After reading Ray76's analysis of the speed(s) of Finicum's vehicle on the road to and into the blind curve roadblock, I'm going to agree with your chastisement of me for calling the gentleman who ran in front of Finicum's truck in the snow a "buffoon".
From Finicum's speed just before the roadblock (and coming around the blind curve), I now believe that the guy was behind the parked vehicle on the left, suddenly saw Finicum's vehicle coming around the blind curve, and realized that Finicum might strike the vehicle he was behind head-on, at speed (in the 60s, according to Ray76's analysis).
If he darted to the snowbank and up it to avoid getting mushed, it was his only play.
He'd best not have done it to intercept the truck. Then the "B" word comes back into play. :)
Finicum did not know there was a roadblock ahead. Those manning the roadblock certainly knew he was on the way.
He did it t force Lavoy into the snow.
That was SOP, and there was already a guy on the other side for the same reason.
Lavoy would have wanted to keep at least two tires in the area (including the shoulder) that had been plowed and he would have had a hope to get by.
That guy was specifically there to make Lavoy veer just a little further to the left and into the snow so he would be stuck.
And he succeeded. He was not an idiot. He was not trying to escape. He was not dimwitted. He was doing his job.
Most people would avoid hitting someone...and most people would stop before even coming close.
Lavoy was determined to get by and so that it why it was so close.
The officers would have taken Lavoy’s willingness to do that as an intent to inflict bodily harm on them and this would have increased their adrenalin and their view of Lavoy as a threat significantly.
I have told you these things before...but you refuse to accept or believe them.
Fine.
But what I am telling you is the truth and it is SOP in such an incident where the barrow pit/drainage to the side of the road presents an opportunity for the vehicle to get stuck.