Politics

Oregon House Passes Bill to Shield Name of Officer Who Shot Lavoy Finicum

 Oregon House Passes Bill to Shield Name of Officer Who Shot Lavoy Finicum

BlackLivesMatter have joined with Lavoy Finicum supporters to oppose an emergency Oregon bill passed by the House on Wednesday. That bill, H.B. 4087, would shield the names of police officers who kill civilians – in specific, the officer who shot Lavoy Finicum.

lavoy finicum
Screenshot from FBI video – who shot LaVoy Finicum?

The bill

The bill is sponsored by six Democrats in the Oregon House. Referring to Finicum supporters as “whack jobs,” bill sponsor Jeff Barker worried that they would get access to the officer’s name.  Hence, the bill passed the House 55-3.

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Preliminary summary HB 4087:

[Prohibits official action relating to employment or certification of police officer solely because police officer is on impeachment list or because of unproven allegation that police officer committed act or omission of kind for which name of police officer may be placed on impeachment list. Prohibits use of certain evidence regarding impeachment list in administrative hearing related to official action.]

Permits police officer or law enforcement unit to petition circuit court to require law enforcement unit to withhold from disclosure identifying information of police officer or police officer’s immediate family if police officer or police officer’s immediate family received credible threat of present danger to life of police officer or police officer’s immediate family.

Specifies that identifying information under protective order may be withheld for 90 days. Permits police officer or law enforcement to request extension of protective order. Permits plaintiff who brings cause of action against law enforcement unit for act or omission committed by police officer whose identifying information is under protective order to petition court to release identifying information of police officer. Defines “law enforcement unit” and “police officer.” Declares emergency, effective on passage.]

The Oregon State Police officer who shot Mr. Finicum has reportedly received numerous death threats.

It would shield the name of the police officer who shot Mr. Finicum (or any other officer) for 90 days or indefinitely if a judge approved it.

Though Mr. Barker claims that this is not about protecting someone who has done something “wrong,” that’s a matter of opinion.

Strange Bedfellows

BlackLivesMatter is also against the bill. They joined with Lavoy Finicum supporters in asking people to vote “no” on the bill.

BlackLivesMatter Portland posted,

There’s a bill pending in the Oregon State legislature (HB 4087) which would shield police officers who kill civilians from having their names released for up to five days [actually 90 days]– or indefinitely if a judge approves a request from police to have this information hidden. The passing of this bill would be a major blow to police accountability in the state of Oregon. We CAN NOT allow this to go unchallenged. Please contact your legislator (find them here: http://www.legislatorpro.com/oregon/default.html and tell them to vote NO on HB 4087. Please share this post!

Stupidity all around

The LaVoy Finicum situation seems to have drawn together two groups, both seeking justice, but from very different viewpoints.

The bill itself is stupid- it destroys the transparency of law enforcement, and puts into question the motives of the officers involved.

The sponsors of this bill are stupid because they’d be the first to demand accountability of law enforcement if it were someone they found important that was shot.

The people who have threatened the Oregon State Police officer (or any other) are beyond stupid, as when you do something like that, the response tends to be like a turtle: withdraw and cover.   The more threats, the tighter the turtle withdraws into the shell. And inside that shell are people with guns and lots of ammo.

The higher the threat level, the less information is released. So, we now have a situation in which the turtle has withdrawn into the shell, and the liberals are screaming that whack jobs want to know who killed LaVoy Finicum.

H/T- Uncle Sam’s Misguided Children

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Faye Higbee

Faye Higbee is the columnist manager for Uncle Sam's Misguided Children. She has been writing at Conservative Firing Line since 2013 as well. She is also a published author.

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