The investigation into the fatal shooting of Oregon rancher and right-wing militia leader LaVoy Finicum has raised questions about whether the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) lied about their actions and removed bullet casings from the scenes, adding accusations that the federal agents engaged in a cover-up.
The Guardian reported that evidence of FBI's failure to disclose that the agents had fired a shot at Finicum and questions about whether vital evidence was removed comes from the Deschutes County sheriff's office investigation.
The five federal agents denied firing their assault rifles during the shooting incident. However, the Oregon State Police officer told investigators that he found two copper-colored rifle casings near the area where the agents were standing. The Oregon police use only silver-colored casings while the Hostage Rescue Team used copper-colored casings. Reports say that copper-colored casings were never recovered.
Sheriff Shane Nelson, who is the head of the investigation, concluded that FBI operators fired two shots as Finicum exited the truck, and one shot hit the vehicle. Sheriff Nelson accuses the FBI of failing to "disclose their shots" to the investigators, reports The Washington Post.
LaVoy Finicum, 54, Arizona rancher and one of the leaders of the militia that occupied an Oregon wildlife refuge, was shot and killed by state troopers on a remote highway on January. The confrontation also resulted in the apprehensions of key activists and ended the 41-day standoff.
According to The Oregonian, law enforcement said that they had seen an FBI video footage that showed a federal agent appear to bend over twice and pick up something near where the two shots likely occurred. The report then bolstered theories that the FBI indeed removed critical evidence.
From the start of the investigation, supporters of Finicum across the west addressed him as a "martyr for the conservative land-use right movement". The supporters argued that the federal agents planned and executed a coordinated assassination of a non-threatening protester, and then worked to cover its tracks by making the scene look like the shooting was a case of self-defense.
FBI agent Greg Bretzing said the officials have not yet resolved the question of who fired the additional shots. Bretzing also added that the FBI was fully cooperating with the general investigation, assuring everyone the "no one" wanted the situation to end in violence or death.
