![]() ![]() “This was a very patient, a very deliberate approach to what happened at Malheur and our goal from the beginning was to resolve it peacefully … and we largely achieved that. “Regardless of how it comes out, it’s going to have a negative impact on the FBI and our efforts,” said Greg Bretzing, the special agent in charge of the response to the occupation. ![]() The investigation also clouds the FBI’s carefully crafted response to the occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, a hands-off strategy that was honed after deadly missteps by the FBI decades earlier. Its members have maintained that Finicum was murdered, and his death has become a rallying cry. The allegation that one of its agents lied will be a boon to the anti-government militia movement, which is fueled by deep distrust of federal law enforcement. The Justice Department investigation into the hostage rescue team’s actions in the shooting is ongoing, and comes at a challenging time for the FBI. Attorney Bill Williams said at a press conference on Wednesday. Astarita pleaded not guilty and was put on administrative duty pending the outcome of his trial, which begins in August. “Special Agent Astarita falsely stated he did not fire his weapon during the attempted arrest of Mr. Finicum was ultimately killed by the state police. Joseph Astarita, a member of the FBI’s hostage rescue team, lied about firing two shots at Robert “LaVoy” Finicum, one of the occupation’s leaders, after he drove his truck toward a roadblock set up by the FBI and Oregon State Police. One of the occupation leaders had been killed by law enforcement, but a situation that threatened to become far more deadly had ended relatively peacefully.īut the operation has now come under increased scrutiny, with the indictment made public this week of an FBI agent for lying and obstructing justice. When the FBI finally defused the armed occupation of a wildlife refuge in Oregon last year, the agency largely viewed the effort as a success. ![]()
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