Finicum was part of a group of armed activist ranchers who took over the Malheur Wildlife Refuge as part of a dispute with the Bureau of Land Management over grazing rights for livestock on federal lands. He served as spokesman for the group in interactions with federal authorities and the news media.
Astarita is accused of firing twice at Finicum but missing him as Finicum emerged from his white truck after swerving into a snowbank to avoid a law enforcement roadblock on U.S. 395 in Harney County.”
At the time, Astarita denied discharging his weapon at Finicum, who later was shot by state police thinking he was drawing a weapon.
The indictment clearly states that Astarita “falsely stated he had not fired his weapon during the attempted arrest of Robert LaVoy Finicum, when he knew then and there that he had fired his weapon.”
Investigators of the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Department led the probe into Astarita’s actions that ultimately led to his indictment.
Deschutes County Sheriff Shane Nelson credited his investigators for their tenaciousness and said he was ‘disappointed and angry’’ that the FBI agent’s alleged deceit and actions ‘damage the integrity of the entire law enforcement profession.”
The sheriff also revealed he informed the FBI of his department’s findings more than a year ago, but the federal agency did not put the agent or four of his colleagues on leave.
Brian Levin, a former New York police officer who worked closely with the FBI and now is director of California State University’s Center For the Study of Hate and Extremism, expressed his dismay at the turn of events.
The Hostage Rescue Team is among the most elite units in the bureau and the idea that someone could be engaged in a firearm discharge in such a high-profile case and then allegedly withhold information is an extraordinary and serious charge. It’s extraordinarily disappointing.”
The Deschutes County investigators found a bullet hole in Finicum’s truck that could not be accounted for by state police. That discovery led them to consider the FBI agent as the source of the shot.
Finicum was shot in the back by state police when they thought he might be going for a weapon. A handgun was found in his possession.
Astarita’s jury trial is expected to begin on August 29. The indictment indicates that he made three false statements to supervisory special FBI agents who were investigating the shooting incident for the Inspector General of the Justice Department.
The FBI has declined comment on Astarita’s indictment.
Source: Oregon Live, Oregon Live
Image: Alex Milan Tracy/Sipa USA
The LEO’s and FBI agents involved here should be behind bars for the rest of their filthy lives. They have become the enemy of the American people.