It most certainly did. They were suspects in an armed Felony.
"If they had fully automatic machine guns and RPGs in the trunk, would that be sufficient?"
Certainly. So would the 9mm pistol Mr. Finicum was thought/known to be carrying.
"Absent a CREDIBLE threat to LEO life by the driver or passengers - and jumping in front of a vehicle to shoot at it doesn't count, sorry - there is no justification for the homicide, is there? Finicum didn't try to ram the LEO's, he clearly tried to avoid impact."
It happens all the time. Driver tries to blow around the cops, one of them gets in front of him. If driver doesn't stop and cop has to jump out of the way, it's assault with a deadly weapon. It most certainly does count because they're the legal authorities.
"Trying to demonize citizens for lawfully carrying or transporting firearms - when they were NOT used to threaten someone's safety - is a diversion."
Carrying a firearm during the commission of a Felony. I was on a Grand Jury once and we indicted more than one person on that. All of it traces back to their having occupied the Refuge while armed. And if they solicited armed people to come "defend" them, it could possibly be construed as incitement or insurrection.
I'm not saying I agree with it, just that that's the way the Feds are looking at it. The ones they choose to prosecute could be looking at a laundry list of serious charges.
[[It happens all the time. Driver tries to blow around the cops,]]
Yep- people always ‘blow around roadblocks by applying their brakes for 100’s of feet- cripes!
Perhaps you'd be so good as to post which particular "armed felony" they were suspects in.
"Armed conspiracy to not get shot at a road ambush"?
You’ve progressed from your annoying defense of the LEO’s with the “perps should have known better” type excuse to blatant misrepresentation of the situation to fit that same narrative.
The driver DID stop his vehicle. The LEO had to jump out of the way because he had previously jumped in front of the braking, swerving vehicle traveling on a HIGHWAY in the first place. It isn’t even a felony evading at that point.
Carrying a firearm during the commission of a felony is, in this case, another diversionary sound bite. If the felony was due to the possession of the weapon in the first place — as you’ve erroneously posted earlier — it cannot also be the basis for the additional charge (”during the commissIon of”). If it wasn’t — as is the car here — then it is only an additional charge at the time of the arrest or arraignment. You can’t have it both ways.
For everyone’s edification, why don’t you explain how the “occupiers” violated the federal statute. Please don’t say that legal possession of a firearm is, in itself, evidence of “intimidation” — else I could certainly posit that anyone could sue any LEO for infringing their rights in any number of situations using the same claim.
Isn't the story here that he came round the sharp turn, and drove into a snowbank to PREVENT hitting the officer? How is THAT assault. No evidence of any knowledge that the officer was standing in in the roadway UNTIL the deceased took the sharp turn and then he immediately drove into a snow bank to AVOID hitting the officer. What was he supposed to do? Go airborne? Use a transporter beam? This was certainly not battery (actual hitting) and was not even a minimal assault (threatening intentionally). That was being surprised by Law Enforcement in the Third Degree. Not a crime or even a civil cause of action.
Legal authorities are not a different and superior species of human being. The badge is NOT a license to kill. They are not 007 whatever they may imagine.
Were those in Finicum's vehicle occupying the nature center or ANYTHING OTHER THAN A MOTOR VEHICLE on a public highway at the time when this atrocious incident occurred? No.
We ought to care a LOT MORE about our constitution and its bill of rights rather than what the Feds THINK (if they think) they are doing. Unless you don't mind waking up in a police state.
Back to your first paragraph. OK, I blew mommy away. She was pushing a baby stroller and I just did not know what kind of firepower she was packing in their or whether the infant had weapons and weapons training. I heard a rumor that a woman looking like Mommy had pulled a felony shoplifting caper at Walmarts, stealing thousands of dollars of baby clothes, toys and diapers.
"Ya can never be too sure, ya know. Better safe than sorry! I hadda stop her before she struck again. OK, so she was not the actual shoplifter. OK, all that was in the stroller was the baby and a bottle and a rattle! The baby will heal eventually, maybe! Sheesh, we all screw up once in a while. Are YOU perfect? Cut me some slack here!"
Ummmm, Agent Bruno McBrutal Neanderthal, you are under arrest! Turn over that badge and gun and step slowly away from them.