\">\n<h5><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"zoom-in\" src=\"http:\/\/img.washingtonpost.com\/rf\/image_908w\/2010-2019\/WashingtonPost\/2016\/01\/16\/Local-Enterprise\/Images\/505121296-531.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/>LaVoy Finicum speaks to the media in January. (Joe Raedle\/Getty Images)<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<p>Finicum swerved at one point to avoid a law enforcement roadblock, nearly hitting an agent, before eventually veering off the road and into a snowy bank, authorities said.<\/p>\n<p>After Finicum got out of the car and walked toward an officer, he appeared to twice reach toward his jacket, where officials said they later found a loaded 9mm handgun.<\/p>\n<div id=\"slug_inline_bb_2\" class=\"wp-inline-bb pb-centered-bb has-subscribe-promo\"><\/div>\n<p>There was one state trooper in front of Finicum with a Taser who intended to use the device to subdue him, but two troopers behind Finicum told investigators that they opened fire at him because they believed he was reaching for a gun, Nelson said. All three shots hit Finicum\u00a0in the back, according to the autopsy conducted by the Oregon State Medical Examiner\u2019s Office.<\/p>\n<p>Finicum\u2019s widow, Jeanette, told reporters that her family did not agree with\u00a0the findings announced Tuesday. She said that her husband had his hands in the air as a symbol of surrender and was ambushed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI can hardly believe that a team of qualified law officers could look at the facts in this case and say that no criminal laws were violated,\u201d Jeanette Finicum said, according\u00a0to <a href=\"http:\/\/www.oregonlive.com\/oregon-standoff\/2016\/03\/lavoy_finicums_widow_disputes.html\" target=\"_blank\">the Oregonian<\/a>.<br \/>\nhttp:\/\/twitter.com\/LesZaitz\/status\/707291105616797696\/photo\/1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw<\/p>\n<p>FBI officials had previously said they had deliberately allowed the occupation to continue without challenge for weeks, spurred by the memories of backlashes after bloody sieges in Waco, Tex., and Ruby Ridge, Idaho.<\/p>\n<p>During a news conference two days after the shooting,\u00a0FBI officials released footage of Finicum\u2019s death, evoking what has become common across the country in recent years: law enforcement agents offering a\u00a0narrative behind a fatal shooting involving a police officer to dispel different accounts of the shooting and\u00a0avoid possible unrest.<\/p>\n<article>\n<div class=\"inline-content inline-video\">\n<div id=\"player-87ef4eb8-e55f-11e5-a9ce-681055c7a05f-285934\" class=\"posttv-video-embed wpv-player wpv-processed wpv-share-small\" data-has-been-visible=\"true\" data-loading-screen=\"blackout\" data-auto-play=\"1\" data-auto-init=\"0\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.5625\" data-category-id=\"wirereuters\" data-duration=\"86000\" data-headline=\"Prosecutor: Shooting of LaVoy Finicum 'justified'\" data-is-truth-teller=\"0\" data-max-height=\"-1\" data-max-width=\"-1\" data-object-id=\"56df2070e4b02f10a5b969d5\" data-show-endscreen=\"1\" data-show-promo=\"http:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/posttv-thumbnails-prod\/thumbnails\/56df2070e4b02f10a5b969d5\/lavoy.jpg\" data-uuid=\"87ef4eb8-e55f-11e5-a9ce-681055c7a05f\" data-youtube-id=\"\">\n<div class=\"wpv-overlay\">\n<div class=\"wpv-masthead\">\n<h3 class=\"wpv-headline franklin-light\">Prosecutor: Shooting of LaVoy Finicum &#8216;justified&#8217;<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<h5><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/video\/c\/embed\/87ef4eb8-e55f-11e5-a9ce-681055c7a05f\" width=\"480\" height=\"290\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><br \/>\nThe fatal shooting of LaVoy Finicum, one of the armed protesters who took over a federal wildlife refuge in Oregon in January, was &#8220;justified and necessary,&#8221; Malheur County District Attorney Dan Norris said on March 8. (Reuters)<\/h5>\n<p>The fatal shooting of LaVoy Finicum, one of the armed protesters who took over a federal wildlife refuge in Oregon in January, was &#8220;justified and necessary,&#8221; Malheur County District Attorney Dan Norris said on March 8. (Reuters)<\/h5>\n<article>But this video did not\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/national\/killing-of-an-oregon-wildlife-refuge-occupier-has-re-energized-protesters\/2016\/01\/30\/1dca4cd6-c6fb-11e5-8965-0607e0e265ce_story.html\" target=\"_blank\">quell the anger of some anti-government activists<\/a>\u00a0and others who decried Finicum\u2019s\u00a0death as an assassination and an ambush. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/national\/rolling-rally-in-oregon-marks-killing-of-wildlife-refuge-occupier-lavoy-finicum\/2016\/01\/30\/35f53678-c7cc-11e5-a4aa-f25866ba0dc6_story.html\" target=\"_blank\">A \u201crolling rally\u201d was held in Burns<\/a>, Ore., a small town near the wildlife refuge, to show support for Finicum and argue that he was murdered.After the shooting and the Bundy\u2019s arrest,\u00a0the\u00a0occupation at Malheur National Wildlife Refuge\u00a0dwindled to four holdouts who remained at the refuge until Feb. 11, when they <a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/national\/getting-to-hallelujah-the-frantic-final-hours-of-the-oregon-refuge-occupation\/2016\/02\/13\/5b711d8c-d275-11e5-abc9-ea152f0b9561_story.html\" target=\"_blank\">peacefully surrendered after an hours-long, fraught negotiation<\/a> live-streamed to an audience on YouTube.<\/p>\n<p>Finicum, in his death, had become a martyr for some. One of the last occupiers <a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/national\/oregon-wildlife-refuge-stand-off-ends-as-last-four-occupiers-surrender-to-fbi\/2016\/02\/11\/eb330550-c782-11e5-8965-0607e0e265ce_story.html\" target=\"_blank\">posted a video before he turned himself in<\/a> to authorities, calling the refuge \u201cCamp Finicum.\u201d A group <a href=\"http:\/\/fox13now.com\/2016\/03\/05\/rally-at-utah-state-capitol-honors-arizona-rancher-killed-during-oregon-standoff\/\" target=\"_blank\">gathered at the Utah capitol<\/a> over the weekend to rally in Finicum\u2019s name.<\/p>\n<p>Authorities have indicted two dozen people for the refuge occupation and say that more charges are likely. People charged with seizing the facility \u2014 an occupation that began Jan. 2 after protests supporting\u00a0two local ranchers convicted of arson \u2014 have <a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/national\/family-rancher-killed-in-oregon-hated-federal-tyranny-loved-kids\/2016\/01\/27\/a30f420e-c523-11e5-8965-0607e0e265ce_story.html\" target=\"_blank\">pleaded not guilty<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><em>Adam Goldman contributed to this report.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>___<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/news\/post-nation\/wp\/2016\/03\/08\/authorities-to-release-results-of-investigation-into-lavoy-finicum-shooting\/\">http:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/news\/post-nation\/wp\/2016\/03\/08\/authorities-to-release-results-of-investigation-into-lavoy-finicum-shooting\/<\/a><\/p>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-33210","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateofthenation2012.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33210","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateofthenation2012.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateofthenation2012.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateofthenation2012.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateofthenation2012.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=33210"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/stateofthenation2012.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33210\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateofthenation2012.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=33210"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateofthenation2012.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=33210"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateofthenation2012.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=33210"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}