On Sunday, Oregon Public Broadcasting reported that lawmakers are rushing a bill to hide the name of the officer who killed Arizona rancher Robert LaVoy Finicum after reportedly hearing the officer faces potential death threats. Finicum was killed on the road to John Day after he got out of the truck he was driving. According to eyewitnesses, he was shot multiple times as his hands were in the air.
House Judiciary Chairman Jeff Barker, D-Aloha, a lawmaker who served as a Portland police officer, said Sunday that he was told privately by State Police Superintendent Richard Evans Jr., that “there was a real, credible threat and they needed something right away” to protect the name of the state police officer.
But authorities haven’t released the name of the officer, and Evans did not state the nature of the threats. He did say that police and other government officials in Burns have faced a series of threats and intimidating behavior before and during the 41-day occupation at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge.
According to OPB:
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Evans, the OSP superintendent, said Harney County Sheriff Dave Ward was shadowed while Christmas shopping with his family by men openly carrying guns and that his wife had her car tires slashed. Evans said a state police officer involved in a drunk driving arrest — of a man who reportedly was going to be a bodyguard for occupation leader Ammon Bundy — had his house spray painted.
Law enforcement and other government officials have been “in fear of retaliation or kidnapping or other things,” Evans said.
Of the bill, OPB explained:
The measure allows the police to ask a judge to withhold the name of an officer for up to 90 days because of a “continuing credible threat of present danger” to an officer or his or her family. Under the bill, a judge could extend the protective order in 90-day increments.
But according to some reports making their way to the Internet, it seems that residents, not police, are the ones in danger.
According to a report that has been circulating on a number of websites, those living in and around Burns have been dealing with a great deal of harassment and intimidation from authorities. Intellihub reported:
The armed paramilitary forces seen throughout the streets of Burns, Oregon are wearing no insignia and have all the hallmarks of private mercenaries. They have been documented in and around the town both before the arrests and after. The presence of these forces has actually doubled since the arrests, according to locals.
In a video posted Tuesday, Gavin Seim said that he’s hearing reports that agents in Burns are actually going from house to house trying to get people to turn each other in. That statement is about 30:56 in the video below:
In case you’re wondering who these officers are, here’s a video that might give you an idea:
As we’ve said before, this story is far from finished.
Related:
- CNN: Administration should use military against militia in Oregon
- Former sheriff’s deputy to Steve Quayle: LaVoy Finicum was murdered ‘for sure’
- Militia Occupation in Oregon Part II — The Reactions
- Liberal New Republic suggests Obama use military against Tea Party
- Retired Army officer warns: DHS preparing for war against American citizens
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