Finicum wrongful death suit to continue

Jeanette Finicum, the widow to Arizona rancher Robert “LaVoy” Finicum who was shot in 2016 while taking part in an Oregon-based federal lands protest, said that her Wrongful Death lawsuit against multiple parties will go on. The Federal Bureau of Investigation agent who fired two shots and later lied about the shots asked for the case to be dismissed, but Finicum said his request was denied.

She said additional information was recently revealed by the judge.

“I’m grateful the judge had denied his motion to dismiss,” she said.

In the response to the motion, Finicum and her legal team learned that the FBI had directed all officers to not wear body camera or any kind of recording devices whatsoever the day that they set up a roadblock and shot and killed Lavoy.

When the FBI officer who fired two shots, W. Joseph Astarita, was questioned by federal investigators, no video or audio was taken.

The judge has directed the prosecution to reveal details of a three dimensional animation they created showing the two shots fired by the FBI agent, and their raw data, and other information that was already shared, she said.

“I want to thank you in supporting this fight for justice and accountability for my husband’s murder,” said Jeanette in an online video. F

–Staff report