Posted on 06/28/2017 9:29:06 PM PDT by Nextrush
An indictment accusing an FBI agent of lying to hide the he fired two shots at Robert "LaVoy" Finicum and missed caps an 18-month investigation....
Deschutes County Sheriff Shane Nelson credited his investigators for their tenaciousness.....
The sheriff also revealed that FBI leaders, told of his department's findings more than a year ago, didn't put the agent or four of his colleagues on leave.....
all members of the Hostage Rescue Team.....
The indictment of W. Joseph Astarita, 40, of New York casts a shadow on the highly trained team......
"I'm encouraged. I'm thrilled that the grand jury came back with this finding," said Finicum's widow, Jeanette Finicum......
She said Astarita's shots may have contributed to the firing of the fatal gunshots moments later by two state police troopers.....
Astarita, wearing a dark gray pinstriped suit, white shirt and red-and-blue striped tie, showed no emotion as he sat beside his lawyer in a packed federal courtroom.....
Defense lawyer Alison Clark entered not guilty pleas on Astarita's behalf to the five-count indictment....
It charged Astarita with three counts of making false statements and two counts of obstruction of justice.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Janice M. Stewart set a trial date for Aug. 29.......
Astarita will remain out of custody pending trial. Federal prosecutors referred repeatedly to Astarita as an FBI special agent but they and an FBI spokesman declined to say whether Astarita has been placed on leave or reassigned......
Sheriff Nelson crtiticized the FBI for failing to place Astarita and the other Hostage Rescue Team agents on paid leave when he and investigators traveled to FBI headquarters over a year ago. They briefed the FBI's then-Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, now acting director.........
(Excerpt) Read more at oregonlive.com ...
Much in the story with authorities claiming it was still OK to have killed LaVoy Finicum.
The Oregon sheriff whose "shooting team" investigated Finicum's killing said the shots were fired as Finicum exited the truck and he also was upset that the FBI didn't place the accused agent on leave once his lying was revealed to top FBI officials by the sheriff.
By the way, the four other agents with the agent who fired the shots also lied about the shooting but have not been charged with anything.
Sheriff Shane Nelson of Deschutes County (pronounced de-shoots) said he and his investigators revealed Agent W. Joseph Astaria's lying to then Deputy Director now Acting Director of the FBI Andrew McCabe.
When you look at the former WH Admin & head of the FBI, it is easy to see the blatant disregard for the rule of law.
Justice for LeVoy.
McCabe again!!!!!
Excuse me, LaVoy.
McCabe is quite the turd.
My sense is that if he had originally written a report the department would have backed him.
The agents - not the agent’s.
“Justice for LeVoy.”
Actually, there will NEVER be any justice for LeVoy. He was murdered by cops, and he’s dead forever. That said, these perpetrators ( all five of them) need long jail terms. Waco, Randy Weaver, the list goes on, and these men have left a path of senseless murders under color of authority, so it follows that they must pay a very high price to keep them from repeating their murderous behavior and as a signal to any who dare to follow in their footsteps.
Important info from the article:
Astarita’s bullets didn’t hit Finicum, 54. The sheriff’s investigators concluded that Astarita fired twice at the truck, hitting it in the roof and missing on the second shot.
Seconds later, state troopers shot Finicum three times after he stepped away from his pickup and reached for his inner jacket pocket, where police said he had a loaded 9mm handgun. Bullets struck him in the back and one pierced his heart, an autopsy found.
Oregon’s U.S. Attorney Billy J. Williams was adamant that the FBI agent’s indictment hasn’t tainted the state troopers’ decision to shoot Finicum.
“Special Agent Astarita’s alleged actions that led to this investigation and indictment do not, in any way, call into question the findings” of Deschutes County investigators into the Oregon State Police officers’ use of deadly force, Williams said. “OSP’s actions were justified and necessary in protecting officer safety.’’
Some good news.
Another Ruby Ridge? Why is McCabe still an agent? Answer: gutless, feckless republicans at the helm, one of them named Jeff Sessions. Get a backbone stupid party rinos!
You don’t destroy evidence and write a false report for a justified shooting. you do it to justify a bad shooting.
So what in the hell was a Hostage Rescue Team doing on that road that night? There was no hostage situation. I also want to know who fired the shots that wounded Ryan Bundy. The passengers, one named Victoria Sharp claimed at least 120 shots were fired at the vehicle. I remember listening to a recording that had been made from inside the vehicle as it was under attack. There was probably a few falsified reports about that as well.
THEY’RE STILL SAYING HE REFUSED TO PUT UP HIS HANDS - not true - IT’S ON THE DANG VIDEO!
AND THE VIDEO SURE LOOKED LIKE HE WAS NOT REACHING FOR A FIREARM, BUT CLUTCHING HIS CHEST AFTER THE FIRST SHOT , WHICH LOOKS TO’VE COME FROM THE BACK-
SO - IS THIS JUST A WHITE WASH DOG AND PONY SHOW?
Sara Carter could pound out a few pithy paragraphs on the McCabe angle.
He should have already been brought up on departmental charges, and suspended awaiting the outcome of the hearing. Any law enforcement officer who falsifies documents to cover up their actions is a threat to the security of the department he works for, and a threat to the rest of the officers who work alongside him. There is no way he should have been allowed to remain on duty.
Very poorly written article which does not complete thoughts and give enough information. Where was this indictment handed down?
I suspicion - because LeVoy was on his way to a meeting with the sheriff - WHO HAS JURISDICTION ABOVE the feds - and just may told the feds to get out of the state.
The sheriff is the ultimate law of his jurisdiction - even over the feds...
I wonder if they've been given immunity in exchange for their testimony. Despite that, they should still be brought up on departmental charges, and lose their jobs. The FBI may offer them the easy way out too. No charges if they resign.
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