The 18-page complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Portland alleges that they were the victims of an “armed ambush, excessive-force seizure, conspiracy, battery and assault” and seeks a “common law jury” to award damages of up to $1 million per count.
Maxine Bernstein
Passengers in Finicum’s truck file separate civil suit against FBI, Harney County sheriff
The passengers riding in the truck of Oregon refuge occupation spokesman Robert “LaVoy” Finicum on Jan. 26, 2016, have filed their own civil rights lawsuit against the FBI, Harney County sheriff and others, including a federal informant.
It’s the second civil suit stemming from the day when FBI and police arrested leaders of the armed takeover of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge as they drove off the federal bird sanctuary.
Finicum, 54, sped away from the police stop as Shawna Cox, in the back seat, yelled, “Gun it! Gun it!” He swerved into a snowbank to avoid a roadblock further along rural U.S. 395, stepped from his pickup and was shot and killed by state police as he reached inside his jacket, where he had a loaded 9mm pistol, investigators said. Finicum’s wife, Jeanette Finicum, filed a separate suit last week.
Cox, Ryan Bundy and singer Victoria Sharp were crouched in the back seat of the truck at the roadblock. Ryan Payne had earlier gotten out of the front passenger seat of the truck when police first stopped it on the highway. They are the four plaintiffs listed in this latest lawsuit.
The 18-page complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Portland alleges that they were the victims of an “armed ambush, excessive-force seizure, conspiracy, battery and assault” and seeks a “common law jury” to award damages of up to $1 million per count. It appears the suit has nine counts, although it has question marks and no numbers by the last three allegations listed. The plaintiffs are representing themselves.
he complaint also seeks to ensure that the defendants don’t hold public office because of their “Bad Behavior” and for “dishonoring” the U.S. Constitution.
Indicted FBI agent W. Joseph Astarita, Greg Bretzing, who was special agent in charge of Oregon’s FBI at the time, Harney County Sheriff Dave Ward, Mark McConnell, who was an FBI informant driving Ammon Bundy off the refuge that day, Oregon Gov. Kate Brown, Harney County sheriff’s Sgt. Lucas McLain, Harney County sheriff’s Lt. Brian Needham and Harney County commissioner Steven Grasty are the defendants named.
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