An investigation is carried out on FBI agents involved on Oregon occupier fatal shooting incident after one or more federal agents did not admit that they have shot Robert "LaVoy" Finicum in January. The investigations also revealed on Tuesday that four FBI agents are suspected of lying to cover it up.
Law enforcement official revealed during the news conference in Bend that Oregon State Police troopers shot Finicum, the 54-year old Arizona rancher three times, during a remote road confrontation, ABC News reported. Oregon authorities conducted an investigation and found the troopers were justified in killing Finicum because he repeatedly tried to reached his weapon, Dan Norrism, the Malheur County District Attorney said.
It was also found out that the FBI hostage rescue team members failed to report that they have shot Finicum, two round shots, Los Angeles Times reported. They are also looking through on whom the bullets belong to and further counts of bullets that were fired. Deschutes County Sheriff Shane Nelson said, "We could not explain the fourth shot into the roof of the truck, or its trajectory given the placement of the Oregon State Police troopers at the time."
According to the reports of the local investigators, Finicum was shot from behind by two state troopers during the January 26 chaotic incident, according to Oregon Live. One of the bullets has struck directly on Finicum's heart. It was not also revealed the reason why one of the members of the Hostage Rescue Team did not report the fired two shots. Investigators also did not reveal further details regarding on what the four fellow members of the team did to be criminally investigated. However, they said it was "related to conduct after the shooting."
Finicum was a high-profile part of the "week long standoff" at Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, launched Jan. 2 by a small armed group. The group demands the government to relinquish their control of public lands and objecting to the prison sentences of two local ranchers convicted of setting fires.
Finicum's widow, Jeanette Finicum, said on Tuesday, she is rejecting authorities' conclusion that her husband's shooting was justified. She is in talks with lawyers about taking her family's fight to court. Finicum was among the leaders of the takeover of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge near Burns.
